"Me and my sister were with her," Seymour said. "She took a few soft breaths, gave a smile, then she was gone."

Cathy Mazurkiewicz, the mother of six children, knew her health was failing when her son died but kept it quiet.

"When she was taking care of Montana she hardly had time to focus on her own illness," said Seymour, who lives in Alhambra, Calif., east of Los Angeles.

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis visited Montana Mazurkiewicz in Mishawaka, outside South Bend, last September before Notre Dame played Washington. Weis asked if there was something he could do, and he agreed to let Montana call the first play against Washington. Montana called "pass right."

Weis called for a pass right on the first play of the game even though the Irish started on their own 1-yard line. Tight end Anthony Fasano caught the pass and leapt over a defender for a 13-yard gain.

Montana never got to see the play, though. He had died the day before.

Cathy Mazurkiewicz said after the game that she couldn't believe Weis called the play after the Irish started with their backs to the goal line.

"It was an amazing play. Montana would have been very pleased. I was very pleased," she said. "I was just so overwhelmed. I couldn't watch much more."

Mazurkiewicz moved near Seymour shortly after Montana died.

Seymour said Mazurkiewicz was as big a fan of Notre Dame as Montana was.

"In fact she had two tattoos," she said.

Seymour said her mother's death came almost as a relief.

"She struggled for a long time with pain and disability," she said. "It was a blessing to see she was at peace."

A memorial service is planned for June 3, Seymour said.