James Van Der Beek Honored By Family On First Posthumous Birthday

Nearly a month after his passing, James Van Der Beek‘s family is honoring the late actor on his birthday, sharing cherished memories, heartfelt tributes, and personal reflections on social media to celebrate his life and the impact he had on those who loved him.

On March 8, James’ wife Kimberly celebrated her late husband on what would have been his 49th birthday. She shared several photos and videos on Instagram Stories, expressing how she missed him “tremendously.”

James and Kimberly share six children: 15-year-old Olivia, 13-year-old Joshua, 12-year-old Annabel, 9-year-old Emilia, 7-year-old Gwendolyn, and 4-year-old Jeremiah.

In the series of posts, Kimberly shared glimpses of James’ life, sharing short videos and photos of their precious moments. The actor loved dancing with his children, going on outdoor adventures, and doing activities with them.

“The way you were at births, held our newborns, revered me… I will cherish forever,” Kimberly wrote in one post showing James holding their newborn child. “He was the sexiest tree light hanger in all the land,” she captioned a video showing James putting on lights on a Christmas tree.

“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 captioned a family photo.

In one video taken less than two years before James’ passing, he is seen clearing overgrowth. Kimberly noted, “Doing what he loved. Working this land.” In another video, the actor is shown placing wood panels on a wall. As Kimberly shared, her late husband loved “building things” for their home.

The Van Der Beek family moved from Los Angeles to Texas in 2020, and, as the couple shared, the decision was driven by their desire to give their children more space and be closer to nature.

They made renovations in the home, with James even sharing a video on TikTok in 2023 showcasing the progress they’ve made on the mudroom.

One of James’s daughters, Emilia, also recorded a video to honor her father’s first birthday after his death. As Kimberly noted, Emilia wanted to make a video post that she helped record, which she uploaded to her account.

The 9-year-old said, “The number one thing for somebody’s passing is to talk to them and let your emotions out,” she said, adding, “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 also shared a touching message James told him, saying, “If this doesn’t work out the way he wanted it to and the way we wanted it to for him living, I still have to believe in miracles. Miracles can still happen, just later on in life, and they’ll keep coming.”

In 2023, shortly after sharing his cancer diagnosis, James shared with “Good Morning America” how fatherhood changed him. The actor said his life shifted, and his children became his first priority. “You know what you genuinely want is to take care of them, to make them feel safe, keep them safe to connect with and feel that joy,” he said.

After his diagnosis, Van Der Beek focused on spending quality time with his family while facing treatments and financial difficulties due to his illness.