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Celebrity chef Anne Burrell lived her life to the fullest up until the very end.
Just five days before the Food Network star passed away on Tuesday, June 17, at the age of 55, Burrell took to Instagram to share what would be her final post – and it included a familiar face.
“I ran into [the Green Lady of Brooklyn] in my neighborhood today!” she wrote on June 12 alongside a photo of her and NYC fixture Elizabeth Eaton Rosenthal. “I’m not going to lie – I have been keeping an eye out for her.”
“I may or may not have followed her down the street for a minute,” Burrell added. “She is just lovely!!!”
Rosenthal, 84, earned the nickname Green Lady of Brooklyn because she has been devoted to only wearing the color green for over 20 years.
Rosenthal responded to Burrell’s Instagram post one day later to say that it “was so much fun meeting” the celebrity chef.
She also invited the “Worst Cooks in America” co-host over to her garden to pick figs.
“Hi Anne, it was so much fun meeting you, see you again soon in the neighborhood, the only thing I make is coffee and fig preserves from my fig tree, love and hugs,” the Green Lady of Brooklyn wrote with several green heart emojis.
“Hi Anne,” Rosenthal added on Sunday, “I would like to invite you to my garden and pick figs when they are ready, usually beginning to ripen beginning September, and come and visit the garden on a sunny day anyway.”
Rosenthal, who is also known as Elizabeth Sweetheart, returned to Burrell’s Instagram page once more on Tuesday following the devastating news of the celeb chef’s sudden passing.
“Hi Anne,” she wrote, “you are such a lovely person just to meet and not knowing you, I just love you and so sorry but come to my garden and visit with all your beauty and love and I will be waiting for you.”
Burrell sadly passed away at her home in Brooklyn on Tuesday morning. Her family confirmed the shocking news in a statement to People, but the cause of death was not immediately revealed.
“Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered,” Burrell’s loved ones shared.
“Anne’s light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world,” they added. “Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal.”
The Food Network also remembered Burrell in a touching statement to The Post.
“Anne was a remarkable person and culinary talent – teaching, competing and always sharing the importance of food in her life and the joy that a delicious meal can bring,” a representative for the network said.
“Our thoughts are with Anne’s family, friends and fans during this time of tremendous loss,” they added.
Burrell is survived by her husband, Stuart Claxton, his son, Javier, her mother, Marlena, her sister, Jane, and her brother, Ben.
