Daughter obituary examples for inspiration

Amelia Thornton, 34, of Nashville, Tennessee, died on February 11, 2026, after a three-year battle with leukemia. She was braver than she ever gave herself credit for. Amelia was born in Nashville to Richard and Catherine Thornton. She graduated from Harpeth Hall in 2009 and Vanderbilt in 2013 with a degree in English literature. She worked as an editor at a publishing house in New York for five years before coming home in 2022 when she got sick. Amelia was the reader in the family. She always had two books going and could tell you exactly why you should or shouldn't bother with either one. She started a book club in her apartment in Brooklyn that still meets every month in her honor. She loved live music at the Ryman, breakfast at Loveless Cafe, and her cat, Fitzgerald, who is adjusting poorly to her absence. She ran the Nashville half-marathon three times and volunteered at the Nashville Public Library reading program. Her family says that the last three years were the hardest thing they've ever been through, and also that Amelia somehow made it bearable by refusing to let cancer be the only thing anyone talked about in her presence. Amelia is survived by her parents, Richard and Catherine Thornton; her brother, James (Sarah) Thornton; her sister, Claire Thornton; her niece, Eliza; and her cat, Fitzgerald. A celebration of Amelia's life will be held Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Bluebird Cafe. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Sergeant First Class Maria Isabel Reyes, United States Army, 38, of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, died on January 20, 2026, from injuries sustained during a training exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, Louisiana. Maria was born on September 8, 1987, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Carlos and Elena Reyes. She graduated from Academia San Jose in 2005 and enlisted in the United States Army that same year. She served for 20 years in the Military Police Corps, deploying three times to Afghanistan and once to Iraq. Maria earned numerous decorations including the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters. She was selected for Sergeant Audie Murphy Club in 2022, a distinction awarded to the top noncommissioned officers in the Army. Despite the demands of military life, Maria maintained close ties with her family in Puerto Rico, calling her mother every morning and sending her nieces and nephews care packages that always included homemade flan. Her soldiers describe her as the leader who pushed you hard because she believed in what you could become. Her family describes her as the one who held everyone together from thousands of miles away. Maria is survived by her parents, Carlos and Elena Reyes; her brothers, Carlos Jr. and Luis Reyes; her sister, Ana (Miguel) Cruz; six nieces and nephews; and her fellow soldiers of the 716th Military Police Battalion. Funeral services with full military honors will be held Monday at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Army Women's Foundation.

Sophie Walsh, 26, of Austin, Texas, died on February 8, 2026, in a car accident. She was 26 and had just gotten her dream job. The unfairness of it is not lost on anyone. Sophie was born in Dallas to Kevin and Margaret Walsh. She graduated from Highland Park High School in 2017 and from UT Austin in 2021 with a degree in public health. She had just started as a program coordinator at Dell Children's Medical Center three months before. Sophie was the person who remembered your coffee order, texted you on hard anniversaries, and showed up at the airport even when your flight landed at midnight. She fostered two dogs, both of whom she failed to give back (Bruno and Hank now live with her parents). She loved breakfast tacos with a conviction that bordered on religious. She ran the Austin Marathon in 2024. She had a laugh that carried across any room she was in. Sophie is survived by her parents, Kevin and Margaret Walsh; her brother, Connor Walsh; her sister, Molly Walsh; her grandparents, Thomas and Joan Walsh; Bruno and Hank; and more friends than one person should reasonably be able to maintain. A celebration of Sophie's life will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at St. Austin's Catholic Church. Donations in her memory may be made to Dell Children's Medical Center.