Marie Osmond Shares a Final Message for Her Late Brother, Wayne

Marie Osmond is speaking publicly for the first time since her older brother Wayne died on Jan. 1, saying it’s been “just too hard” to sum her love for him in words.

In a lengthy reflection on social media, Osmond reveals that she was able to visit Wayne shortly before his death, though she had no idea what was about to happen.

“I really felt the Spirit compel me to go see him,” she recalls. “And I’m so thankful I listened to what I was feeling. I will cherish those hours I spent with him for the rest of my life. I didn’t know that just a few days after my visit, he would have a massive stroke.”

Osmond mentions her brother’s storied career in her remembrance, but her emphasis is on his humor, his love of family and his deep faith.

“So right now, if I could say anything to him, it would be: ‘Wayne, I could not cherish the gift God gave me more than to be loved by you in this life! You are a true, loving brother, and I will miss you so very much,'” she says.

“I testify eternally of my great love for you with every fiber of my heart and soul!”

As she continues to grieve the loss of her brother, Osmond also acknowledges that many of her fans are also going through similar difficult losses of their own, and she sends them her “deepest prayers” at the conclusion of her post.

When he died early this year, Wayne left a powerful legacy as the vocalist and guitarist for the Osmonds, who were at their fame during the 1970s. Though he never became a solo star like his sister Marie or his brother Donny, he was a vital part of the group as both a performer and a songwriter.

His death was originally confirmed in his family’s statement to Salt Lake City news station KSL TV. Osmond’s cause of death was determined to be a stroke.