Obituary Examples

Margaret Anne “Peggy” Ellison (née Whitfield), 77, of Cedar Falls, Iowa, passed away peacefully on March 4, 2026, surrounded by her family. She was born on June 3, 1948, in Dayton, Ohio, to John and Mary Whitfield. Peggy graduated from Ohio State University in 1970 and taught third grade at Lincoln Elementary for thirty-one years, where generations of students knew her for reading aloud with all the voices. Her faith was central to her life, and she sang alto in the choir at First Presbyterian Church for over two decades. She loved her rose garden, Tuesday bridge club, and long mornings on the porch with coffee and the crossword. She is survived by her husband of fifty-two years, Thomas Ellison; her daughters, Sarah Mitchell (Tom) of Des Moines and Laura Chen (David) of Minneapolis; six grandchildren who called her Grandma Peg; and her sister, Carol Bennett. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Robert Whitfield. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at First Presbyterian Church, Cedar Falls. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Cedar Falls Public Library, where Peggy volunteered every Thursday for fifteen years. The family wishes to thank the staff of Riverview Hospice for their extraordinary kindness.

KOWALSKI, Walter “Walt” Dean, 84, of Toledo, Ohio, died March 2, 2026. U.S. Army veteran and machinist at Delray Tool & Die for 38 years. Beloved husband of 58 years to Helen; father of Michael (Beth) and Susan Reyes (Carlos); grandfather of five. Funeral Mass 10 a.m. Friday, March 6, at St. Adalbert's. Memorials to Toledo Honor Flight.

With hearts full of gratitude for a life generously lived, the family of Rosa Maria Delgado announces her passing on February 20, 2026, at the age of 89. Rosa's story began in San Antonio in 1936, and for most of the years since, if you were hungry anywhere near Culebra Road, she considered that her personal problem to solve. She and her late husband, Ernesto, opened Rosita's Kitchen in 1964 and ran it for forty years; her tamale-making marathons every December were famous three counties over, and her rule was simple — nobody leaves hungry, nobody eats alone. She leaves behind her children, Teresa Vasquez (Ray), Miguel Delgado (Ana), and Carmen Flores (Louis); eleven grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and several hundred people who swear they were her favorite customer. She was welcomed home by Ernesto, who has been waiting twenty-two years for her enchiladas. A celebration of her life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 28, at San Fernando Parish Hall. Rather than flowers, the family asks that you cook a meal for someone this week — and make too much, the way Rosa always did.

HALVORSEN, Erik, 71, of Bemidji, Minnesota, died February 9, 2026, at home. A carpenter for forty years, Erik was happiest in his canoe at dawn or at his workbench at dusk. Survived by his daughter, Ingrid Halvorsen Page (Matthew); two grandsons; and his brother, Lars. At Erik's request, services will be private, with his ashes scattered on Lake Itasca this summer. Memorials to the Minnesota Land Trust.

Daniel “Danny” Robert Feeney, 29, of Worcester, Massachusetts, died unexpectedly on January 17, 2026. Danny packed more into twenty-nine years than most manage in eighty. A union electrician with Local 96, he was the guy who showed up — for overtime, for his softball team, for any friend with a couch to move or a problem to talk through at 1 a.m. He loved the Bruins with unreasonable devotion, cooked chili in quantities no household could finish, and was teaching his nephew to skate this winter, patiently, one lap at a time. He is survived by his parents, Robert and Maureen Feeney; his siblings, Kevin (Amy), Colleen Marsh (Ted), and Brian; his nephew, Jack, who will keep skating; and more friends than St. Anne's parish hall can comfortably hold, though they are welcome to try. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, January 22, at Callahan Brothers Funeral Home, with a funeral Mass at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Anne's. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the IBEW Local 96 Scholarship Fund.

Beatrice “Bea” Louise Mackey (née Turner), 96, of Macon, Georgia — Mama Bea to four generations — went home to the Lord on March 1, 2026. Born in 1929, Bea raised seven children on faith, collard greens, and a firm rule about Sunday dinner attendance that nobody ever seriously tested. She was a founding member of the usher board at Mount Olive Baptist Church, where she served for sixty-one years, and her pound cake settled more family disputes than any conversation ever did. She leaves to cherish her memory her children, Dorothy, James (Yvonne), Charles (Rita), Brenda Hooks (Samuel), Linda, Marcus (Denise), and Angela Price (Terrence); twenty-three grandchildren; thirty-one great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; and Mount Olive's entire second pew. She was preceded in death by her husband of sixty-three years, Deacon Willie Mackey, and her son Raymond. Homegoing services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 7, at Mount Olive Baptist Church, with burial to follow at Oak Hill Cemetery. The family thanks Mama Bea's church family and the nurses of Middle Georgia Home Care.

June Okafor (née Adler), 58, of Portland, Oregon, died at home on February 26, 2026, after a long illness she faced with characteristic dry humor. June spent twenty years as a reference librarian at the Multnomah County Library, where she believed there was no such thing as a stupid question, only an under-researched one. She loved rain, jazz on vinyl, her garden's unruly dahlias, and her husband, Chidi, who survives her along with her son, Theo; her sister, Ruth Adler; and a shelf of first editions she left strict instructions about. At June's request there will be no formal service. Friends are invited to remember her by reading something wonderful and telling somebody about it. Donations in her memory may be made to the Library Foundation.