Chad Lowe's Daughter Mabel Shares Heartfelt Message for Late Sister Fiona in Her Latest Tribute Post — Photos

Mabel Lowe honored her late sister Fiona with a deeply personal Instagram carousel filled with childhood memories. The 17-year-old's tribute brings together years of sisterly moments before ending with a poignant look at Fiona herself.

For years, Mabel Painter-Lowe and her younger sister Fiona were photographed simply being sisters — playing, laughing, dressing up and growing up together. Now, one of Mabel's latest posts has brought those childhood memories into focus, making the family's loss feel even more personal.

Fiona, the 13-year-old daughter of actor Chad Lowe and producer Kim Painter, died on Sept. 29, 2026. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner later ruled her manner of death a suicide, adding another painful chapter to a family that had already endured enormous upheaval.

The Lowe Family Has Been Holding Close

Chad and Kim announced Fiona’s death on Sept. 29, remembering their daughter as "a loving young girl who was smart, creative, and loved to dance." Fiona was the second of their three daughters, with Mabel, 17, as her older sister and Nixie Barbara, 10, as her younger sister.

The family also made clear how deeply Fiona was loved at home, saying she was "adored by her sisters" and "deeply loved by her parents." They added, "In fact, she was the light of our lives."

The family asked for prayers and privacy as they grieved. They also shared information for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Days later, the wider Lowe family was also rallying around Chad and Kim. According to a source cited by PEOPLE, Chad's brother, Rob Lowe, and Chad are especially close, and family and friends stepped in during the devastating period.

"Rob and Chad are very close. Their family and friends have rallied around Chad and Kim," the insider said. "Everyone's heartbroken." The source also pointed to another painful chapter the family had already endured. "They already went through so much with losing their home last year," they continued. "Right now, the focus is on being there for them in any way they can."

But while the adults around Fiona's family have publicly offered support, Mabel's latest post offers something different: a glimpse into the relationship between two sisters who spent years growing up side by side.

Fiona Was Remembered for More Than Her Final Chapter

Before Mabel's tribute appeared, Fiona's family and community had already begun remembering the teenager for the qualities that made her who she was. Her grandfather, Chuck Lowe, shared a photograph of Fiona swimming with the simple message, "Rest in peace, sweet Fiona."

People who knew Fiona outside the spotlight similarly remembered her as "sweet, quiet and kind." One source described dance as her biggest passion and said she had "a very artistic soul."

"Many of her friends are out today grieving," the source said, describing a school community that was close and artistic. Dance had also been part of Fiona’s life long before her death. Months earlier, Chad had celebrated her becoming a teenager, "Celebrating Fiona officially becoming a teen today!!" he wrote.

The "911:Lone Star" actor ended his birthday message with a line that now carries a different weight: "Keep dancing through life, FiBear! Love you soooo much!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️"

Now, Mabel's post turns the focus back toward those years of childhood — and the memories that existed before the family ever had to imagine saying goodbye.

The Photos Go Back to When the Sisters Were Little

Mabel's carousel is filled with photographs that feel remarkably ordinary in the best possible way: family outings, playtime, costumes, and small moments that would have meant little beyond the family when they were first captured.

A photograph brings the sisters together in a small upholstered chair. The older-looking Mabel sits slightly behind her younger sister, smiling with one hand near her mouth, while Fiona faces the camera with a small grin. They are squeezed closely together, creating the unmistakable feeling of siblings who were comfortable being in each other’s space.

The next memory is just as playful. The girls sit together inside a large red Radio Flyer wagon, with one giving two thumbs-up while the other smiles beside her. A purple bag and several toys are tucked into the wagon, while a green hula hoop and children’s slide can be seen in the backyard behind them.

Then Come the Little Details Only Family Would Remember

Another photograph takes viewers inside the girls' childhood bedroom. One sister stands beside a white crib in bright blue patterned pajamas, smiling with one hand on her hip, while the other leans over the crib in white pajamas with a pacifier.

The girls appear affectionate and completely at ease with one another, turning an ordinary bedtime scene into a snapshot of their relationship.

