Gabrielle Union paid tribute to her late dad Sylvester “Cully” Union Jr., who died April 3 after a lengthy battle with dementia. He was 81.
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Gabrielle Union is in mourning following a heartbreaking loss.
The Being Mary Jane alum shared that her dad Sylvester “Cully” Union Jr. passed away April 3 after a lengthy battle with dementia. He was 81.
In a post on Instagram, Gabrielle, 53, described the disease as a “painfully slow disappearing” while noting that her dad’s condition was “what he experienced, but it wasn’t who he was.”
“It’s bewildering to feel relief that the pain has ended, but profound heartbreak at the finality of his time,” she wrote in the April 4 post. “I know I’m not the first or last Daddy’s girl to go through this, and I’m sending love and healing to anyone suffering the loss of a parent. I know his love is eternal and will find me in every realm.”
Alongside a montage of memorable moments with Sylvester, Gabrielle heralded the late patriarch as “the life of EVERY party” who was “surrounded by love” everywhere he went—and gave it freely in return.
“I swear he never met a stranger, just friends he hadn’t met yet,” she continued. “A lifelong, die-hard Nebraska fan, he taught me the values of teamwork, a fierce work ethic, and that you are only as strong as your weakest link, so tend to them first.”
And while the Bring It On actress acknowledged her dad “was a perfectly imperfect man and father,” she credited him for his dedication to becoming a better version of himself.
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“Over time he evolved, acknowledged his imperfections, apologized and made amends for as long as it took for the hurts to heal,” she explained. “He made it his business to look after everyone. He loved our friends too and treated them like his sons and daughters. No one was ever left behind or unseen.”
Gabrielle’s husband Dwyane Wade also paid his respects to his late father-in-law, sharing his wife’s post on his own Instagram Stories and writing via onscreen text, “Thank you for all the memories pops [love] you.”
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