Gabrielle Union announces death of her father, Sylvester “Cully” Union Jr., at 81 after battle with dementia
Gabrielle Union’s father has passed away at the age of 81 after battling dementia, the actress revealed in a tribute to Sylvester “Cully” Union Jr. In an extensive social media post on Saturday, Union paid homage to her father while expressing the sorrow of slowly losing a loved one to the illness.
"It’s bewildering to feel relief that the pain has ended, but profound heartbreak at the finality of his time, " She wrote on Instagram.
"First it’s repeating words or forgetting little things here or there, then BOOM, he can’t swallow or walk. The them that you know gets smaller and smaller," Union wrote. "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."
The "Bring It On" and "Bad Boys II" star reflected that the disease was "brutal and it’s what he experienced, but it wasn’t who he was."
Union has been publicly candid about her father’s yearslong journey with dementia. He was placed in memory care in 2023, as she noted in a birthday tribute posted that year.
"This process has been extremely hard on our family, with a few really painful chapters," she wrote in November 2023. "That’s why it brought tears to everyone’s eyes, watching my party loving, Crown drinking, smart ass Dad return in full form for a few hours, it was the best gift we could’ve all received."
And for his 80th birthday, Union shared a post detailing some things her father did still remember, including the family and friends who showed up to celebrate him.
In Saturday’s latest post announcing his death, Union highlighted the love he shared with his community. He "made it his business to look after everyone," Union wrote, and was "ALWAYS the life of EVERY party." Aside from spending time with family and friends, she noted, he enjoyed music and travel.
"My Dad was a perfectly imperfect man and father," Union added. "Over time he evolved, acknowledged his imperfections, apologized, and made amends for as long as it took for the hurts to heal."
She wrote that 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."
In her post, Union thanked the medical and memory care staff who cared for her father in his final years, as well as her sisters who "stepped up" to contribute.
"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," Union wrote. "I know his love is eternal and will find me in every realm."
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