One month after James Van Der Beek's death at 48 from colorectal cancer, his family marked what would have been his 49th birthday on March 8 with emotional tributes. Wife Kimberly shared nostalgic photos and videos on Instagram, while 9-year-old daughter Emilia posted a poignant video offering grief advice.
One month after James Van Der Beek's passing on February 11 following a battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer—first revealed in late 2024—his family kept his memory alive on what would have been his 49th birthday, Sunday, March 8. Kimberly Van Der Beek led the heartfelt remembrances with a series of Instagram Story posts, starting with a photo of the couple captioned, 'Would be your 49th birthday today. And I’m missing you tremendously.'
She shared cherished videos and photos featuring James with their six children, capturing his joys: working the land just 18 months prior ('Doing what he loved'), building at home ('his other favorite thing'), dancing with the kids ('Always dancing with his kids'), and road trip adventures ('Dancing in whatever random place we landed'). In a deeply personal note, Kimberly wrote: 'You are the light of our lives. Your love. Beauty. Presence. Tenderness. Protection. Safety. Creativity. Singing. I’m so grateful for the time. The way you were at births, held our newborns, revered me…I will cherish forever. Baby, you were the best humanity had to offer. This is a loss I don’t know how to process. I will love you forever.'
Kimberly also shared her 9-year-old daughter Emilia's video, brimming with wisdom: 'So today is my dad's birthday, and the number one thing for somebody's passing is to talk to them and let your emotions out. If you miss them, you can cry. You can talk to them. I talk to my dad every day. I start with a sentence, and I say, "Hi, Dad. I miss you and I love you so much, and I'll never stop loving you."' Emilia added, 'I know that my dad's in a good place. He's not in pain anymore. He's in heaven above the clouds with God and the Lord,' and encouraged, 'Everybody has different emotions in their body, and they express it in different ways,' while advising against self-blame and noting, 'Miracles can still happen, just later on in life.'
Even Dawson's Creek co-star Michelle Williams has reflected emotionally on the loss. The Van Der Beek family's resilience amid grief continues to inspire. 💔
