Miriam Engelberg, who wrote about her struggles with breast cancer in the autobiographical Cancer Made Me a Shallower Person, has passed away.

A close friend sent out an email which included the following:

Miriam Engelberg died at home earlier today. She had her family and close friends with her and was not in a coma. As far as I can tell, she didn’t suffer and was spared the intense pain many go through with cancer. I like to think the love, humor and good karma she shared with everyone protected her from the worst aspects of dying.

In her mid-40s, she died much too young, but it sounds like her passing was as comfortable as one might hope for.