A legendary star went out on August 11, 2014. With this summer marking 10 years since the comedian’s passing, his son Zachary “Zak” Williams shared a tribute to Robin Williams and Mork & Mindy, the work that sent his career rocketing into the national spotlight.
Williams was 63 years old when he took his own life, after years of suffering from Parkinson’s, depression, and anxiety. His legacy is relentlessly safeguarded by his three children: Zak, Zelda, and Cody. Zak has made mental health advocacy an enduring cause of his in honor of his late father. See the bittersweet and nostalgic way he remembered the man who brought smiles to so many people all while privately fighting his own battles.
Zak Williams shares a throwback to ‘Mork & Mindy’ on the 10th anniversary of Robin Williams’s death
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On August 11, Zak took to Instagram to share a tribute to Williams, exactly a decade after his shocking death. “Dad, it’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years,” Zak marveled. “Today, I’m reflecting on the immense love you shared with all of us—your family, your friends, and everyone you met.”
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He concluded his poignant message, “You continue to inspire me every single day to do whatever I can to help create a more connected and loving world for our family. Love you forever.” His post is accompanied by a picture of Williams in costume as the titular alien from Mork & Mindy, who first appeared in a well-received episode of Happy Days. The follow-up series helped put the soon-to-be-legendary Williams on the national map.
In the comments, thousands of Zak’s followers mourned alongside the 41-year-old. “It’s been a dark 10 years without your dad,” one commenter noted. Another looked at the throwback photo and said, “If we all reflect back even a smidgeon of the light in his eyes in this photo, the world will be a better place.”
Tying everyone’s sentiments together, another commenter wrote, “The world is a better place because he was here. Even those who didn’t know him personally are happier, kinder human beings because of him. My thoughts are with you all.”
Other ways of honoring an impactful legend
In light of Williams’s long-lasting mental health battles, Zak is a determined advocate. Zak himself grappled with addiction, especially in the wake of his father’s suicide, in a struggle he called “generational.” Zak’s company developed PYM, an assortment of mental health care products to help people find emotional stability with dignity.
Outside of business, he is also a trustee of United for Global Mental Health. Zak is also a board member with the non-profit Bring Change 2 Mind, as well as the Yerba Buena Center of the Arts, where he plays an active role in guiding the organization’s latest initiatives.
