Zachary Pym Williams has shared a deeply personal tribute to his late father on what would have been his 74th birthday, reflecting on the legacy the beloved comedian left behind.
In a post shared to Instagram on July 21, the 42-year-old honoured his father, who passed away in 2014 at the age of 63, and spoke of the emotional weight that comes with this time of year.
“Today would have been my dad’s 74th birthday,” he wrote. “Every year, this season arrives with gravity. In just sixty days, we pass through Father’s Day, his birthday, and the anniversary of his death.”
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“It’s a tender and complicated stretch of time. One that asks a lot of the heart.”
Zachary went on to describe the nature of grief and how it continues to shift and evolve over time.
“For me, grief isn’t linear. It loops and echoes. It softens, then crescendos. But alongside it lives a legacy, the kind built not from fame or recognition, but from generosity and relentless kindness.
“My father lived to make people feel seen. He gave permission to feel deeply and to laugh through the pain. In his absence, that mission continues,” he wrote.
He closed the message with a gentle reminder to honour loved ones by living with compassion.
“So today, I hold close the idea that the best way to honor those we love is to live the values they stood for. To lead with service and compassion.
“To lift others when they’re down. And to find paths of light, even in the dark corners. To anyone carrying loss right now: you’re not alone. You are part of a passage of love and connection that never really ends. Happy birthday, Dad. Love you forever.”
