Gabriella Grace Olson

Gabriella “Gabby” Olson, age 16, of Missoula, MT, died peacefully on September 20, 2025, surrounded by family, soft blankets, and a pile of Thomas the Tank Engine toys from her late little brother, Alex.

To a passerby, the tubes, pumps, and monitors around Gabby for many years might have suggested she experienced less of life. But those who knew her knew better. Though largely nonverbal, Gabby found creative ways to make herself understood, whether cueing up a clip of a cartoon to tell a doctor to “go away,” or planning her escape from a grocery store in fluent Japanese, a language no one else in the family spoke. She met the world on her own terms, with tenacity and a dry sense of humor.

Even during the hardest moments, she found meaning in small comforts: her collection of Furbies, creating order with her magnet tiles, and the delight of watching her nephews play.

Gabby will be remembered for her determination, sass, and her ability to find joy despite life’s chaos. We are grateful for all of the mischievous smiles she gave, for each cryptic joke she told, and for every morsel of love she shared. She lived day by day with a heart full of love, much like her favorite song, ‘A Living Prayer.’ Her fight is over; she won.