Aunt obituary examples for inspiration

Deborah Stevens, 54, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, died on February 9, 2026, from complications of lupus. She fought it for 20 years with more grit than anyone her family has ever seen. Debbie was born in Las Cruces to Robert and Carol Stevens. She graduated from New Mexico State University and worked as a social worker for the state for 22 years. She specialized in foster care placements and personally helped hundreds of children find safe homes. Debbie never married or had children of her own, but she was the center of her siblings' families. She was the aunt who took her nieces shopping for prom dresses, who drove six hours to watch a nephew's college baseball game, and who always had a guest room ready for whoever needed to get away for a weekend. She loved turquoise jewelry, green chile on everything, and the Sandia Mountains at sunset. Debbie is survived by her mother, Carol Stevens; her brothers, Robert Jr. (Maria) Stevens and Mark Stevens; her sister, Jennifer (Alan) Baker; seven nieces and nephews; and her cats, Frida and Diego. A celebration of life will be held Saturday at 4 p.m. at her home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lupus Foundation of New Mexico.

Barbara Nowicki, 78, of Buffalo, New York, died on February 7, 2026, at Sisters of Charity Hospital. She was probably the only person in the family who nobody ever had a bad word about. Barbara was born in Cheektowaga to Stanley and Helen Zalewski. She married Edward Nowicki in 1967 at St. Casimir's Church. They were married for 49 years before Ed's death in 2016. Barbara worked as a bookkeeper at Nowicki's Sausage (no relation, she always had to explain) for 25 years. After Ed died, she started volunteering at the food pantry at St. Casimir's three days a week and kept doing it until she couldn't. She was the aunt who remembered every birthday with a card that included a piece of Dentyne gum and five dollars. She did this for 30 years. Her nieces and nephews are all in their 40s and 50s, and she never stopped. The gum was always Dentyne. Nobody knows why. Barbara loved polka music, the Buffalo Bills (loyal through the Super Bowl years), and her perennial garden. She won the Cheektowaga Garden Club award twice and was very casual about mentioning it. Barbara is survived by her children, Edward Jr. (Karen) Nowicki and Christine (Tom) Majewski; five grandchildren; her brother, Stanley Zalewski Jr.; her sister, Helen (Ray) Kaminski; and thirteen nieces and nephews. Funeral Mass will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at St. Casimir's Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Casimir Food Pantry.

Margaret Anne Okonkwo, 69, of Silver Spring, Maryland, passed away on January 18, 2026, at Holy Cross Hospital after a brief illness. Born on March 15, 1956, in Lagos, Nigeria, Margaret was the third of five children of Chief Emeka and Grace Okonkwo. She earned her bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Lagos in 1978 and moved to the United States in 1980 to pursue graduate studies at Howard University, earning her master's degree in public health in 1983. Margaret spent 35 years at the National Institutes of Health, working in the Division of AIDS Research. She contributed to clinical trial protocols that reached communities in sub-Saharan Africa, work she considered the most meaningful of her career. She married Dr. Chukwuma Okonkwo in 1982. They raised two sons and maintained deep ties to their Nigerian heritage, hosting an annual New Year's gathering that drew over 100 guests and featured jollof rice that Margaret spent two days preparing. Margaret was known as the aunt who expected excellence and celebrated every achievement, no matter how small. Her nieces and nephews in Nigeria, London, and across the United States knew they could call her for advice at any hour. Margaret is survived by her husband, Chukwuma; her sons, Emeka (Chioma) and David (Sarah) Okonkwo; four grandchildren; her siblings in Nigeria; and countless nieces, nephews, and godchildren. A funeral service will be held Saturday at Our Lady of Lourdes Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the NIH Foundation.