Rebecca Gibney reveals touching sign after losing mum Shirley and friend Sam Neill within weeks

Rebecca Gibney has shared a touching update after losing her mother Shirley and close friend Sam Neill within a few weeks.

The Aussie actress, 61, retold a story of how much her mother loved the ducks on her property and revealed when they came back to visit she named one of them ‘Sir Sam’, as a sweet homage to the late Jurassic Park star.

The tribute is a nod to Neill famously naming his farm animals after his Hollywood peers.

Animal residents of Neill’s Two Paddocks estate in New Zealand included a bull named Graham Norton, cows Helena Bonham Carter and Laura Dern, and a ram named Jeff Goldblum.

“In the wake of a sad few weeks – I just wanted to share a wee update,” Gibney’s post began.

She explained that all the white ducks on her property were called Shirley, and recalled how much her mum used to love seeing the animals by the pond.

Read more

Sam Neill’s cause of death revealed after remaining ‘cancer free’

“We would sit looking at the river, listening to the birds. Not speaking. Just immersed in the sounds of nature. At peace,” she wrote.

“Mum also fell in love with the ducks in our pond.”

“Today another new friend showed up. A magnificent blue/black male. And he has developed an immediate rapport with a few of our ‘Shirley’s’ . They seem to follow him wherever he goes….”

“We have no idea how long our beautiful new friend will be with us – but it seems serendipitous and only right – that from this day forward – he will be named Sir Sam. I’m pretty sure Mum would approve…💙🤍🖤,” Gibney said.

One follower replied: “Oh how happy Sam would be to hear that. Maybe Shirley and Sam have found their spirit home in the pond.❤️🦆💙”

“Whether you believe in signs or not, beautiful things showing up at just the right times to bring us memories of our loved ones with them, just makes the distance a bit less great. And that’s worth holding on to. 🩷🌸🦆🪿,” another added.

In June, Gibney revealed her beloved mother Shirley died at the age of 91.

“We are utterly heartbroken at the loss of our beautiful mother Shirley Gibney,” she wrote in part of a post.

“I’m not sure how I will navigate life without my Mum but I am so grateful I was blessed to have her as my angel on earth for so long.

And I will miss her beyond words,” she added in part.

Acclaimed actor Neill’s passing was announced on Monday.

His family broke the devastating news in a statement, with the actor dying at the age of 78 at St Vincent’s Private Hospital.

After overcoming blood cancer stage-three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, and being cancer free, he was being treated for pneumonia at hospital before his death.

Gibney shared a tribute to Neill after learning of his passing. The pair starred as husband and wife in the 2009 Australian true-crime dramaIn Her Skin.

“Dear Sam, you were funny and kind and humble (and kind) and smart and the epitome of a gentleman … And so kind,” she wrote, alongside pictures of them together over the years and one with a black and white duck.

“Thank you Sam. 🙏You made us all feel so much better in your presence. My deepest condolences to your whanau and dear ones- many of them dear ones to me. I promise to look out for them and hug them as you would. RIP dearest man 💔.”