Rhylee Gerber's Stepfather Passes Away After Battle with Bone Cancer

Rhylee Gerber opened up about the indelible effect her stepfather, John Francis Lowrey Jr., had on her as she shared the news of his recent passing on Instagram on May 4.

After keeping fans updated on her stepdad's battle with stage 4 bone cancer on social media over the past year, Rhylee shared that John, who she lovingly referred to as Hoonie, had passed away on April 29 at the age of 78. The news was featured in a post in which Rhylee showed off her new van that she plans on taking to the open road and "living the nomadic lifestyle."

"Yesterday was a #dream seven years in the making. 2020 has demanded decisions from me that I know will keep me on track with a life I am accustomed to living," Rhylee wrote. "And while some might call me #strong or #brave for them, I say with complete #honesty, I did not approach them lightly and debated multiple times as to the 'what ifs.'"

Rhylee honored John by sharing some of his words of wisdom that she will always cherish as she embarks on her next adventure. "My stepfather had once told me, the best way to predict my #future is to #create it. A quote, I’ve taken to heart, many times over," she shared. "I know he would be #proud as he smiles down on his #family and I’m grateful to have been able to bring this to fruition while I still had him in my life."

She ended the post by showing gratitude to all those who have supported her as she goes through these monumental changes in her life. "The #love and #support I’ve received from my family and my friends and from social media, have been so #encouraging and #uplifting," Rhylee said. "So to all of you, a huge thank you and a #promise to keep sharing my experiences in the #hopes that it may #encourage you to be #courageous in your efforts in creating your own life, a life worth living."