JAMES VAN DER BEEK

The beloved Dawson's Creek star loses his battle with cancer

- SUZANNE WINTROB

On his 48th birthday last March, actor James Van Der Beek took to social media with an important lesson he had learned upon coming “nose to nose” with death.

“I was faced with the question, ‘If I am just a too-skinny, weak guy, alone in an apartment with cancer, what am I?’” the father of six reflected in an emotional post, thanking fans for their ongoing prayers. “So I meditated and the answer came through: I am worthy of God's love simply because I exist. And if I’m worthy of God's love, shouldn't I be worthy of my own? The same is true for you. As I move through this healing portal to recovery, I wanted to share that with you.”

The Dawson's Creek star — who was receiving treatment for colo-rectal cancer - had been struggling with his transition from what he called “a loving, capable, strong, supportive husband, father and provider” to a fragile patient. Though James had continued to be his family's rock and the centre of their world, the revelation had invigorated him with renewed hope and strength.

Heartbreakingly, James succumbed to his illness on Feb. 11 - just a few weeks before his 49th birthday - but his legacy as one of Hollywood's brightest lights shone in countless tributes from those he touched. He met his final days with “courage, faith and grace,” his wife, Kimberly, wrote in announcing the news, adding that he said tender goodbyes to famous pals who visited him in hospice. And in a matter of days, a GoFundMe page initiated by his friends raised more than US$2 million to support Kimberly and the six children - Olivia, 15, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 12, Emilia, 9, Gwendolyn, 7, and Jeremiah, 4 - she shared with James.

FRIENDS FOR LIFE

Among the first to share her grief was actress Katie Holmes, who played James's best friend and on-off love interest, Joey Potter, on