Feb. 22 would have been the 58th birthday of TV's famed "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin. To commemorate his legacy, his family took to social media to share touching tributes to honor their late father and husband.
The wildlife expert died on Sept. 4, 2006, after a stingray barb pierced him in the chest while he snorkled off the coast of northern Australia. He was 44.
“Dad, Today is your birthday,” Bindi Irwin, 21, wrote on Instagram, paired with an adorable throwback picture of the father-daughter duo. “I had an extra strong cup of tea just how you liked it."
Next, Irwin shared how she remembered her father's legacy along with the rest of her family.
"I hugged Mum for you and told her how much we love her," she continued. "Robert and I went on a hike through the mountains you cherished. I watched one of your documentaries with Chandler and shared stories about you. I walked through your office in the zoo and smiled at our old family photographs. Today and every day I miss you and love you beyond description. You’re always with me.”
Irwin’s fiancé, Chandler Powell, 23, also paid tribute to the family patriarch on Saturday.
“Thank you for inspiring me and the whole world to love all wildlife,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “You would be so proud of Bindi, Terri and Robert carrying on the amazing work you started. We will all make sure your message lives on for generations.”
Sixteen-year-old Robert Irwin, who will walk his sister, Bindi, down the aisle when she marries, also shared an old family photo with the simple caption: “Family Always.”
Terri Irwin, the family's matriarch, shared heartfelt words on Twitter about how she is choosing to celebrate her late husband's birthday.
“Today would’ve been Steve’s 58th birthday. While my heart aches missing him every day, I’m determined to celebrate what he loved the most,” she wrote, alongside a series of photographs. “He was my best friend, best dad, & built the best Zoo. I love you.”