Peta Murgatroyd Posts Touching Tribute After Death of Father: 'Love You Until the 12th of Never'

Peta Murgatroyd Posts Touching Tribute After Death of Father: 'Love You Until the 12th of Never'

Peta Murgatroyd is mourning the death of her father.


The Dancing with the Stars pro, 36, took to Instagram on Thursday to share a poetic tribute to Derek John Murgatroyd, who died the same day aged 81.


"To The Greatest Dad, my teddy bear. This is the end of our ride earth side. Oh how I wish we could take this boat trip again. In the next life we will," she wrote alongside a photo of the pair enjoying an exchange on a sunny boat ride.


"This glance to each other was perfectly captured, you were so content, at sea where you were always meant to be," Murgatroyd continued. "I know though that you will continue to ride with me until I see you again. I hope I made you proud these 36 years. You were my everything and I will miss you until my days here are done."

"I will hold the warmth of your hand in my heart forever," added the New-Zealand born Australian. "Always your 'darling baby girl' as you would say. I love you until the 12th of never. Forever Daddy's Girl."


Murgatroyd signed off with her dad's name and the dates of both his birth and final day.


Friends and family flooded the comments with support for the reality star.


Bachelor alum Nick Viall, Murgatroyd's former partner on DWTS, offered his condolences: "I'm so sorry for your loss Peta."


"Angel girl. I am so sorry. So sorry. And I love you. And he will never leave his girl really," wrote Selma Blair.


Murgatroyd's husband, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, commented with a single heart for the mom-of-one, with whom he shares 5-year-old son Shai Alexander.

Peta Murgatroyd Posts Touching Tribute After Death of Father: 'Love You Until the 12th of Never'

The couple has been through a lot this past year, with Chmerkovskiy being located in his native Ukraine when Russia invaded the country in February. On Dec. 5 they also suffered the loss of their friend Kirstie Alley, Chmerkovskiy's former dance partner for two seasons on DWTS.


On a more personal level, Murgatroyd has been through the darkest time of her life suffering two miscarriages in the past two years.


Remaining hopeful, the couple told PEOPLE in June that they had begun working with a team of fertility doctors to start the process of in vitro fertilization, hopeful their son Shai would soon have the sibling they've longed to give him. Tragically, they had two unsuccessful embryo transfers.

Peta Murgatroyd Posts Touching Tribute After Death of Father: 'Love You Until the 12th of Never'

"I will get my baby, just not right now," she said in August, explaining that she was taking a break from IVF. "And to all the women who have gone through this multiple times over, I bow down. You're warriors and you give me strength everyday. This s--- ain't easy."


The Latin dancer then decided to return to the ballroom for the first time since having a child. "I just took it upon myself to really go back to my roots," she said at a DWTS press conference in September. "After this first IVF failed, I was like, 'What do I want to do? Where am I most happiest so I can get through this and just feel good about life?' And I realized that I've just really missed dancing."

Peta Murgatroyd Posts Touching Tribute After Death of Father: 'Love You Until the 12th of Never'