Kaitlin Olson shared the devastating news that her father Donald Lee Olson had passed away on Friday, May 15. And her heartbreak is "the worst thing in the world."
The High Potential star, 50, paid tribute to her late-father with several family photos, throwbacks, a snap with her husband Rob McElhenney, and one touching photo of the pair holding hands before his passing.
Kaitlin Olson's heartbreaking posts
Hours after writing: "Honestly it feels a little gross to bring this to social media," Kaitlin shared two heartbreaking posts to her Instagram Stories. The first post was of the Portuguese word: "Saudade," which means: "A deep nostalgic longing for someone or something loved and lost. The love that lingers long after the moment is gone."
© InstagramThe next post was an excerpt from Lung Capacity by author Mae Setrova, which said: "You died and I desperately need to tell you how it feels. I need you to hold me upright while I show you this hole that exists now in my heart and the emptiness that swallows my soul. I need you to hold me while I cry out for you, and scream at god for an answer I already have but refuse to accept as a reason. You have died, and you are the only one who can get me through it."
Kaitlin didn't add any words to either post, just simply shared the sentiment of losing her "first love."
© InstagramWho is Kaitlin Olson's dad?
Kaitlin is mourning the loss of her father Donald. In her post announcing the news, she wrote: "It's too fragile and too private. But nothing feels more wrong than to just move on with life as if the worst thing in the world didn't happen. As if everything that matters didn't just suddenly end."
"My dad died," Kaitlin continued. "My first love, my first protector and my forever favorite person. He fought so hard and so long to stay with us. I hate words right now. None are good enough to describe who he was."
© InstagramDonald died at 76, and is survived by his wife, Melinda, daughter Kaitlin, son-in-law Rob, and two grandsons, Axel and Leo. During his life, Donald lived in Oregon and worked as a publisher.
Celebrities share their condolences
Rob, who married Kaitlin in 2008 and stars in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, commented on his wife's post: "Words are impossible. There is no one like him. My whole goal in life is to be half the man he was. I've never seen a person love someone the way he loved you. I am so grateful that he lived and so proud that I got to be his son for the past 17 years."
© InstagramDax Shepard, the host of the Armchair Expert podcast, wrote a lengthy note to Kaitlin on the post. "Well, children are rarely objective about their parents, but I have to say in this case you are spot on," he said, adding: "Don was a cool, tall, handsome, man-among-men who emitted high voltage integrity at all times."
