Elizabeth Hendrickson Shares a Personal Farewell to Family Friend Jimmy Buffett
Parrotheads around the world mourned the death of Jimmy Buffett after it was announced that the “Margaritaville” singer had passed away on Sept. 1. But for THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS star Elizabeth Hendrickson (Chloe) and her husband, Rob Meder, Buffett’s death also meant that they lost a cherished friend and colleague as Meder has been the crooner’s digital media specialist for many years.
In a touching Instagram tribute, Hendrickson shared some of her family’s personal moments with Buffett, writing that even the couple’s young daughter, Josephine, was a fan. “It’s no secret that Jimmy Buffett was the best,” Hendrickson declared. “We are lucky enough to say that we have many memories with him that will remain in our hearts forever.”
One of those memories is an adorable video of Buffett singing the Bill Withers classic “Lean On Me” to a newborn Josephine via FaceTime. What a lullaby! “Josephine has been listening to him since she was born,” Hendrickson continued, adding that her daughter’s “summer anthem” this year was “Volcano,” the title track from Buffett’s 1979 album.
“Smooth sailing, Jimmy. Fins up,” the actress concluded.
Meder also shared a tribute to his boss, as well as several Instagram Stories that included a video clip of Buffett showing the couple’s toddler how to play the mandolin during what seemed to be a recent visit. “Josephine loved Jimmy,” Meder wrote on the slide.
In his post, Meder shared that confessed he was “stealing” a quote from a tribute made by another of Buffett’s friends, singer James Taylor, who had written on X that Buffett was “a model of how to enjoy the great gift of being alive. And that’s what he shared so generously with us: a positive enthusiasm at being here.”
Adding his own take on Buffett to Taylor’s words, Meder penned that his employer is “getting the hero’s farewell he earned, just another incredible moment in his lifetime full of them. He never looked back — always, always forward. That’s tough right now, but I know wherever he is, he’s looking at the bright side and making it a better place to be. RIP, boss.”
According to an obituary posted on Buffett’s website, the singer passed away at his home on Long Island after a four-year battle with Merkel Cell Carcinoma, a rare yet aggressive skin cancer that quickly spreads to other parts of the body.
Please join us in sending our condolences to Hendrickson and Meder and the rest of Buffett’s friends and family at this difficult time.
