Video: Saying goodbye to Nora Ephron

>>> necessary and indispensable. she also may be irreplaceable. she died last night at the age of 71. she was, of course, an extraordinary writer and humorist. while she hated cliches, she liked a surprise ending, which is exactly what it turns out she left us with. it turns out not even close friends knew she was so sick with leukemia until yesterday's first bulletin that she was gravely ill. she was both poignant and funny. for example, when asked about her own religion, she answered, you can never have too much butter. that is my belief. if i have a religion, that's it. well, tonight nbc's anne thompson has a look back at one of the very best.

>> reporter: as a screen writer , norah ephron had a delicious way with words.

>> i better go deliver this. i have a very thirsty date. she's part camel.

>> reporter: it was her observations about men and women.

>> you're going to be a gymnast.

>> journalist.

>> reporter: when harley met sally.

>> there's two women high maintenance and low maintenance .

>> which one am i?

>> the worst kind you're high maintenance and think you're low maintenance .

>> i'll have what she's having.

>> reporter: sally was more or less her.

>> i am as big a nightmare when ordering in a restaurant as she was.

>> reporter: that nightmare was an inspiration to women.

>> she paved the way for people.

>> reporter: ephron broke into the boys club with directors with "sleepless in seattle", you've got mail" julia and julia.

>> you're book is going to change the world .

>> reporter: laughing at her life.

>> don't be frightened, you can always change your mind. i know. i've had four careers and three husbands.

>> reporter: the daughter of screenwriters, ephron started as a newspaper writer and went to a magazine. it was during the break up of her marriage to carl bernstein she put to use her mother's lesson about humor.

>> if you slip on a banana peel , people laugh at you. but if you tell people you slip on a banana peel , you're a joke.

>> reporter: she wrote "heartburn" a best selling novel with recipes. the movie starred meryl streep .

>> i'm never getting married again. i don't believe in marriage.

>> i highly recommend having meryl streep play you.

>> reporter: whether writing about aging or divorce, ephron had this mantra.

>> be the heroine of your life not the victim.

>> she was never the victim. tom brokaw .

>> she went out on her own terms. it was a terrible illness. she kept it to herself for the most part. when we lost her, she had lived a very complete life professional and personally.

>> reporter: in her final book ephron wrote a list of what she'd miss, her kids, her husband nicholas pileggi , butter, coming over the bridge to manhattan, pie. what we'll miss, norah ephron . anne thompson , nbc news, new york.

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