On his last day of service, Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid, 30, was diffusing a roadside bomb in Afghanistan when it blew up and took his and another soldier’s life. He left behind a wife, Christina Schmid, and stepson. For his service, Staff Sergeant Schmid of the UK was awarded the George Cross.
Actor Natascha McElhone details her grief following the unexpected death of her husband in her new book, After You. The book is composed of letters McElhone wrote to her late husband, Martin Kelly, after he died. At the time of Kelly’s death, McElhone was pregnant with their third child and no one suspected the seemingly healthy 43-year-old man to have any health problems.
Nelson Mandela cancelled plans to attend the much-anticipated FIFA World Cup opening in South Africa and its accompanying ceremonies on Friday, June 11, 2010 when he learned about the tragic death of his granddaughter, Zenani Mandela. The AFP reports that Ms. Mandela died in an auto accident following a pre-ceremony concert in Soweto. Local police officers state the driver of the vehicle was drunk.
Father’s Day can be a tough day for families that have lost a father. Families in this situation can use this special day of the year to remember and honor fathers with tributes, memorials or new traditions.
At the age of 19, Danny McCoy never thought he would be responsible for the death of a high school senior girl he hardly knew, Alex Everhart. McCoy, a Marine at the time, made the decision to drink, drive and allow a passenger in his vehicle while he was under the influence of alcohol. The night ended tragicallyafter McCoy passed out at the wheel of his car and hit a pole. Alex sustained fatal injuries.