The carousel then moves outdoors, where the sisters appear in a large grassy field surrounded by trees. The younger girl wears a pink-and-white striped dress, purple sun hat, and sandals, while the older girl stands several feet behind her in a dark top and gray pants.

The sunlight creates long shadows across the grass, giving the photograph the peaceful feeling of an ordinary family day outside.

Another image captures the sisters from behind as they hold hands while crossing a yellow-striped pedestrian crosswalk. One wears a dark jacket with a colorful zigzag skirt, while the younger girl wears a purple top, bright blue tutu-style skirt, and pink shoes.

That photograph stands out because of the simple gesture between them: their hands clasped together as they walk.

The Family Memories Keep Coming

A separate photograph shows the girls during a picnic in a wooded park. A very young baby Fiona sits on the blanket nearby, while a young Mabel in a pink T-shirt appears to be eating. A large blue-and-black stroller or baby carrier fills the foreground, making the photograph feel like a candid glimpse into an ordinary family outing.

Then comes a childhood holiday memory. The girls stand outside a home, apparently dressed for Halloween, with Mabel wearing a bright blue T-shirt, patterned green pants, and a large pink bow headband. Her younger sister wears a pink-and-white polka-dot dress, dark leggings, and pink sandals. Pumpkins and other seasonal details are visible around the doorway.

Another photograph shows the sisters standing together indoors while looking at a pink phone. The older girl appears to be showing something on the screen, while the younger girl looks down at it with a colorful bunny-ear headband on her head.

It is perhaps one of the most everyday photographs in the carousel — two sisters simply looking at something on a phone.

The next image takes the family outdoors again. The girls sit beside what appears to be a red wagon or outdoor cart containing food, with Mabel placing something near her mouth and Fiona sitting beside her in white. The photograph captures them during another ordinary family outing, surrounded by trees and greenery.

Then the Focus Shifts to Fiona

Three photographs in the carousel stand apart because Fiona appears by herself. In one, she stands outside on a wooden deck wearing a black one-piece swimsuit decorated with a large white unicorn with a colorful horn. She has both arms raised high and her mouth open in an exuberant expression, looking completely carefree.

Her hair appears slightly damp or tousled, while a sliding glass door and the exterior of the house sit behind her. The image feels like a pure childhood moment — energetic, playful, and completely unguarded.

In another, A much older Fiona is alone in the back seat of a car, wearing a dark blue T-shirt and blue jeans with white socks and sneakers. Her legs are stretched across the seat, while she holds a spoon over a small container of food in her lap, seemingly absorbed in what she is eating.

Sunlight pours through the window behind her, while a colorful decoration with balloons and curled ribbons hangs near the top of the frame. It is an unposed snapshot of Fiona simply being herself.

The final photograph in the carousel takes an entirely different tone. Fiona appears in what looks like a dance or studio setting, dressed in a black sleeveless dance outfit with a pale pink skirt. She balances on one leg while raising the other high beside her body and holding her foot with one hand.

The background is almost entirely dark, with studio equipment visible around the edges. Fiona's expression is calm and focused as she holds the difficult pose. It is an unusually striking image because the rest of the carousel is filled with casual family photographs. Here, Fiona is alone, performing and completely in focus.

And Then Comes the Photo That Opens the Carousel

The opening image of Mabel's carousel returns the story to the sisters together. The photograph shows the two girls on a sandy beach near the water. One is lying in the foreground, partially covered in sand, with her eyes closed and a smile on her face.

Behind her, the other girl sits upright in the sand and smiles toward the camera, wearing a pink-and-white striped top with a small colorful graphic. The ocean stretches behind them, with small waves breaking along the shore and several people visible in the water. The warm light gives the scene a distinctly golden, carefree quality.

It is a picture of childhood before the loss — two sisters simply playing on the beach. And that may be what makes the carousel so difficult to look at now.

Mabel Finally Puts Her Own Feelings Into Words

After the years of memories, the playful photographs and the final images of Fiona alone, Mabel's tribute arrives with no ambiguity about what her sister meant to her. Mabel, 17, captioned the carousel with a deeply personal message to Fiona:

"I love you so much fiona ❤️. I wish your short time here was easier, and I hope your mind is at ease now. I will honor you forever and keep your memory alive. I love you; I hope you knew just how much."

