Elle and Dakota Fanning Mourn the Passing of Their Grandfather in Tributes on Instagram

Sisters Elle and Dakota Fanning mourned the death of their grandfather this week. Both took to Instagram to share tributes for their late family member who passed away early this month.

Actresses and sisters Elle and Dakota Fanning are mourning the passing of their grandfather Rick Arrington, who passed away on September 7, 2021. Each sister shared a loving tribute for him on their respective Instagram accounts.

The sisters each shared a throwback picture of their grandfather, who they affectionately called Jack, during his football days. The sportsman played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1970-1972.

The sisters' tributes were equally heartbreaking and moving as they reflected on their grandfather's life and impact on them and their larger family in lengthy Instagram captions.

Elle's message was filled with love as she described her grandfather as an amazing storyteller and a brave, tough, and loving man. She wrote of how Arrington impacted others:

"You set out to inspire and touch every person you came across, and that is exactly what you did!"

Elle shared that her grandfather had been a brilliant sportsman, and was even drafted into the MLB after high school, although he ultimately chose football. Besides being an NFL quarterback, Arrington enjoyed golf and boxing.

Elle credits her grandfather for instilling in his children and grandchildren the attributes that made him such a talented sportsman, that being his motivation, his drive, and his determination to never give up.

The Fanning sisters recently teamed up to launch Lewellen Pictures, a production company.

The "The Great" actress and executive producer added that her grandfather had taught her important life lessons such as staying alert, looking after each other, and going after anything they wanted.

Dakota and Elle each shared the sentiment that they would honor him by continuing to push themselves and make him proud. Dakota ended her passionate tribute with:

" I love you always, until I see you again."

It is clear that Arrington holds a special place in each of his granddaughters' hearts and that he will never be forgotten. Each sister's comment section was filled with condolences from fans and friends.

Arrington seems to have left an impression on most people he met too, as The Citizens for Rockdale and Newton shared a lovely obituary about him that showed him to be both a family man and an important member of his community.

Dakota and Elle are definitely filling the footsteps that their grandfather Jack left behind as they are both leading very successful careers as actresses and producers.

The Fanning sisters recently teamed up to launch their production company, Lewellen Pictures, and will create feature films, TV series, and other media ventures together.