It is with great sadness that the family and friends of Florence, Kentucky resident Emily Shea Blackburn announce her unexpected death on February 21, 2026. She died at just 26, leaving all she ever loved behind.
Emily was born right here in Florence on September 3, 1999, and she stayed deeply tied to this community her entire life. It was always home to her, and she carried that sense of belonging with her wherever she went.
Emily gave her all to her artistic endeavors. She enjoyed capturing her ideas, emotions, and creativity in her writings and paintings. She found genuine delight and purpose in transforming feelings into something that other people could see and feel, whether she was forming words on paper or blending colors on a painting. She was also really passionate about traveling. She was happy and kept her creative side alive and expanding by traveling to new countries, experiencing other cultures, and gathering memories from distant locations.
Emily is preceded in death by her cherished grandparents—Earl and Betty Hansen, and Don and Marguerite Blackburn—and her uncle Gary Hansen. Family meant everything to her. She brought warmth, laughter, and quiet understanding to every relationship she had. People often said she had a special gift for really listening, for making others feel truly heard and important, and for offering kindness in the most natural way.
Right now, the Florence community and all of Northern Kentucky are feeling the heavy weight of losing such a talented and caring young woman. Her life was full of creativity, love, and a quiet kind of strength that touched so many. Messages and memories keep coming in from family, friends, and anyone who ever met her—praising her artistic talent, her open and generous heart, and the simple joy she added to ordinary days.
Family, friends, former classmates, neighbors, and anyone from the community who knew Emily are warmly invited to gather in her memory. Visitation will take place from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at Stith Funeral Home, located at 7500 US Highway 42 in Florence.
A Celebration of Life Service will follow immediately at 6:00 p.m. These moments together will give everyone a chance to share stories about Emily’s beautiful spirit, remember the ways she touched their lives, offer comfort to one another, and honor a young woman whose presence made the world a little kinder and more colorful.