Son obituary examples for inspiration

Ryan Donovan, 28, of Boston, Massachusetts, died on February 2, 2026, in a hiking accident on Mount Washington. He was doing something he loved in a place he loved, and that is the only comfort his family has been able to find so far. Ryan was born in Quincy to Patrick and Maureen Donovan. He graduated from BC High in 2015 and from Boston College in 2019 with a degree in environmental science. He worked at the New England Aquarium, where he gave tours to school kids and could identify every species in every tank. He was the kind of person who made friends in the first five minutes of meeting someone. His apartment was the one where everyone gathered on Sunday nights. He couldn't cook much, but he made the best guacamole in Southie and no one ever argued about that. Ryan hiked, kayaked, snowboarded, and had a talent for convincing sedentary people to try things they'd never considered. He logged 47 of the New Hampshire 4,000-footers and wanted to finish all 48 this year. Ryan is survived by his parents, Patrick and Maureen Donovan; his brother, Kevin Donovan; his sister, Erin (Sean) Connolly; his girlfriend, Alyssa Chen; and his grandmother, Helen Donovan. A funeral Mass will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at St. Ann's Church, Quincy. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Appalachian Mountain Club.

Anthony Russo, 42, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, died on January 30, 2026, after a long struggle with addiction. His family wants people to know that because silence doesn't help anyone. Anthony was born in South Philly to Anthony Sr. and Maria Russo. He graduated from St. Joseph's Prep in 2001 and attended Temple University. He was smart, funny, generous, and sick. All of those things were true at the same time. Anthony worked as a carpenter and was good at it. He could look at a room and see what it was supposed to be. He rebuilt three kitchens, two bathrooms, and a front porch for his parents that the neighbors still compliment. He loved the Phillies with the kind of devotion that defied logic, especially during the bad years. He played in a rec basketball league every Thursday and read more books than anyone in his family, mostly history and science fiction. Anthony had periods of recovery that gave his family hope. The last three years were hard. The family wants to honor all of who he was, not just the parts that are easy to talk about. Anthony is survived by his parents; his brother, Michael (Jessica) Russo; his sister, Christina Russo; three nephews; and his dog, Rocky. Funeral Mass will be held Wednesday at 10 a.m. at St. Monica's Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Philadelphia Recovery Community Center.

Lieutenant Nathaniel Scott Harper, United States Navy, 31, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, died on February 5, 2026, during a training exercise at Naval Air Station Oceana. Nathaniel was born on July 14, 1994, in Nashville, Tennessee, to Scott and Linda Harper. He graduated from Montgomery Bell Academy in 2012, where he was captain of the swim team and an Eagle Scout. He earned his Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering from the United States Naval Academy in 2016, graduating in the top ten percent of his class. Upon commissioning, Nathaniel completed flight training at NAS Pensacola and earned his wings of gold in 2018. He was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 143, the Pukin' Dogs, flying the F/A-18E Super Hornet. He deployed twice to the Western Pacific aboard USS Abraham Lincoln. Nathaniel was the officer who volunteered for the hardest assignments and the friend who drove two hours to attend a birthday party. He called his mother every Sunday. He ran a 5K with his father every Thanksgiving. He taught his younger sister to parallel park and only yelled twice. Nathaniel is survived by his parents, Scott and Linda Harper; his sister, Caroline Harper; his fiancee, Lieutenant (j.g.) Megan O'Donnell; his grandparents, Robert and Jean Harper; and his many brothers and sisters in the Navy. Funeral services with full military honors will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at the Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Maryland. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Navy SEAL Foundation.