Roger Ebert's widow describes his final moments: 'He was joyous'

Roger Ebert died in April 2013, robbing the world of one of the most enduring and beloved film critics. His final months were spent in a hospital alongside Chaz, his wife and business partner — and in a new interview with the Oprah Winfrey Network, she describes his joy and strength on the last day of his life.

"I think he knew. He just accepted it. He just stared death in the eye and said, 'I'm not afraid. I'm ready for you. I'm coming,'" Chaz said. "And he was joyous about it. And because of that, watching him took away any fear of death that I ever had."

Ebert died on the morning he was scheduled to leave the hospital and return home. "He looked at me, he smiled, and he put his head down," says Chaz. "I realized that it was the end, and it was time for me to let him go. And I didn't want to do it at first. I asked them to resuscitate him. And they said no, because he had signed a 'do not resuscitate' order. It was the right thing to do, to let him go peacefully. That's the way he wanted to go."

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Chaz continues to serve as both publisher and contributor to RogerEbert.com, and is in the process of establishing the Roger Ebert Center at the University of Illinois, which aims to "educate and inspire emerging writers and filmmakers to make movies that matter."