More than a decade after Glee star Cory Monteith died of an accidental drug overdose, his parents, Ann Marie and Joe, have passed away just weeks apart.
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According to an obituary, Ann Marie McGregor passed on Wednesday, June 18, at the age of 74. The woman from Shirley, British Columbia, “passed away peacefully” after receiving palliative care for an unknown illness.
“Ann enjoyed her time gardening, along with her artistic pursuits on her acreage in Shirley, BC, together with Cornelius, Harley and her love birds,” the obituary reads. “Ann was a person of strong character and she carried that throughout her life.”
Anne Marie’s death, notably, occurred just over a month after her ex-husband and Cory Monteith’s estranged father, Joe Monteith, passed away at the age of 75.
According to his obituary, Joe died on May 12. Similarly to his ex-wife, Joe received palliative care for an unknown illness before his death.
“Joe created a beautiful life in which he was a beloved husband, father, brother, grandparent, and great grandparent,” his obituary reads.
The couple divorced back in 1989, and they shared two children: Cory and Shaun.
Cory’s Death
Glee star Cory Monteith passed away back in 2013 after suffering a heroin overdose. In a 2018 interview with PEOPLE, Ann Marie recalled the traumatic experience of learning of his son’s death. She received the news from Cory’s then-girlfriend and Glee co-star Lea Michele.
“She was yelling, ‘Is it true, is it true about Cory?’ and I said, ‘What about Cory?’ I had heard nothing. And then police knocked on my front door,” Anne Marie told PEOPLE.
After hearing the news, Ann Marie went into a “state of numbness”, with her saying that she “shut off all emotions.” For weeks, while perfectly knowing Cory had passed, Ann Marie found herself lying to herself by saying, “He’s in L.A., he’ll call me soon.”
“When you lose someone who is such a big part of you, you lose all purpose for living,” she added.
Joe Monteith, who reportedly was not involved in his son’s life until they reconnected in 2011, was also left devastated by Cory’s passing.
“He should have known not to touch that drug again,” Joe said in a 2013 PEOPLE interview. He referenced Cody’s struggle with drugs, which landed him in rehab multiple times.
“It’s just ripping my insides out and tearing me apart,” Joe added tearfully.