Finding the perfect sympathy gifts for someone enduring the loss of father can be difficult. If your friend or loved one was very close to their father, this loss will be hitting them pretty hard. Even if they weren’t that close to their dad, there’s no doubt they’ve still lost a monumental figure in their life.
When you know someone who is grieving over the loss of their dad, you want to give them a gift with real meaning. You don’t want to just give some random material item. No, you want something meaningful that will bring them comfort and peace at a time when they need it most.
If you feel like there’s nothing you can say in this hard time to ease their sorrow, a thoughtful sympathy gift can do a great job at getting the message across: “I’m thinking about you during this difficult time.”
To help you with that, today we’d like to share with you 10+ thoughtful sympathy gifts for loss of father.
Each of these special gift ideas serves as a gentle reminder to your loved one that, even though their dad is no longer with them in person, his legacy and memory will live on.
10 Best Sympathy Gifts for Loss of a Father
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1. Father and Daughter Willow Tree Figures
For years, Susan Lordi’s recognizable Willow Tree figures have brought back smiles, memorable moments, and feelings of peace to people everywhere as sentimental memorial gifts.
Gift your grieving family member or friend that same joy with this Willow Tree figure, a hand-painted cast of Lordi’s original sculpture of a father and daughter. The precious figure set measures 5″ high and over 4″ wide, making it a perfect addition to any mantle, shelf, or tabletop.
2. Letters to My Dad
Grief journaling has proven itself to be one of the most healthy and effective ways to process and accept grief and the loss of someone dear to us. Help them through the mourning process and on their way to healing with this beautiful grief journal.
This thoughtful little book makes the perfect sympathy gift as it is both helpful and personalized. They will now have a specific place to jot down their favorite memories, difficult questions, letters to their father on his birthday or other special days, and so much more. Contains 224 lined pages with a black satin bookmark.
3. Memorial Wind Chime
Memorial wind chimes are always a thoughtful gift after the loss of someone dear. There’s something so comforting about hearing those sweet chimes ringing in the breeze that makes them feel so near.
This neat chime is beautifully crafted of copper and walnut finished wood, and the wind sail features a jumping bass and the inscription “Fishing in Heaven.” It also comes beautifully gift packaged, too, so it’s ready to gift to your grieving friend or loved one.
4. Custom Memory Pillow Made From Dad’s Favorite Shirt
During this time of grief over the death of a father, another unique memorial gift that will serve to provide your loved one a sense of calm and comfort is this custom made memory pillow.
What makes this pillow special is the fact that it’s made from an actual shirt that belonged to their father. Every time they hold their pillow close, they’ll be reminded of their father and the warmth of his happiest memories.
5. Memorial Photo on Wood
Choose this memorial gift for your loved one if you’re going for a rustic, nostalgic feel.
This keepsake memorial photo on wood will feature a picture of your loved one’s dad (or the two of them together) carefully printed on a cut of natural basswood. These are a beautiful alternative to a traditional memorial picture frame.
Optional printing of a personalized message on the backside of the wood is also available, with your choice of font.
6. Handwriting Memorial Bands
Looking for a sympathy gift that’s completely unique, meaningful, and appropriate? These lovely memorial bands are one of our top picks.
These pretty rings can serve as a wearable, constant reminder of their father without being cumbersome or something that they have to take off and put on constantly. The bands can be engraved with a portion of their father’s handwriting to make it a super special and cherished heirloom.
Available in sterling silver and gold or rose gold over sterling.
7. Custom Remembrance Photo Book
A personalized remembrance photo book is a beautiful way to honor the memory of your loved one’s father. With so much variety and so many options for personalization, this is way more touching than your run of the mill photo album.
If you have access to the family photos you can go ahead and create the book yourself, or you can allow the grieving person to create it themselves with all of their personal favorite photos. Either way this is a wonderful choice of bereavement gifts.
8. Keychain with Handwritten Note
What could be more comforting for your loved one than to see the familiar handwriting of their dad once again? And better yet, to be able to carry it with them wherever they go?
That’s the kind of comfort that this gorgeous personalized handwriting keychain will bring them. Simply upload the handwritten note you’d like featured on this lovely gift, and the shop will carefully engrave it onto the genuine cowhide.
9. Trees for a Change Memorial Tree Planting
Here is another appropriate sympathy gift full of meaning, but that’s not necessarily a tangible item. Trees for a Change offers memorial tree planting packages in which you can have a tree planted in a national forest on behalf of the grieving person in memory of their father.
When you place your order, your friend will receive a keepsake certificate with their father’s name on it. Besides the fact that you’ll be bringing a sense of comfort to your friend by doing this, you’ll also be contributing to a great cause. You’ll be doing your part in the restoration of the nation’s forests.
You can take this gift idea a step further, too, by offering to plant a tree with your loved one in memory of their father.
Related: Our 21 Favorite Cremation Urns for Dad
10. Demdaco Giving Bear
This plush Demdaco Giving Bear provides hugs, snuggles and comfort to those hurting from the loss of a father.
Young or old, we often need a soft embrace when our hearts are in pain. The Demdaco bear is specifically designed to provide a comforting embrace for when no one is nearby. A portion of each bear’s proceeds also goes to support Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City.
More Sympathy Gifts for Loss of Father
11. Personalized Memorial Bird Feeder
For a sympathy gift that serves as a comforting reminder that life always goes on, you can’t go wrong with this personalized memorial bird feeder.
