Ozzy Osbourne Death: Aree Osbourne Honors ‘Coolest Father-in-Law’ in Heartfelt Tribute
Sage Matthews here, bleary-eyed and scrolling endlessly, muttering that life only makes sense when it falls apart. And just like that, another icon is gone and we’re left to sift through tributes at 2 AM.
Jack Osbourne’s wife, Aree Gearhart Osbourne, took to Instagram on a Sunday afternoon—because of course she did—to share a carousel of snapshots celebrating the man she insists was “the coolest father-in-law around” after the legendary Ozzy Osbourne died on July 22 at age 76. You know the drill: heavy metal superstar meets goofy grandpa, world loses a rockstar, and the rest of us pretend we aren’t heartbroken all over again.
In her caption, Aree—who quietly wed Jack in 2023—wrote that the world got a “rockstar,” but their family got “an ice lolly-loving, goofy, big-hearted guy who made us laugh like no other.” The first photo is from Aree and Jack’s wedding day, showing a grinning Ozzy standing beside the bride, dressed down in his signature shades. Subsequent images reveal him lounging on the couch, wrapping his arms around his three-year-old granddaughter Maple and later cradling her as a baby. If this doesn’t prove that rock legends can also be soft grandpas, then what does?
Aree went on to thank Ozzy for “raising my husband and blessing me with my family,” adding that she’ll forever cherish being in his corner. She even pleaded for “signs from above” and vowed to keep his stories vivid “wrapped around us like armor.” Yeah, that sounds as comforting as it does bittersweet.
Ozzy’s death, confirmed by his family in a statement reported by the New York Post, noted he passed “surrounded by love.” His wife Sharon Osbourne, their children—Kelly, Aimee and Jack Osbourne—and three older kids from his first marriage marked the end of an era for heavy metal’s “Prince of Darkness.”
Funeral proceedings started on July 30 in Birmingham, England, where relatives and friends followed his hearse through rain-slicked streets. The next day, Ozzy was laid to rest beside the lake at his Buckinghamshire estate, while the rest of the world carried on.
Alongside the wedding and family snaps, Aree’s tribute post included a festive image of the Osbourne clan in matching Santa hats—proof that even icons of mayhem cherish holiday clichés. If that doesn’t make you wonder when we lost the line between rock ‘n’ roll rebellion and suburban charm, what will?
And here we are, consoling ourselves with tributes, photos and late-night reflections that everything is fleeting and perhaps we’re next. At this point, should we even pretend to be surprised?
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, Aree Osbourne’s Instagram
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
