Happy Thanksgiving! 

We hope you’re enjoying delicious food and quality time with your loved ones on this holiday. 

As we gather, we also remember those who have passed and are no longer gracing our family table. 

We found 12 heartwarming tributes to share with your friends and family this Thanksgiving to help inspire you to memorialize your dearly departed as the family  gathers round:

 

1. Frank Oz Honors His Lifelong Creative Partner, Jim Henson

Jim Henson and Frank Oz had a creative partnership that changed the world forever. When Jim passed away at the young age of 53, the impact sent waves of sadness through everyone’s hearts.

In this memorial, Frank tells a story of a gift that Jim made for him – a piece of art that so perfectly captured what made Jim Henson such an amazing spirit. This heartwarming tribute ends with the most touching moment, Frank Oz simply states with deep emotion, “That is when I knew he loved me, and I loved him.” Hand me the tissues please! 

 

2. Because I Said I Would 

This tribute is proof that our death can make a lifelong impact.  When Alex Sheen suddenly lost his father to cancer, he knew he needed to find a way to honor his father’s spirit of duty and sincerity. His father was always good with promises – if he said he would, he absolutely would. And so, Alex made “Because I Said I Would” cards to hand out at his father’s funeral, asking all those in attendance to keep his father’s spirit alive by following through on the promises they made. 

Alex encourages people to write a promise on a card, give it to whom you’ve made this promise, and collect the card when you’ve fulfilled your word. Soon this simple idea blossomed into a movement that has gained national attention.  Alex turned his grief into a legacy that will forever honor the integrity his father embodied. 

 

3. A Sister’s Eulogy for Steve Jobs

Read the full eulogy via the New York Times here

Not only was Steve Jobs one of the greatest innovators of our time, but he was truly a passionate man. He was just as dedicated to his family as his career, as his sister Mona so beautifully exemplifies in this touching obituary.

Though she didn’t even know Steve was her brother until she was 25 years old, she shared in his passion for creativity and witnessed his undying devotion to making the world a more beautiful place where everyone can experience the best in life. We promise you won’t regret taking 5 minutes to read this thoughtful piece that takes us through the last moments of Steve’s time on earth and the impact he had in a truly unique way. 

 

4. “We shall not be moved”

Rosa Parks ignited passion with her simple acts of courage. Even in death, her memory still inspires us to this day. When it came time to pay tribute to this incredible woman, who better than Oprah to put words to the spirit of Rosa Parks?

Oprah takes us to church with her powerful use of the line, “I will not be moved.” Repeating it as a chorus throughout her eulogy, she transforms these words into a call to action, moving us all to honor Rosa’s memory by continuing her work towards social justice, equality and change. 

 

5.  All Ducks Go to Heaven

Comedian Sarah Silverman isn’t well known for her sentimental ways, but when her 19-year-old rescue dog, Duck, passed away, we got to see a truly heartwarming side of a typically sarcastic person:

“I held him and kissed him and whispered to him well passed his passing. I picked him up and his body was limp – you don’t think about the head – it just falls. I held him so tight.

14 years.

My longest relationship.

My only experience of maternal love.

My constant companion.

My best friend.

Duck.”

You can feel the huge impact this tiny pup had on Sarah’s life in her words. Duck will always be fondly remembered, and the world knows it.

 

6. A Song for a Son Taken Too Soon

When Eric Clapton lost his 4-year-old son, Conor, in a tragic accident, he used his gift of song writing to transform his grief and pain into one of the most touching father/son tributes the world has ever seen. To this day, this song is filled with so much emotion, Eric Clapton can no longer play it live. It remains a shining example of the deep bond of parenthood and the indescribable grief that comes with losing a child at such a tender age. 

 

7.  One for the Dogs

When Margarita Suarez passed away, it wasn’t just a loss to her friends and family, but to all of the creatures who resided in her city of Merida, Mexico. As the family held services to honor Margarita’s life, something truly astounding happened –

“I’ll share photos of the saddest day of my life, only because something marvelous happened that I want to share. My mother was an animal lover – she couldn’t come across any without giving them a little bit of food. Upon arrival at her wake, out of nowhere a group of dogs came into the salon and stayed there all night as if on guard. This morning they left and couldn’t be found anywhere, but one hour before we brought my mom out the dogs came back and grouped around as if to say goodbye. I swear by God that it was beautiful, marvelous.”