Our cedar bird feeder is an extra special sympathy gift for loss of a father because it comes with a special message laser-engraved on the acrylic panel. You can put a poem, quote, favorite Scripture, or even some artwork along with name of your loved one’s dad, making it a truly personal gift. (Check out these Loss of Father quotes for more inspiration)
So every time they see the birds sweetly snacking and singing away on it, they’ll be reminded of their father and all the happy times they shared together.
12. Compassion Package
In addition to the sympathy gift ideas mentioned above, there are many “alternative” ideas. Sympathy gift baskets, for example, can go a long way in showing someone that you’re there for them.
The compassion package from Here For You is one such gift basket. It’s one of the best sympathy gifts in that it’s completely ready for you to have delivered to your loved one.
The package is tailored toward providing self-care items especially for someone who is dealing with the loss of an immediate family member (in this case, a father). What makes this gift basket unique is that you can custom-order it to the needs of your loved one.
If gift baskets aren’t your thing, here are some other unique sympathy gifts for you to consider:
- Get a meal train going on your loved one’s behalf. Several people pick a day of the week or month to provide a meal for the bereaved.
- Make them a playlist filled with comforting songs. For inspiration, check out this article featuring the most popular funeral songs of all time, and here is a list of 21 funeral songs for fathers.
- Create a memorial keepsake for your loved one to treasure. Paint them a picture or put together a scrapbook full of memories of happy times they had with their dad. Or make a memory pillow yourself like the one pictured above.
- Send your loved one a handmade sympathy card with a special message inside. Handwritten notes and letters hold more meaning than cookie-cutter, store-bought cards (not to mention they are 100% customizable).
- Offer to help around the house. Right now it’s probably hard for your loved one to focus on everyday life tasks that still need to be done. Seeing that the dishes have been taken care of, or the beds made or the trash taken out, will go a long way in helping them feel a little better. Sometimes it’s the small, thoughtful gesture that carries the most weight.
13. Memorial Heart Plaque
This sweet memorial stone will look lovely in their home in the bookshelf, on the desk in their office, or anywhere they place it to be easily seen.
Sometimes meaningful sympathy gifts don’t have to be something grand and extravagant, but rather simple items that bring their father to mind each time they catch a glimpse of them. This custom heart plaque will do just that, and provide so much comfort in their time of need.
14. Custom Engraved Memorial Tumbler
Practical items never fail to make great personalized memorial gifts for loss of father (or for any other occasion). For a gift that your loved one can use time and time again, personalize a memorial tumbler from Northwest Gifts.
This Polar Camel (comparable to the popular YETI brand tumblers) is a special, high quality find. Double-walled and vacuum-sealed, it serves to keep either hot or cold beverages for hours on end.
Personalize your loved one’s tumbler with their dad’s name and dates. You also get to pick the color and size. To browse all our other tumbler options, click here.
15. Forever Loved Afghan
These beautiful embroidered afghans are wonderful, personalized memorial gifts. There are few things in this world more comforting than a warm, snuggly blanket which means they make perfect sympathy gifts.
You can choose from several thread colors for the embroidery on this soft, 100% cotton blanket. The reverent heart and cross will look lovely in whichever one you choose. Add their father’s name and dates below the “Forever Loved” sentiment for a unique gift they will cherish.
16. Personalized Wooden Memorial Bottle Opener
Next on our list of meaningful gift ideas is this wooden memorial bottle opener from Urns Northwest.
With personalization of their father’s name included, your loved one will truly be able to “raise a glass” in their dad’s memory. Note the beautiful contrasting tones of walnut and birch wood, as well as the classic cast iron bottle opener.
This one-of-a-kind bottle opener measures over 8″ tall and comes with a screw for easy wall-mounting.
17. Skylight Digital Frame
An innovative twist on the traditional memorial photo frame, the skylight digital frame allows you to upload as many beautiful memories as you wish, whenever and wherever!
And one of the neat features is that all of their family members can contribute to the digital collection as long as they have the skylight email address. To have an ever growing digital album of photos of their dear father is a priceless gift that can’t be replaced.
18. Remembrance Candle Set
Candles are one of those classic, comforting sympathy gifts that you really can’t go wrong with. This beautiful set can be personalized with their father’s name and dates making it an extra special choice.
Every time they light it they’ll be reminded of his presence and the warm light he brought to their life.
19. Memorial Keychain
Another small yet thoughtful gift, these memorial keychains make wonderfully touching mementos.
Personalized with a special photo of their father along with his name and dates, they can keep this thoughtful sympathy gift on their house keys or clip it to their bag to always have a small reminder to carry with them.
20. In Loving Memory Peace Plant
While traditional funeral flowers can often be an unwelcome reminder of the loss of life, this beautiful thriving peace plant is just the opposite.
Loved for their “everblooming” quality, this pretty lily will remind them of their father and the vibrant life he led whenever they see it. It comes in a lovely golden planter, and is paired with a ceramic keepsake heart that bears the sentiment “Forever in Our Hearts.”
We hope that you benefited from this list of the most meaningful sympathy gifts for loss of father.
While we hope you found the perfect gift to help your loved one along in their season of grief, in the case that your search continues, consider taking a look at all Northwest Gifts has to offer. We carry only the highest-quality products on our site, most of which can be personalized.
If you have any other sympathy gift ideas you’d like us to know about, feel free to share your thoughts with us in a comment below.
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