Kimberly Van Der Beek marked her daughter Emilia’s 10th birthday with a sweet tribute to the little girl and her late husband James, sharing a throwback photo of the couple together on Instagram Stories.
“I miss you my love,” Kimberly wrote alongside the snap, which she described as taken “just a few heavenly months ago.”
In the photo, the Dawson Creek The actor is seen leaning into Emilia’s arms outside, wrapped in a fur-lined jacket, while his daughter rests her arms on his shoulders and her head on his in an oversized sweatshirt.
James died on February 11 at the age of 48, after a nearly three-year battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer.
He and Kimberly, married in 2010, had six children together, Olivia, 15, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 12, Emilia, Gwendolyn, 7, and Jeremiah, 4.
He was diagnosed in the summer of 2023 but waited until November 2024 to share the news publicly. “He lived his final days with courage, faith and grace,” Kimberly said in announcing his death.
Emilia showed remarkable maturity in the weeks following her father’s death.
On what would have been James’ 49th birthday earlier this month, she posted a video on Instagram offering words of comfort to others facing grief, while wearing her father’s hat.
