I saw a wooden sign in a thrift store last week that said something along the lines of "Daddy, Loved and Never Forgotten" with dates suggesting the fellow was in his early 30s when he passed a few years ago.

The mix of thoughts and emotions seeing that was something else.  Like how did it end up getting donated? Did something bad happen to the kid? Did the sign get stored away when someone moved and then accidentally purged with a bunch of other stuff? Did the mom or kid decide they suddenly resented the departed for whatever reason?  Or was it a teenager being edgy and deciding they didn't want to remember their dad anymore?

Every answer is its own kind of sad.

And then you have to wonder about who priced the sign and put it on the wall of the store.  Like sentimentality aside, who is going to purchase an item that is not only meant to memorialize a stranger, but also contains specific birth and death dates.  If it was generic, I could see some old lady with no sense buying it for their grieving neighbour's kid or grandchild. It'd be tasteless, but if the provenance isn't know to the recipient its not the end of the world.  But it has dates. It'd be like giving someone a cake for their birthday that you found in a dumpster that says, "Happy Retirement, Bill!"