Celebrity chef Anne Burrell embraced life wholeheartedly right up until her final days. Just five days before her death on Tuesday, June 17, at the age of 55, the Food Network star shared what would become her last Instagram post — and it included a familiar face.
"I ran into [the Green Lady of Brooklyn] in my neighborhood today!" she wrote on June 12 alongside a photo of her and NYC fixture Elizabeth Eaton Rosenthal. "I'm not going to lie – I have been keeping an eye out for her. I may or may not have followed her down the street for a minute," the celebrity chef added. "She is just lovely!!!"
Touching Final Post
Rosenthal, 84, known as the Green Lady of Brooklyn, earned her nickname by exclusively wearing green for more than two decades. A day after Burrell's Instagram post, Rosenthal replied, saying it was "so much fun" meeting the famous chef.
She also invited the "Worst Cooks in America" co-host to visit her garden and pick some figs.
"Hi Anne, it was so much fun meeting you, see you again soon in the neighborhood, the only thing I make is coffee and fig preserves from my fig tree, love and hugs," the Green Lady of Brooklyn wrote with several green heart emojis.
"Hi Anne," Rosenthal added on Sunday, "I would like to invite you to my garden and pick figs when they are ready, usually beginning to ripen beginning September, and come and visit the garden on a sunny day anyway."
Following the heartbreaking news of the celebrity chef's unexpected death, Rosenthal—also known as Elizabeth Sweetheart—revisited Burrell's Instagram page on Tuesday.
"Hi Anne," she wrote, "you are such a lovely person just to meet and not knowing you, I just love you and so sorry but come to my garden and visit with all your beauty and love and I will be waiting for you."
Sudden and Shocking Death
Burrell died at her Brooklyn home on the morning of Tuesday, June 17, at the age of 55. The celebrity chef was found "unconscious and unresponsive" and was pronounced dead at the scene, the New York City Police Department revealed on Tuesday.
At 7:50 a.m. EST, police responded to a report of "an unconscious and unresponsive 55-year-old female," according to PEOPLE. When Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrived, they confirmed that Burrell had died at the scene.
Her family later released a emotional statement confirming her sudden death, though they chose not to disclose the cause.
"Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered," their statement read. "Anne's light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world," the family added. "Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal."
Although the police did not name Burrell as the deceased in their statement, PEOPLE verified that the address given by authorities matches with the celebrity chef's home.
An autopsy will be conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which will officially determine the cause of Anne Burrell's death.
Burrell shot to fame with her appearances on various cooking shows, including "Iron Chef America", "Chef Wanted", and "Chopped." She received an Emmy nomination for her hit show "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef", which aired for nine successful seasons.
Most recently, she appeared on an episode of the culinary competition series "House of Knives".
Burrell is survived by her husband, Stuart Claxton, his son Javier, her mother Marlena, and her siblings, Jane and Ben.
