Kimberly Van Der Beek Honors James on First Father's Day Without Him

Grief doesn’t follow a calendar, but holidays have a way of forcing us to feel its weight all at once. That’s what Kimberly Van Der Beek faced this past Father’s Day weekend—the first one without her husband since James Van Der Beek died in February from stage III colorectal cancer at 48. Instead of hiding from the day, she met it head-on, sharing a carousel of throwback photos on Instagram and writing words that somehow managed to be both devastating and full of grace.

“Missing you so much and thinking of how magnificent you were in every single way today,”the 44-year-old wrote on Sunday, June 21.“And somehow, from the other side? You continue to parent. You’re a marvel.”It’s the kind of statement that cuts through the noise—acknowledging both the rawness of absence and the stubborn, quiet ways the dead remain present in the lives they shaped.

This isn’t Kimberly’s first time opening up about her loss. Three months after James passed, she wrote about how“the comforts of shock have worn off”and“the reality is settling in.”But she also described feeling him more deeply, her connection to God strengthened, and a strange kind of magic emerging from the wreckage. It’s honest in a way that refuses easy comfort or false resolution. Grief, as she put it, simply doesn’t have words.

The Dawson’s Creek alum’s legacy extended beyond his immediate family this weekend. Former castmates and friends paid tribute, including Mary-Margaret Humes, who played his TV mom on the show. She shared a throwback set photo and offered advice that now carries extra weight:“Give big meaningful hugs and tell them you love them while you still have the chance.”It’s a reminder wrapped in nostalgia—a moment from simpler times that suddenly feels urgent. Nikki Reed and Dave Annable also joined in, celebrating James’s legacy as a father and human being.

What’s striking about Kimberly’s approach to grief isn’t that she’s hidden it. She’s done the opposite—letting her family’s pain breathe in real time, on social media, in front of thousands. It’s vulnerability as its own kind of strength, and it’s created space for others who are walking similar roads to feel less alone.