In 1983, Bill’s young wife, Carolyn, died very suddenly, leaving him to cope with his loss, and to care for their 2 boys, then only nine and seven.

As first he seemed to be coping well, but after a few months, he was hit by an explosion of emotions that took him by completely by surprise. And worst of all was that people’s expectations seemed to that, by now, after three whole months, he should be ‘getting over it’. He wondered what was wrong and  Why he couldn’t  “pull myself together”

Bill writes: “Nobody told me that this was grief. Nobody told me what to expect, so the entire process caught me completely by surprise. What I would have given for someone to reassure me that what I was going through was normal.”

In the years since his wife died, Bill has had the privilege of helping many people going through their own grief journey. Through her story, many him that what helped was not only that he knew something about grief, but that he had “been there” himself.

But then a year or so ago, tragedy again struck Dr. Bill’s life.

His younger son, Steve, only 42 years of age, died after sustaining a severe brain injury in an accident. Bill was devastated by losing his son with whom he had such a close relationship. As he said at the time, “it is one thing to know about grief in theory, it is quite another to experience it.”

But Dr. Bill Webster has always encouraged others that “life goes on” and he demonstrates resilience by sharing his experience to assist and support grieving people through the many resources you will find here on our site. 

Bill is dedicating this website to the memory of his son, Steve, in the hopes that many will identify with both Bill and the participants you will meet on the site and find encouragement, education and empathy.

Watch this special tribute to Steve. While we grieve a life that was cut short,  we are inspired by a life that was well lived.

Dr. Bill Webster is a grief counsellor, author, and well-known international speaker. He brings a unique blend of personal experience, academic education and many years of practical application to his work. Dr. Bill combines his own stories of loss with his knowledge and sense of humour to effectively communicate his message.