The Sopranos star John Ventimiglia and his family are mourning the death of his daughter Odele Cape. The actor’s wife Belinda Cape shared the devastating news on Saturday, Jan. 21 that Odele passed away on Thursday, Jan. 12, writing in a Facebook post that she was “heartbroken to have to post our darling Odele’s funeral notice.” She added that the family has “been overwhelmed by the messages of support and love we have received, and your remembrances of how cherished Odele was to so many. Odele was greatly loved, and leaves a huge hole in our lives.” Cape was 25. A cause of death was not provided.
Cape’s sister, Lucinda Ventimiglia, also confirmed her sister’s passing, sharing in an Instagram post, per Entertainment Tonight, “Odele Cape Ventimiglia – 4/7/1997 – 1/12/2023.” Lucinda went on to write, “words will never be enough to express the grief we are all feeling. I loved my little sister a lot and I will spend the rest of my life searching for her in everything.”
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“My family and I are so grateful for all the care and support we have been receiving during this impossible time. It has never been more clear how much she meant to so many people,” she continued. “Sending love to everyone who is trying to cope with her loss – look after each other and keep Odele in your thoughts.”
Amdi her passing, Cape’s family created a GoFundMe page for Odele’s daughter, Shiloh. The family requested that “in lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made for Shiloh’s future education costs.” The page reads, “with the loss of our darling Odele, we are fundraising to help Shiloh with future education costs.” The fundraiser has raised more than $56,000 as of this posting, with Ventimiglia’s Sopranos costar Steven Van Zandt and his wife Maureen signing their $500 donation, “Deepest Love and Condolences, Maureen and Stevie Van Zandt.”
Cape is survived by her mother and father, sister, and her daughter Shiloh, whom she welcomed in November 2022, per the Daily Mail. According to her family’s posts, a funeral service for Cape was held at Old First Reformed Church in Brooklyn, New York on Thursday, Jan. 26. Cape’s father is best known for his role as Artie Bucco in the hit HBO television series The Sopranos from 1999 to 2007. His other credits include Organized Crime Control Bureau Chief Dino Arbogast on CBS’s Blue Bloods and Detective Eddy Costa on Disney’s Jessica Jones. Ventimiglia has not shared news of his daughter’s passing on his own accounts, though he commented on Lucinda’s post, “Love this picture. Thank you Lucinda.”