Nyima Ward, the son of model Trish Goff, has sadly passed away aged 27.
The news of Nyima's passing was revealed by an online obituary celebrating his life.
"Nyima Lee Ward of Ocala, Florida blew into this world on January 2, 1997 destined to live life his own way," the obituary, posted by RobertsFunerals.com, reads.
"He left it May 29, 2024 having lived fiercely, loved deeply and made memories with the kind of fervor that only a young man who never met a stranger could do."
Described as "a boy of the world," Nyima had a passion for travel and animal care.
"It wouldn’t have been unheard of to find Nyima with a stray animal he’d saved on the side of the road or calling his mom to ask about animal care tips," the obituary continues.
Makeup artist Aaron de Mey shared the news of Nyima's death with a heartfelt tribute on Instagram on Monday, June 3.
"My dearest Nyima. Rest in peace." de Mey wrote. "I absolutely adore you…always an adventure, always fun, always sensitive, always kind. Sending deepest love to your Mom, Dad and your many friends and family."
De Mey's post included childhood photos of Nyima with his parents, as well as a recent image of the model with his signature long hair.
Tributes poured in from many fashion industry figures, including photographers Inez and Vinoodh and hairstylists Harry Josh and Peter Butler.
Trish Goff rose to fame as a top model in the '90s, featuring in campaigns for Chanel, Christian Dior, and YSL.
She later transitioned to a career in real estate, becoming a Global Advisor for Sotheby's Realty. Goff now resides in Kenya with David Bonnouvrier, working for a wildlife conservatory near Kenya’s Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.
Nyima followed in his mother's footsteps, starting his modeling career at age 18. After his parents separated, Goff's partner, David Bonnouvrier, owner of DNA Models, encouraged Nyima to join the agency.
"They’ve just been trying to get me to sign forever and I was always like, 'Nah, nah.' And then I turned 18 and I was like, 'Might as well try it,'" Nyima told W Magazine in 2017.
Nyima's striking looks, including his waist-length dark hair and chiseled cheekbones, earned him high-profile modeling gigs.
He worked with iconic fashion photographers like Steven Meisel and Bruce Weber and made his runway debut for Anna Sui in 2015, echoing his mother's debut 23 years earlier.
Despite his early success, Nyima considered modeling a side project. "It’s less a career and more just something on the side," he told W.
"I know a lot of the people in the industry so lots of time I’ll get people that I knew growing up like, 'Oh, can I shoot you?' Or something like that. Or my agents are like, 'Oh, this would be really cool for you to do.' And might as well. I don’t really see it as a long-term career, definitely not."
No cause of death has been revealed at this time.
Our thoughts are with Nyima's loved ones during this time.
