Jennifer Garner announced that her ‘kind and brilliant’ father William John Garner has passed away at 85.
The Actress from 13 Going On 30, age 51, shared the sad news with a beautiful post honoring his life on Easter Monday, revealing he had passed away ‘peacefully’ on Saturday.
In an Instagram post with a series of pictures of the father and daughter throughout the years, she paid tribute to his ‘loving legacy’.
She mentioned that he was surrounded by family at the time of his passing, and they sang Amazing Grace, jokingly asking if they ‘carried him across or scared him away’ to the other side.
‘While the death of an 85-year-old man who lived a healthy, wonderful life is not tragic, I know grief is inevitable, lurking around unexpected corners,’ she stated.
‘Today is a day for gratitude. We are thankful for Dad’s gentle demeanor and quiet strength. For how he teased with a mischievous smile, and for the way he embraced the role of a patient girl dad. We are grateful for his work ethic, leadership, and faith.’
She expressed gratitude to the Charleston Area Medical Centre and CIty Of Hope, a renowned leader in ‘cancer research, treatment and prevention,’ for their efforts to ‘extend Dad’s life’ and provide him with ‘time to be in his favorite spots.’
‘Surrounded by daughters and grandchildren, cheering for his beloved Aggies, captaining a boat, and — most importantly — next to his wife of 59 years, our Mom.’
‘There is so much to say about my dad — my sisters and I will never finish talking about how amazing he was, so please bear with us — but for today I share these memories with my gratitude for the kind and brilliant man, father, and grandfather he was, as well as the loving legacy he left behind.’
Jennifer and her family have been overwhelmed with messages of support, including from actress Octavia Spencer who said she was ‘praying for you and your family losing a loved one is never easy.’
Staged star Georgia Tennant said she was sending ‘so much love,’ while Eva Longoria offered ‘my love and prayers for you and your family’.
Juliette Lewis wrote: ‘I love you sending you and your family all the blessings and love in the world,’ and Holly Peete said she was ‘so sorry Jen’.
‘Sending love to you. It’s so hard to lose your father. What a blessing to have had him for so long.’
Jennifer’s children, Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and 12-year-old Samuel. are now also mourning their grandfather
She shares the three children with ex-husband Ben Affleck.
