Charlie William Jensen (2010-2011) Obituary and Memorial

Life story

Our sweet boy was only 14 months old when he passed away in June 2011. At the time, we were stationed in Jacksonville, Florida, at NAS Jacksonville, and his dad was away on detachment in Italy. We were also expecting his little brother. It was a time in our lives filled with unimaginable heartbreak, change, and love all at once.

He was such a happy little boy. He loved going to the zoo, especially seeing the giraffes and elephants. Two of his favorite lovies were a giraffe and an elephant, and they were laid to rest with him. Even now, all these years later, giraffes and elephants immediately bring him to mind and always will.

Our family continued to grow after we lost him, and we went on to have two more children. Each of them carries a piece of his name. It was our way of making sure that their big brother would always be woven into our family, even though they never had the chance to grow up alongside him. They know about him, they know his name, and they know that he will always be their big brother.

After his dad retired from the military, we eventually settled in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, close to his resting place. After years of military life and time spent far away, being physically closer to him again has meant more than we can really put into words.

Grief has never been a straight or simple journey for our family. It has taken us many years to reach a place where we feel able to give more attention to his gravesite. We have had his Turning Hearts memorial medallion for years, knowing that someday we wanted to create a space where his story, his pictures, and the little pieces of who he was could be shared and remembered.

Now, all these years later, we are finally taking that step.

Creating this memorial page and placing the QR code at his resting place may seem like a small thing, but for us, it is not small at all. It is part of a very slow journey through grief, one that can still be incredibly difficult to face even after so many years.

There has never been a lack of love. Sometimes there has simply been more grief than we knew how to hold.

He was here for only 14 months, but he has been part of every year that has followed. We still say his name. We still talk about him. We still notice giraffes and elephants and think of him. His life was short, but the love we have for him did not end when his life did.

He has always been our son. He has always been part of our family. He has always been loved, remembered, and carried with us.

This memorial is simply another way for us to share a little more of him with the world and another way for us to continue loving him.

This is our first step.

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