Katie Gaudreau honors late brothers Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau (via Instagram/@kgaudreau13)

Johnny Gaudreau's sister Katie engraves brothers' initials on her wedding ring as tribute

Modified Sep 08, 2024 04:42 GMT

Katie Gaudreau honored her late brothers, Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau, with a heartfelt gesture. On Instagram, she revealed that she engraved their initials, J&M, on her wedding band. This tribute keeps their memory close following their tragic deaths on August 29, just before her wedding.

She also shared a story on Instagram with the inscription,

“Forever with me now. J&M.”

She posted stories of rainbows on Instagram, hoping they were signs from her brothers.

"Double rainbow over the linc tonight! I'd like to think this is a sign from Matty and John."

In another post, she described the rainbow as "a beautiful sign."

Her brothers were killed when they were hit by a suspected drunk driver while riding bikes in Oldmans Township, a day before her wedding. The driver, Sean M. Higgins, 43, faces charges including death by auto and reckless driving. He is in custody awaiting a hearing on September 13.

Tribute Post by Katie Gaudreau for Her Brothers Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau

On September 2, Katie Gaudreau posted a tribute on Instagram honoring the bond she shared with her brothers. She described them as her closest companions and expressed her deep loss.

"To know these two was to love these two. There are absolutely no words I have to express the bond my family shared. The entire world knows there would never have been a John without Matty or Matty without John,"

"The absolute best big brothers a little girl could have asked for. This will never be a goodbye post because I will never stop saying your names and honoring you both. I’ll take the best care of mom, dad, Kristen, Mer, Madeline, and your babies," she captioned the post.

Katie also shared her shock at how quickly her plans changed from a wedding to dealing with this loss.

"That day. Right in the middle of getting ready for the best day of my life the unthinkable happens that will change my life forever.... Remember to tell your people you love them. I would do anything to tell my big brothers I love them one more time," she captioned the post.

Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau will be honored at a memorial service in Media, Pa., on Monday. The service will be live-streamed by the Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames, honoring Johnny Gaudreau's NHL teams.