NK Woman's Obit: In Lieu of Flowers, Donate to Tom Brady's Deflategate Defense Fund

Seventy-four-year-old Barbara ”Gigi” Shippee, a longtime North Kingstown resident, was a huge fan of the New England Patriots and the team’s quarterback, Tom Brady.

She called him “my Tom” and was sure her “Tom could do no wrong.”

So when the mother of three and grandmother of eight died last week, her family wanted to put something in her obituary that would make a statement.

“In lieu of flowers, please make memorial contributions to ‘Tom Brady’s Deflategate Defense’ as she was the Ultimate Patriots Fan,” the obituary stated.

Since the obituary first appeared in the newspaper, Shippee has caused quite a stir. Word of her support for Brady has bounced around the world. And if she was still here, she’d be getting a huge kick out of it, family members said.

“My mother would be in seventh heaven,” said her daughter, Lori Berard, in an interview with NBC10. “To cause all this ruckus — she’s got to be up there giggling and just loving every little second of it.”

Shippee was born in North Kingstown and died peacefully in Sebastian, Fla., in the presence of family.

Family members said that the request for donations to Brady’s defense fun were in jest. Shippee had an incredible sense of humor, but she had a big heart, too. Since Brady really doesn’t need financial support for his defense, the family respectfully asks that fans and friends make a donation to a charity of their choice.