Obituary examples

Robert James Hale, 78, of Omaha, Nebraska, died on October 2, 2026, surrounded by his family.

Bob was born in 1948 in Grand Island, Nebraska, to Henry and Alice Hale. He served in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1970 and worked for thirty-two years as a lineman for the local power utility. He married Joan Peterson in 1971.

He enjoyed fishing, woodworking and coaching youth baseball.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Joan; his sons, Michael (Lisa) Hale and Steven Hale; four grandchildren; and his brother, Dennis Hale. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Ruth.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 6, at the funeral home, with a funeral service at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Burial will follow with military honors.

Rosa Elena Martinez, 91, of El Paso, Texas, entered eternal rest on September 28, 2026, surrounded by her family.

Rosa was born in 1935 in Chihuahua, Mexico, and came to El Paso as a young woman. She was a devoted member of her parish for sixty years and served in its altar society. She married Ernesto Martinez in 1956; together they raised six children.

She is survived by her children, Maria (Luis) Gomez, Ernesto Jr. (Ana), Carmen, Jose (Linda), Teresa (Mark) Ruiz and David; 17 grandchildren; and 9 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ernesto, and her parents.

A Rosary will be recited at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 1, followed by a Funeral Mass at 10 a.m. Friday, October 2. Interment will follow at the cemetery.

Linda Kowalski made the best pierogi in Wisconsin, and she would want you to know that she never measured anything.

Linda Marie Kowalski, 76, of Milwaukee, died peacefully on September 25, 2026. She was born in 1950 to Stanley and Irene Nowak, the oldest of five, and she spent her childhood helping to raise the other four. She worked for twenty-seven years as a bookkeeper at a family-owned hardware store, where she knew every customer's name and most of their business.

Linda married Frank Kowalski in 1972. They raised three children in the same house on the south side where she lived until the end, and where every holiday for fifty years involved at least twenty people and too much food.

She loved polka on Saturday nights, the Friday fish fry, and her grandchildren, in roughly the reverse order.

Linda is survived by her husband, Frank; her children, Anne (Jeff) Becker, Tom (Karen) Kowalski and Mike Kowalski; seven grandchildren; and her siblings, Joe, Mary, Helen and Paul. She was preceded in death by her parents.

Visitation will be held Friday, October 2, from 4 to 7 p.m., with a funeral service Saturday at 10 a.m. Afterward, the family invites everyone to lunch. There will be pierogi. They will not be as good as hers.

Daniel Lee Brooks, 63, of Raleigh, North Carolina, died on September 19, 2026, after a two-year illness that he met with humor and remarkable patience.

Dan grew up in Durham, the son of a pastor and a nurse. He studied engineering, then spent thirty-five years designing water systems for small towns across the state, work he was quietly proud of because, as he said, "Nobody notices clean water until it's gone."

He was a Scout leader for fifteen years, an early riser, and a terrible singer who sang anyway, loudly, in the car.

Dan is survived by his wife of 38 years, Monica; his daughters, Rachel (Jordan) Price and Hannah Brooks; his granddaughter, Ava; his mother, Loretta; and his brothers, Kevin and Marcus. He was preceded in death by his father, the Rev. Samuel Brooks.

A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, October 4, at 2 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to a local clean-water charity of your choice.

Harold James Whitfield, 99, of Dayton, Ohio, a veteran of World War II, died on September 30, 2026.

Born in 1927 in Springfield, Ohio, Harold enlisted in the U.S. Navy at 17 and served aboard a destroyer in the Pacific until 1946. He then earned a degree in mechanical engineering and worked for thirty-five years as an engineer. He married Margaret Lewis in 1950; they were married for sixty-two years until her death in 2012.

Harold was a lifelong member of his veterans' post, raised the flag in his front yard every morning, and could still name every shipmate in his division.

He is survived by his four children, eleven grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret, and his son, Thomas.

Services with full military honors will be held on Tuesday, October 6, at 11 a.m., followed by interment at the national cemetery.

Jacob Anthony Reyes, 24, of Denver, Colorado, died unexpectedly on September 22, 2026.

Jake grew up in Aurora and graduated from college in 2024 with a degree in graphic design. He worked at a small design studio, played bass in two bands at once, and was the friend who remembered everyone's birthday.

He is survived by his parents, Miguel and Diane Reyes; his sister, Sofia; his grandparents, Rosa and Tomas Reyes; and a very large circle of friends.

A memorial will be held on Saturday, October 3, at 3 p.m. The family asks that you come as you are, as Jake always did.

Evelyn Grace Porter, 88, of Hartford, Connecticut, died on September 26, 2026.

Evelyn taught high school English for thirty-six years and believed in handwritten letters, good posture and the Oxford comma. She traveled to thirty countries after retiring, usually alone, always with a notebook.

She is survived by her nieces and nephews, Daniel, Claire, Robert and Anne, who received her letters on every birthday, and by generations of former students. She was preceded in death by her sister, Margaret.

A graveside service will be held on Monday, October 5, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, write someone a letter.

George Lin, 93, of San Francisco, died peacefully on September 20, 2026.

George came to the United States in 1956, opened a small grocery in the Richmond District and ran it for forty years with his wife, Mei. He was known for his patience, his calligraphy and his habit of slipping extra oranges into the bags of families with young children.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mei; his children, Helen (Richard) Wong and Peter (Grace) Lin; and five grandchildren.

A private family service has been held. The family thanks everyone for their kind messages.

Frank DeLuca, 81, of Providence, Rhode Island, has left the building, and he would want you to know he did it on his own schedule.

Frank was born in 1945, sold insurance for forty years, and never once let anyone pay for dinner. He told the same six jokes at every family gathering; we will tell them for him now, badly.

He is survived by his wife, Angela, who put up with him for 57 years; his children, Paul, Gina and Anthony; and eight grandchildren who think he invented card tricks. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Sal and Vinny.

A celebration of life, with food he would have complained was too expensive, will be held on Saturday, October 10, at 1 p.m.