Woman was only 6 when her Navy dad died. 25 years later, one of his buddies sent an old video of her dad that left her sobbing
Photos and videos can help a person hold onto memories that might be forgotten as time goes by. For one woman, a video of her dad meant much more than that. The woman, Ashleigh, believed that she had seen everything there was to see about her dad 25 years after his passing. But then someone who knew her dad from his navy days sent her a video that helped her see an all-new side of him. Her dad passed away a month after his 27th birthday back in 2000, as reported by PEOPLE on Wednesday, December 3, 2025. The TikTok video posted under the handle @ashleighdonuts has received over 1.8 million views.
"When someone who knew your dad randomly sends you a video of him you've never seen, 25 years after his death..." the text overlay of the video read. In the clip, the woman's dad was laughing and making funny faces at the camera as he waited for a haircut with his friends. "He died tragically one month after his 27th birthday, leaving behind three children. Today, each of us has [sic] outlived him…" the caption explained. The video had been taken only a few years before the man's death, and the daughter had never thought that she would get a chance to see such a thing.
"After 25 years, I thought I had seen all there was to see. But then, out of the blue, someone sends me this video, and a whole new version of him now exists. Death is a strange thing to grapple with," the caption went on. Ashleigh noted in a comment that she found it surprising how a simple video of her dad walking to a barber shop three decades ago could hold so much meaning today. He was a young man, heading to get a haircut with his Navy friends at his first duty station after boot camp, on an ordinary day.
Ashleigh told the outlet that she only remembered some aspects of her dad because she was only six years old when he died. From everything she had heard, her dad was very lively and had a playful, jokester personality. She shared the clip with her mom, her grandma, and even her brothers. Her siblings remembered even less about their dad because they were very young when the family lost him. "We all kind of said something very similar… It's so weird hearing his voice or his laugh." She reflected that watching the video brought a sense of healing and stirred a part of her grief that had been quietly lingering. She also confessed that the moment she played the video, she couldn’t hold back her tears. People shared their thoughts on the footage in the comments section of the TikTok video.
@shan_east_coast wrote, "My dad's childhood best friend gave me some photos he took of my dad many years ago, and I cherish one of him running around…I imagine that is how he's running around in heaven." @bossyboltsmom commented, "My dad's ex-girlfriend (from his early 20s) sent me pictures of my dad I had never seen, 18 years after he passed. It was the best gift I ever received." @vlilbair remarked, "What a beautiful treasure. My dad died when I was seven, so also before we were able to get footage so easily. If I got a video of him, I would never be able to stop watching!"
@ashleighdonuts he died tragically one month after his 27th birthday, leaving behind three children. today, each of us have outlived him… watching this video taken just a few years before he died was not something I thought I would ever have an opportunity to see. after 25 years, I thought I had seen all there was to see. but then out of the blue, someone sends me this video and a whole new version of him now exists. death is a strange thing to grapple with. #beautifulboy #death #dad #loss ♬ original sound - matilda
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