'Grief Is Unavoidable': Jennifer Garner Announces Death Of Her Father William Garner At 85

Jennifer Garner announced the death of her father with throwback photos of the two alongside eachother

Updated on Jul 05, 2024  |  07:16 PM IST |  118.4K
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Jennifer Garner (Instagram)

Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of death.

Jennifer Garner's father, William John Garner, has died at the age of 85. The actor revealed the news with an Instagram post reminiscing about cherished memories of her dad. William John Garner was a chemical engineer for Union Carbide.

Jennifer Garner announced her father's death 

Jennifer Garner announced that her father, William John Garner had passed away on Saturday afternoon 30 March, and that he was leaving behind a loving legacy. “We were with him, singing ‘Amazing Grace’ as he left us (did we carry him across or scare him away – valid question),” she wrote in a post on Instagram, alongside a series of pictures of the pair together.

“While there is no tragedy in the death of an 85-year-old man who lived a healthy, wonderful life, I know grief is unavoidable, waiting around unexpected corners. Today is for gratitude," she added. “We are grateful for Dad’s gentle demeanour and quiet strength. For how he teased with a mischievous smile, and for the way he invented the role of all in, ever patient girl dad. We are grateful for his work ethic, leadership and faith," the actress continued.


Garner said her family were extending their gratitude to the Charleston Area Medical Centre and City of Hope – which is a “world-renowned pioneer in cancer research, treatment and prevention”.

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“Your care extended Dad’s life and gave him time to be in his favourite spots - surrounded by daughters and grandchildren, cheering for his beloved Aggies, captaining a boat, and – most of all – next to his wife of 59 years, our Mum,” she said.

“There is so much to say about my dad – my sisters and I will never be done talking about how wonderful he was, so bear with us – but for today I share these memories with my appreciation for the kind and brilliant man, father, and grandfather he was, as well as the loving legacy he left behind.”

Jennifer Garner had the best surprise for her father's last birthday 

Last year, Jennifer Garner wrote about her father on Instagram after she gifted him a heartwarming trip down memory lane as a birthday surprise. She knew exactly what to do to put a smile on her father's face for his birthday. The actress went home for a quick trip to visit her family in Charleston, West Virginia, and while that was undoubtedly enough of a treat, she had one more surprise in store for her father.

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Jennifer Garner with her father (Instagram)

While she planted trees for her birthday, the 13 Going on 30 star had something else in mind for her father. "Dad’s early birthday surprise: a ride in his childhood car — [a] 1948 Studebaker Champion," the actress wrote on Instagram.

The photo showed Garner and her dad, William John Garner, posing next to a well-maintained version of the vintage vehicle. Giving her father that thoughtful birthday present was just one of the family memories she made during her visit to her whirlwind 36 hour trip to her hometown.

Other highlights that she shared on Instagram included a trip to her nephew’s soccer game, giving her sister Susannah a squeeze, and helping her mom, Pat, get her steps in. "Of course we had to close Mom’s rings," she said in her post. Garner also made time to visit with her “beloved ballet teacher, mentor and second mother, Nina Lu Pasinetti.”

ALSO READ: ‘I Really Have to Sit on My Hands': Jennifer Garner Reveals What the Toughest Part of Parenting Has Been For Her

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