In loving memory of my Sunshine, my best friend, my daughter Summer Leigh Cartrette who joined her little sister Katie and her soulmate Lizzy in Heaven on October 19, 2025, after a tragic head on collision that took her life instantly.
Summer was funny, bright, brilliant, super organized, independent, strong, and full of life. She lit up every room she walked into. She had a beautiful heart-one that loved deeply, laughed fiercely, and always helped others. She was the kind of person who made people feel seen, loved, safe, and heard. She was filled with extraordinary kindness, creativity, and compassion. She will forever be remembered not just for the kindness she showed, but for the lives she will touch in some way with her final, most profound act of love. Even in her death, she will still be impacting lives for years to come.
She was the best daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. She had a unique gift with kids, especially those with disabilities or hard lives. She would have been an incredible mother, but she was a mother figure to many. She was the best gift giver, always making each gift that she gave so personal to the person receiving. She loved her fiancée, who is a US Marine and was her biggest fan and cheerleader. I am grateful that she got to experience real, genuine love. I am so proud of who and what she was becoming. Watching her worship and sing in her living room was one of the most beautiful sights. She loved Jesus and because of that, I know we will be together again someday.
Through our unimaginable, tragic loss, Summer became a hero. Because of her eye and tissue donation to research, others will be touched in areas of autoimmune disease, eye disease, blindness, hyperglycemia, and canine search and rescue. She was very passionate about health and understanding her own struggles with things that her tissue is now researching. That is just the heart of who she was-a giver, a fighter, and a light in a world full of darkness. I am so proud of the legacy she left behind. Her story did not end but will live on in every life that she has touched. I pray that because of Summer, others will not have to suffer through the unknowns of autoimmune disease.
Thank you God for this beautiful blessing and 26 incredible years. Thank you for her heart to serve others. We miss her every day and there is a hole that will never be filled. It was such an honor to be her Mother.
Forever my Sunshine. Forever my daughter. Forever our hero. Forever 26. I love you deep as the ocean and big as the sky.
All my love,
Your Momma
