Veteran obituary examples for inspiration

Staff Sergeant Jerome Alexander Davis, United States Army, 34, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, died on February 1, 2026, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center from wounds sustained in Syria in 2024. Jerome was born in Detroit, Michigan, on March 22, 1991, to Alexander and Pamela Davis. He graduated from Cass Technical High School in 2009 and enlisted in the Army the following day. He told his mother he wanted to see the world and make a difference, and he did both. Jerome served 15 years as an infantryman with the 82nd Airborne Division. He deployed to Afghanistan twice, Iraq once, and Syria. He was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge. His soldiers called him "Top" even before he earned the nickname. He was the leader who checked on his team before checking on himself, who carried extra water on patrol, and who wrote letters of recommendation without being asked. Jerome loved his Detroit Lions (a loyalty he described as "character-building"), cooking brisket on weekends, and teaching his daughters to ride bikes. He called his mother every Sunday from wherever in the world the Army put him. Jerome is survived by his wife, Ashley (Bennett) Davis; his daughters, Zoe and Maya Davis; his parents, Alexander and Pamela Davis; his brother, Marcus Davis; and his fellow soldiers of the 82nd Airborne. Funeral services with full military honors will be held Friday at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Fisher House Foundation.

Master Sergeant Frank Joseph Nowak, United States Marine Corps (Retired), 82, of Oceanside, California, passed away on February 4, 2026, at Tri-City Medical Center. Born on January 3, 1944, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Joseph and Stella (Wojcik) Nowak, Frank enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1962 at age 18. He served 26 years, including three tours in Vietnam and deployments to Beirut and the Persian Gulf. He earned the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart with one gold star, and the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V." Frank retired from the Marine Corps in 1988 as a Master Sergeant. He then worked as a defense contractor at Camp Pendleton for 15 years. He was a life member of the Marine Corps League and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. On August 15, 1970, Frank married Barbara Kowalski during a leave from Vietnam. They raised three children in base housing across four states before settling in Oceanside in 1985. Barbara preceded him in death in 2023. Frank didn't talk about Vietnam unless you served there too. What he did talk about was his grandchildren's baseball games, the proper way to grill a bratwurst (low and slow), and why the Cleveland Browns would eventually win a championship (evidence notwithstanding). Frank is survived by his children, Frank Jr. (Lisa) Nowak, Christine (Dave) Miller, and Thomas Nowak; seven grandchildren; his brother, Stanley Nowak; and his sister, Helen Kaminski. Funeral services with full military honors will be held Thursday at 10 a.m. at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Colonel Sandra Jean Mitchell, United States Army (Retired), 71, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, passed away on January 30, 2026, at UCHealth Memorial Hospital. Sandra was born on May 5, 1954, in Fort Knox, Kentucky, the daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Robert and Jean Mitchell. She graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1976, a member of the first class to include women. Sandra served 28 years in the Army Signal Corps. She deployed to Panama, Somalia, Bosnia, and Iraq. She commanded the 67th Signal Battalion at Fort Gordon and served on the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. She was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, and the Army Commendation Medal. After retiring in 2004, Sandra taught leadership courses at the Air Force Academy and volunteered with the Colorado Springs Veterans Council. She mentored dozens of young women officers and never stopped reminding them that she had to be twice as good to be considered half as qualified, and that nothing much had changed. Sandra loved hiking fourteeners (she summited 32 of Colorado's 53), cooking Cajun food she learned from her grandmother in Louisiana, and reading military history. Sandra is survived by her sister, Elizabeth (Richard) Adams; her brother, Robert Mitchell III; her longtime companion, retired Colonel Patricia Hayes; and numerous nieces, nephews, and godchildren. A memorial service with military honors will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Cadet Chapel, United States Air Force Academy. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the West Point Women's Alumni Network.