AUSTIN, Texas — In the final days of James Van Der Beek’s life, friends say the actor’s Texas home became a quiet gathering place—part vigil, part reunion—where laughter, prayer and small acts of companionship helped steady a family facing the rapid progression of colorectal cancer.

Van Der Beek, best known for playing Dawson Leery on Dawson’s Creek, died Feb. 11, 2026, at age 48, according to multiple reports.

A post published by News.usstareveryday described an atmosphere shaped by close friendships and the kind of intimacy that emerges when time is short: visits that were less about grand speeches than about presence—sitting at the bedside, sharing memories, and helping the family feel less alone.

One of the most widely shared tributes came from actor and television host Alfonso Ribeiro, who posted what he described as a final photo with Van Der Beek and wrote that he is the godfather of Van Der Beek’s daughter, Gwendolyn—a detail that underscored how intertwined the two families had become over the years.

Others within their circle also spoke publicly, recounting final visits that mixed grief with gratitude. The News.usstareveryday story referenced reflections from actor Mehcad Brooks, as well as former WWE star Stacy Keibler and designer Erin Fetherston, describing a supportive inner ring that rotated in and out as Van Der Beek’s condition worsened.

While the public response focused on Van Der Beek’s enduring television legacy, reporting in mainstream entertainment outlets has emphasized the personal milestones his family created in those last weeks. Both Entertainment Weekly and People reported that Van Der Beek and his wife, Kimberly, renewed their wedding vows in an intimate, home-based ceremony just days before his death—an event Kimberly described as simple, emotional and deeply meaningful.

Those final days, friends suggested, were marked by a tension familiar to many families confronting terminal illness: trying to preserve normalcy for children while accepting that the end is approaching. Van Der Beek and Kimberly, who married in 2010, shared six children, and the couple’s home life—long described as his anchor—became central to the way his friends framed his final chapter.

In the aftermath, tributes have continued to pour in, reflecting how strongly audiences connected with the actor’s work and persona. Yet the most consistent theme in public remembrances has been less about celebrity than about character: a portrait of someone surrounded by people who felt compelled to show up, not as fans, but as family.

As News.usstareveryday put it, the moments that defined Van Der Beek’s last stretch were not only the roles he played, but the relationships he kept—friends at the bedside, stories shared softly, and the insistence, even at the end, that love and loyalty still mattered.