Heather Armstrong, a trailblazing “mommy blogger” known for her candid posts about parenthood on her blogging site, Dooce, has passed away at the age of 47. Ms. Armstrong was found dead in her Utah home after police officers from Salt Lake City PD responded to a call. A preliminary investigation revealed that she died by suicide, but no other details have been released.
Heather’s fans and followers learned of her tragic death on May 10th, when a statement was released that read,
Heather Brooke Hamilton aka Heather B. Armstrong aka dooce aka love of my life. July 19, 1975 – May 9, 2023.”
Her boyfriend, Pete Ashdown, told the Associated Press that he found Ms. Armstrong in their home on the evening of May 9th. She had two children with her former husband and business partner, Jon Armstrong.
Heather began her blog, Dooce, in 2001 and quickly became a trailblazer in mommy blogging. She wrote candidly about her children, relationships, and other challenges, building a devoted following of readers who appreciated her honesty and humour.
Her blog became a lucrative career, earning her a spot on Forbes’ annual list of the 30 most influential women in media in 2009. At its peak, Dooce received more than eight million visitors a month, and Heather’s earnings from the site totalled between $30,000 and $50,000 each month.
In 2009, Heather published a memoir titled “It Sucked, and Then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown and a Much Needed Margarita,” which chronicled her struggles with postpartum depression and the challenges of motherhood. She continued to blog regularly, and her fans loved her writing until her untimely passing.
Readers worldwide will continue to be inspired and resonate with Heather Armstrong’s honest, candid writing on the ups and downs of parenthood, thereby preserving her legacy as a pioneering mommy blogger for years to come.