It is the clearest glimpse yet into Mabel's grief — not through a statement about what happened, but through the memories she chose to preserve and the promise she made to keep Fiona’s memory alive. The tribute also quietly echoes what Chad and Kim said when they first announced Fiona's death: that she was adored by her sisters and deeply loved by her parents.

For Mabel, that love is now being carried forward through photographs. The photographs span what looks like years of ordinary childhood: beach trips, backyard games, family outings, holidays, meals, and moments at home.

At the time, they were simply pictures of two sisters growing up. Now, each one preserves a small piece of Fiona's life. That is especially poignant because, as we previously reported, Fiona's family had already experienced losing their Pacific Palisades home in the January 2025 fires when they were confronted with an entirely different kind of loss.

For Chad, the house represented roughly a decade of family life with Kim and their three daughters. When he later showed what remained, the photographs captured a home reduced to ruins.

"This is what remains of 10 years of building our lives. Our hearts are broken, but we are comforted by all the well wishes and offers of assistance. We are ok and will be ok," he wrote before acknowledging how brokenhearted they were.

Yet the sentence at the center of that first post was almost stubbornly hopeful and selfless, adding, "We have each other. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the other people who are suffering from this unimaginable disaster."

He went on to thank the first responders, "We are incredibly grateful to all the first responders, police, and firefighters, who put their lives on the line to protect all of us. They are truly heroes."

"Home really is where the heart is. Hold those you love close. Take care of each other. This crazy thing called 'life' is so damn precious," his post continued. He signed the post, "Love, Chad, Kim, Mabel, Fiona,& Nixie. Plus 3 cats and 2 fish."

Fiona and Her Sisters Returned to the Ruins

Almost a month after the family evacuated, Chad brought his three daughters back to see what remained of their home. Fiona was 12. The sisters stood together among the ruins, seeing firsthand what the fire had destroyed.

Chad later praised the girls for the way they handled the experience. "The way they've handled this whole devastating experience is nothing short of remarkable," he wrote, adding that, "I am in awe of their spirit and resilience."

He also described helping his daughters, writing, " Helping them navigate these tough times is my sole purpose. Being their dad is my life's greatest joy and privilege ⭐️⭐️⭐️." That perspective makes the family's current grief even harder to separate from everything that came before.

Rob Was There for Chad After the Fire, Too

The brothers' closeness had already been visible during the aftermath of the Palisades fire. After Chad lost so many belongings, Rob helped him replace clothes and shoes, joking that his younger brother was "back to being 15 years old" and receiving hand-me-downs from his older brother.

It was an almost playful moment in the middle of an otherwise devastating period. Now, the nature of Rob's support has changed dramatically. There is no house to rebuild this time. Instead, according to the source, the family is simply focused on being there for Chad and Kim in whatever way they can.

Chad Had Once Called Being a Girl Dad an 'Incredible Privilege'

Years before Fiona's death, Chad spoke openly about how profoundly his daughters had changed him. During a 2024 conversation, he described having daughters as "such an incredible privilege."

He explained that becoming a father had taken things he had previously understood intellectually and made them deeply personal. "It's taken what I've known intellectually, and it's put it in my heart because I now have three daughters," he said.

He also spoke about seeing the world differently because he was now looking at it through the perspective of his daughters. Those comments were made during a much happier chapter of the family's life. Chad was simply a father talking about raising three girls.

Now, his words offer a painful reminder of just how central those three daughters were to the life he had built with Kim.

For years, Chad's social media had captured the girls growing up in fragments. There were birthdays, outdoor adventures, family gatherings, and glimpses of the sisters together. Fiona appeared in those memories at different ages — first as a little girl, then as one of three sisters navigating childhood, and eventually as the teenager her father celebrated in November 2025.

There was nothing particularly unusual about those photographs when they were taken. That is what makes them so difficult to look at now. They captured a family that had already survived losing its home and believed it was moving forward. Nobody looking at those pictures could have known that another devastating loss was still ahead.

And now, as Chad Lowe and Kim grieve Fiona and her sisters face life without their middle sister, Rob and the rest of the Lowe family are making sure the family does not have to carry that grief alone.

If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).