Gabrielle Union is mourning the death of her father, Sylvester "Cully" Union Jr., sharing an emotional tribute about his struggle with dementia and reflecting on how the disease affects both patients and their loved ones.
In a heartbreaking post shared on Instagram Saturday, the actress said her father died Friday.
"No matter how much you think you know about dementia, nothing prepares you for the painfully slow disappearing of your loved one," she wrote alongside a compilation video that included clips of her father singing into a microphone during a meal and at a football game, as well as family photos.
Union described the progression of the disease, writing that it began with repeated words and small memory lapses before worsening over time.
"You hold out hope for sustained eye contact or a smile; even a hand squeeze can make you feel like they could come back to you 'normal' at any second. It’s brutal and it’s what he experienced, but it wasn’t who he was," she wrote.
Union remembered her father as someone who was always surrounded by love and support and who "ever met a stranger, just friends he hadn't met yet."
A lifelong Nebraska fan, she said he taught her the values of teamwork, hard work and looking out for others.
"My Dad was a perfectly imperfect man and father," she wrote, adding that he worked to make amends for his mistakes and made it his mission to take care of others.
Union also thanked the medical and memory care staff who cared for him in his final years, as well as her sisters, whom she called "heroes."
"It's bewildering to feel relief that the pain has ended, but profound heartbreak at the finality of his time," she wrote. "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."
Union had long been open about her father's battle with dementia, sharing in a 2023 birthday tribute that he had been placed in memory care that year as the disease progressed.
When the family celebrated his 81st birthday in October, Union shared another glimpse into his life with dementia while writing in the caption, "I don't think I've ever been more grateful to be his daughter."
