If you want the short version, start here.If your dad died and you just kept going, this is for you. There was no breakdown, no big moment, and no dramatic speech about taking time off. You just went back to work on Monday.You took care of everything. You said what needed to be said and filled out forms you never knew existed. At some point, you told yourself you were fine. And honestly, for the most part, you are.But then you notice you haven’t said his name in a while. Not in conversation, not in a story, not even when something reminds you of him.Now it’s become a quiet, slightly unsettling feeling. He starts to feel less present, almost like he moved out without saying anything.If you have a minuteWe talked with Bill about the kind of loss that isn’t often discussed.He lost his dad to dementia. There was no final moment, no clear goodbye, and no movie scene where everything suddenly made sense. It was just a slow fade.Somehow, it didn’t affect him the way he thought it would. So he did what most men do: went back to work, showed up for his family, kept things steady, and told himself he was fine.That approach works well—until it doesn’t. Over time, something changes. You stop telling stories about him, stop bringing him up, and stop including him in your daily life. It’s not intentional. There’s no big moment. It just happens.That’s when it starts to feel like you’re losing him all over again.We talk about what that really looks like—the pressure to move on, the strange guilt of not feeling 'enough,' and how grief can sometimes look like being productive but feeling empty inside.We also discuss what it means to keep your dad’s memory alive after he’s gone—through stories, habits, and the way you show up now.Because if you don’t talk about him, he fades away.In this episode you'll learn:- Why not talking about your dad can slowly erase his presence- What it looks like to lose your dad without a big emotional reaction- How dementia changes the experience of loss before death even happens- Why not getting a final moment or goodbye is more common than you think- How to carry your dad forward through everyday habits and conversations- Why family traditions matter more than you realize after loss- How your dad shows up in you, even when you don’t notice it- Why there’s no “right way” to grieveAbout Bill and his dad:Bill Cooper lost his dad, Frank, after years of living with dementia.Frank was a British-born doctor who built a life in Canada and raised his family around adventure, tradition, and quiet consistency.He wasn’t loud. He wasn’t the center of attention.But he shaped everything around him.In this episode, Bill shares what it looked like to lose him and what it means to carry that forward without forcing it.In this episode:0:00 – Why Some Guys Don’t Talk About Losing Their Dad2:00 – Meeting Bill and Why He Said Yes6:00 – Who His Dad Was and What He Was Like11:30 – Living With Dementia Before Death17:00 – The Moment He Didn’t Get22:30 – What Loss Looked Like Without a Breakdown28:00 – Staying Busy and Moving Forward34:00 – “Am I Supposed to Feel More?”40:00 – How His Dad Shows Up in Him Today46:00 – Family Traditions That Keep Him Around52:00 – Why Talking About Your Dad Matters58:00 – Advice for Guys Who Just Lost Their DadAbout Dead DadsDead Dads is a podcast for guys figuring out life after losing their dad.It’s real conversations about grief, identity, and everything that comes after.You’re not alone. Follow + ConnectWebsite: https://www.deaddadspodcast.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@deaddadspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deaddadspodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ddadspodSubstack: https://substack.com/@deaddadspodcast/notes New episodes every other week.