Rachel Hollis capped off an emotional month of February by celebrating her daughter’s 6th birthday – which landed on Feb. 28, just 17 days after her father, Dave Hollis, died peacefully in his Austin, Texas home. The birthday girl, Noah Elizabeth, was adopted by Rachel and Dave in March 2017 as a newborn.
Rachel took to Instagram to commemorate the special – yet heartbreaking – day, with it being her first birthday without her father. “Our wildflower turns 6 today ????” wrote Rachel in the caption, adding a photo of her 6-year-old wearing heart-shaped glasses. The post has received more than 51,000 likes in a day.
Dave Hollis passed away on February 11 and, while an official cause of death has yet to be revealed, several reports indicate that the 47-year-old (his 48th birthday would’ve been on Feb. 14) was dealing with heart complications in the weeks leading up to his death. The tragedy left the family heartbroken.
Dave and Rachel Hollis met sometime in 2002 and started dating shortly after. They decided it was time to take the next step and eventually got married in May 2004. After 16 years of marriage, they divorced in 2020. In addition to their daughter, Noah, they shared three sons together – Jackson, Sawyer, and Ford.
Just a few weeks ago, Dave Hollis posted a photo of Noah fishing in a lake – it would end up being his final photo posted on the platform before his death. “From a freeze to shorts in less than 48 hours. Today was a good day. ❤️” he wrote in the caption. His family made regular appearances on his social media.
To help celebrate Noah’s 6th birthday – and commemorate the incredible life of her father – many are taking the time to read a children’s book the father-daughter duo had written. Titled Here’s To Your Dreams!, the book was released on November 8 and features an animated Dave and Noah on the cover.
“It’s a reminder that the decision to keep going when things don’t go as planned is the way you develop character and grow as a person. The reminder that sometimes things not going as you’d hope is exactly as they needed to go to give you what you needed,” Dave wrote in an Instagram post on Sept. 4, 2022.
Rachel Hollis Continues to ‘Navigate Through the Unthinkable’
Despite being divorced for three years leading up to his death, Rachel Hollis was absolutely ‘devastated’ over the loss of her ex-husband – after all, he was the father of her four children and they remained cordial in the years after the divorce. She never wanted anything more than what was best for him.
“I have no words and my heart is too broken to find them. Please wrap the kids up in prayers as we try and navigate through the unthinkable,” she wrote in an Instagram post, adding a broken heart emoji in the caption. While the comments section was turned off, many offered their love and support in other photos.
In fact, a lot of those kind words appeared on her post commemorating Noah’s 6th birthday – her first post since her ‘devastated’ post on February 14. “Sending so much love, grace and hope for the days ahead that will always ping with a side of grief while embracing the joy,” wrote one follower in the comments.
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With that said, Rachel Hollis will continue to inspire others through her writing – she has authored nine books, including Girl, Wash Your Face, which has sold nearly five million copies – and her media company, The Hollis Company. You can also listen to her on The Rachel Hollis Podcast on all platforms.
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