These dogs devotion to Margarita was seen crystal clear in their display of grief and vigilance. You can see what a remarkable person Margarita was by the way that all creatures, human and canine alike, came to honor her final moments before being laid to rest. 

 

8. Sandy Hook Tragedy Inspires Community

When a tragedy the size of the Sandy Hook Shooting touches a community, it ripples out into the whole world. Benjamin Wheeler was one of the young lives that was ripped from this earth in a devastating act of violence that touched the hearts of millions. People needed a place to pour their grief and they found the perfect container in a beautifully designed memorial website. 

Thousands came together to offer words of condolences, grief, and even hope. To this day, comments still roll in – showing how powerful it can be for people to come together and transmute their collective grief into the building of a supportive and loving community.

View Benjamin’s social memorial website here.

Pro tip: If you would like to learn more about how you can incorporate this powerful online memorial feature into your funeral home website, click here.

 

9. A Heart Shaped Meadow

 

When Winston Howes lost his dearly beloved wife, he wanted to create a lasting memorial to her. He found his answer in planting over 6,000 oak trees to create a reflection garden where he could sit and reminisce over the remarkable life they spent together. This secret garden had a sweet surprise – a heart shaped meadow that can only be seen from above!

The world might have never known about Winston’s loving tribute had it not been for a hot air balloonist who happened to fly over and snap a photo one day. This labor of love leaves a lasting impression with all who see it, a truly heartwarming heart shaped meadow!

 

10. What Losing My Father Taught Me About Father’s Day

This thoughtful tribute was written by our own Krystal Penrose about her father who passed away when she was just three years old. Krystal takes us on a journey that not only explores her father’s impact upon her life, but also the experience of witnessing her mother’s grief at such a young age. Here we see a young woman wearing her heart on her sleeve, showing us what it is to navigate grief and loss as both a child and adult.

“On my 24th birthday this year,  I remembered that my mom and Dennis were 24 when they met. It only felt right to open that bottom drawer after all of those years of remaining untouched. In it, I found pictures of us in our matching onesies, pictures of a day we spent at the park, and tons and tons of love letters my mom and Dennis exchanged almost every single day. Some of these love letters were on post-it notes, some were on napkins, and some were pages and pages long.

The one that stuck out most to me read was on a post-it note. It read: ‘I’ll never love you more than I do in this very moment. Please remember that.’ That note was written just a few weeks before Dennis passed away. After reading it, I sat in my bed and stared at those words and cried for a long, long time. Throughout my entire life, I didn’t know what unconditional love even looked like, and in this very moment, I was staring it right in the eyes.”

Krystal shows us so much radical vulnerability in the course of this loving tribute to her father, her mother, and the power of remembrance & resilience. 

 

11. Tribute for a Fallen Partner

Could dogs be ANY more pure?! When Police Officer Jason Ellis was laid to rest his canine sidekick, Figo, was in attendance.  Just before Ellis was lowered to the ground, Figo walked up to the casket and placed a single paw on it. A. Single. Paw.

The bond between humans and dogs is so strong, and our canine companions grieve just as we do. Here we have a heart melting reminder that dogs not only bring us joy and compassion, but that we touch their lives just as much.

 

12. A Tribute Truly Fitting of an Unusual Comedian

I did you a favor by putting this one last, because finally you can laugh after wiping all your tears away!  In this eulogy, actor and comedian John Cleese takes just two minutes to remember the beloved Graham Chapman, famously known for his role in Monty Python. 

You wouldn’t expect a serious eulogy for a comedian well known for their utter irreverence, and John delivers! You can tell what kind of ride you’re in for when he says –

“Well I feel I should say nonsense, good riddance to him, that freeloading bastard. And the reason I feel I should say this is he would never forgive me if I didn’t. If I threw away this opportunity to shock you all on his behalf.”

Tributes like this help us remember that funerals should reflect the personality of the individual we are memorializing. I guarantee you Graham wanted people laughing at his funeral, and he certainly wanted his Monty Python crew to stay true to who they are – comrades who pushed boundaries and made inappropriate jokes at inappropriate times! This time however, it couldn’t have been a more appropriate way to pay tribute to a truly unique man. 

Do you have your own memories of heartwarming tributes to share? We would love to hear them in the comments! 

 

PS. Looking for ways to help your families memorialize their loved ones in a unique way? Life Tributes software suite makes funeral personalization simple. Give it a try by clicking here to grab a free 30-day trial.