Jackie, a world-renowned novelist, who lost her six-year-battle with cancer last weekend, chose not to tell her older sister of her heartbreaking battle with the deadly disease for fear of upsetting her.
Reflecting on her sister's decision, Joan said: "In her inimitable way she had more concern for others than for herself to the end, and anyone who knew Jackie well will tell you how courageous and selfless she was."
In a letter which addresses the passing of the 77-year-old author and mum-of-three, Joan grappled with the issue and sough comfort in platitudes offered by others.
With undisguised despair, Joan wrote: "I don’t think I will ever recover from the sadness of losing my beautiful baby sister. Someone once said, “The reality is that you don’t ‘get over’ the loss of a loved one, you learn to live with it.”
Attempting to honour her sister's trademark joie de vivre, the 83-year-old star insisted: "I think Jackie would have liked us to do more than that. As she requested, I will not mourn her death, but rather celebrate her life."
Jackie and Joan, both legends in their own right, grew up together in London - a period in their lives which Joan recounts fondly.
"She will live on in the wonderful memories I have of her from our childhood and particularly from the last fifteen years, during which we were closer than ever," she wrote.
Taking solace from memories and photographs, the Dynasty actress insists Jackie is never far from her mind, explaining: "I feel her spirit, I hear her wonderful laugh and I see her all the time in the hundreds of photos of her that are sprinkled around my home."
Joan's closing sentence couldn't fail to strike a chord with anyone who has lost a beloved family member, writing: "She wasn’t just a star – to me she was an entire galaxy."
We continue to keep Jackie's grieving family in our thoughts at this devastating time.
