Died Doing What They Loved

Somehow, knowing that a person died doing what they loved gives us comfort.

Somehow, knowing that a person died doing what they loved gives us comfort. We like to hold on to the notion that our loved one must have been exceedingly happy as he or she left the planet. Here are the stories of a few who lived life to the fullest and were lucky enough to die doing what they loved, including some whose deaths came, tragically, as a result of doing the thing they loved.

Emma Catherine Place (1998–2017) loved the outdoors. "A girl who needed room to roam," she loved to hike and ski and kayak. Emma "died doing what she loved in the company of one her best friends ... In the words of C.S. Lewis, she is exploring ‘further up and further in’."

Richard Luciano Martinez (1964–2017) "gained his heavenly Harley handlebars" in April. "As if by design, he died doing what he loved most" — riding his motorcycle.

Alice Pomeroy(1953–2016) "was passionate about travel, especially to Europe, and she died doing what she loved most." Pomeroy was hiking with her husband Dave in Switzerland in August 2016 when she fell to her death.

Visit our special memorial site to see more stories of people who died doing what they loved