Dame Joan Collins has penned a touching tribute to her younger sister Jackie who passed away on September 19th. "I will not mourn her death, I will celebrate her life," she writes.In the piece - posted in full and freely available on her own website joancollins.net - the Dynasty actress reveals how her sister told her about her breast cancer over the phone. "Hi sis, it’s me" she said, "I need to talk to you about something, it’s some bad news I’m afraid, I have stage four breast cancer." Understandly Joan was devastated to hear that her younger sister was ill.Joan recounts several stories, giving an insight into the strong sisterly bond they had. As with any sibling relationship they had their disagreements but always came back to each other and the two truly were the best of friends.
© Photo: Getty ImagesJoan has written a touching tribute to her sister Joan who passed away on September 19
"I’ve never had a better girlfriend than Jackie, with whom I shared so much in common, and could enjoy gossiping away about everything when we were together, going to our favourite restaurants or to the movies, or on long distance phone calls. "Discussing the last time that she saw her 77-year-old sister the actress wrote: "She seemed full of joie de vivre as we chatted happily about our Christmas plans in Los Angeles and about going to Hawaii with her children and grandchildren after that. "During her trip to London "Jackie threw a fabulous birthday dinner party for Tracy [her daughter]. She was her usual sparkling, funny, energetic self…and looking impeccably groomed and glamourous."
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe sisters together in 1977
In the online post Joan also revealed that she used to encourage her sister to get mammogram screenings, after their mother died from breast cancer in 1962. "I used to nag [her about it]. Jackie, however, refused – she didn’t even like going to the doctors. She was needle-phobic"Rounding up the 2,000 word tribute Joan wrote: "I don’t think I will ever recover from the sadness of losing my beautiful baby sister…I feel her spirit, I hear her wonderful laugh and I see her all the time in the hundreds of photos of her sprinkled around my home. She wasn’t just a star – to me she was an entire galaxy."
