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Dead Dads Podcast | Grief Support for Men

Dead Dads Podcast | Grief Support for Men

By: Scott Cunningham & Roger Nairn
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Dead Dads Podcast is a show for men who have lost their dads. Scott Cunningham and Roger Nairn talk about father loss, grief, family, memory, dark humour, and all the strange stuff that shows up after your dad dies. The numbness. The anger. The guilt. The garage full of junk. The paperwork. The stories you keep telling because you are scared you’ll forget the sound of his voice. Some dads were great. Some were complicated. Some were barely there. This show makes room for all of it. Each episode is a real conversation with a man about his dad, what he lost, what he still carries, and what life looks like after joining the club nobody asked to join. Follow Dead Dads wherever you listen, watch on YouTube, or send us your story at deaddadspodcast.com. Death. Jokes. Closure. Not always in that order. Dead Dads Podcast is produced with the support of JAR Podcast Solutions, the branded podcast agency that helps organizations build shows people actually want to spend time with. Learn more at https://jarpodcasts.com/Copyright 2026 Relationships Social Sciences
Episodes
  • My Dad Watched a Guy Get Shot at Dinner | Dead Dads Podcast | Grief Support for Men

    My Dad Watched a Guy Get Shot at Dinner | Dead Dads Podcast | Grief Support for Men
    May 28 2026
    Peter Reek's dad Bill was a Nestle commodities trader. One night, on a purchasing trip to Columbia in the mid 80's, he watched the guy having dinner at the next table over get shot.Everyone knew what to do, and Bill calmly followed. They got under the table, finished the meal somewhere else, and Bill flew home the next week. That was Bill Reek. Mr. Safety. The guy who built a 40-year career on stability — and the guy who negotiated with people who carried guns to dinner.Peter sits with Scott (Roger was unable to join the interview) to talk about a dad who was solid in every way the world could measure, and the small, strange details that only come out after he's gone. This episode is for the guy whose dad was “the stable one.” The guy whose dad worked a job he never fully understood. The guy still finding out who his dad really was after he died.Probably not for the guy looking for a tidy redemption arc. Bill Reek did not do tidy.🎧 In this episode, you’ll hear about:Growing up with a dad who worked for Nestlé for 40 yearsWhat “stable” actually looks like up closeThe night in Colombia when the guy at the next table got shotNegotiating cocoa prices with people who carried guns to dinnerBeing Mr. Safety in a dangerous jobThe commodities expert who never invested his own moneyThe cancer diagnosis and the years that followedNot being in the room when his dad diedThe stories that only surface after someone is goneWhat Peter wishes he had asked BillWhy you should be an active participant in your dad’s life now👨‍👦 About Peter and his dad, BillPeter Reek lost his dad, Bill, after a long battle with cancer.Bill was a 40-year Nestlé commodities trader. Stable, steady, generous, quietly funny, and the kind of dad who reminded you to check the tire pressure right before flying to Colombia to negotiate cocoa prices with people carrying guns to dinner.It is a conversation about father loss, cancer, the kind of dad you think you know, the stories that only surface at the end, and the regret of not being in the room when it happened.Also, yes, there are laughs. Because grief is weird like that. Rude, honestly.⏱️ Episode chapters0:00 – Colombia Shock Opener0:12 – Meet Peter and Bill1:27 – Support the Podcast2:47 – Why Peter Joined3:12 – Bill Reek Career Story7:57 – Stability Versus Risk8:48 – Restaurant Shooting Tale10:21 – Entrepreneur Son Dynamic12:20 – Illness and Final Days17:51 – Guilt and Goodbye22:47 – Taking Over the Playbook26:07 – Keeping Dad Alive28:34 – Advice and FarewellNext in the club: Matty Woods on his dad’s funeral with two rules: https://youtu.be/Ocm8NTnDLX4🖤 About Dead DadsDead Dads is a podcast for men figuring out life after losing their dad. Hosted by Roger Nairn and Scott Cunningham, the show features honest conversations about father loss, grief, identity, family, memory, masculinity, and all the strange stuff that happens after your dad dies.You’re not alone.☕ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/deaddadspodcastFollow Dead Dads:Website: https://www.deaddadspodcast.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@deaddadspodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/deaddadspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dead.dads.podcastSubstack: https://substack.com/@deaddadspodcastNew episodes every week.Dead Dads Podcast is produced with the support of JAR Podcast Solutions, the branded podcast agency that helps organizations build shows people actually want to spend time with. Learn more at https://jarpodcasts.com/
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    30 mins
  • The Raw Reality of Watching My Father Choose MAID | Dead Dads Podcast | Grief Support for Men

    The Raw Reality of Watching My Father Choose MAID | Dead Dads Podcast | Grief Support for Men
    May 14 2026
    In this episode of Dead Dads, Matty Woods talks about losing his dad to prostate cancer, medical assistance in dying, anticipatory grief, and the celebration of life that followed.Hi Dad, Nigel had just died when Matty came to the Dead Dads studio.This is one of the most powerful real life stories we’ve had on Dead Dads. Matty is still in the rawest part of grief: fresh, early, and still finding the words.For men who are losing your dad, dealing with loss, watching a parent die from cancer, or trying to understand grief that does not follow any rulebook, this episode is for you.Nigel Woods spent nine years living with prostate cancer, which he renamed “MDS,” because apparently even cancer needed a nickname. He wrote letters to his grandkids. He recorded videos for his friends. And when he chose MAID, medical assistance in dying, he gave his family one final impossible gift: a goodbye on his terms.In Canada, MAID can be a loaded, emotional, deeply personal choice. For Nigel and his family, medical aid in dying meant a deliberate goodbye. Dying with dignity. A final day shaped by family, humor, love, and one very respectable glass of scotch.A real goodbye. The kind most of us do not get.Matty came into the studio fresh from emceeing a 1,200-person celebration of life for his dad. He talks about Nigel’s two rules for the event: no sadness, and a shot of scotch before you walk in. He talks about anticipatory grief, the long goodbye, and the strange feeling of being “lucky it hurts this much.”This is a conversation about losing a parent to cancer, medical assistance in dying, MAID Canada, grief and loss, grief support for men, father loss, mental health, family legacy, and the father son relationship that keeps shaping you after your dad dies.If your dad died recently, years ago, or you are walking through this with him right now, you are not alone.Welcome to the club no one wants to join.🎧 In this episode, you’ll hear about:Why losing your dad can feel painful and strangely luckyWhat anticipatory grief feels like after years of illnessHow one family handled MAID and medical assistance in dyingWhat dying with dignity looked like for Nigel’s familyWhy Matty’s dad wanted scotch, not sadness, at his celebration of lifeHow grief shows up when the goodbye is planned but still impossibleWhat losing a parent to cancer teaches you about love, legacy, and mental healthHow the father son relationship shapes you after your dad diesWhy “What would Nig do?” became a way to keep his dad close👨‍👦 About Matty and his dad, NigelMatty Woods lost his dad, Nigel, after a nine-year experience with prostate cancer.Nigel was funny, proud, stubborn, generous, and deeply loved. He wanted his final days to reflect how he lived: with family, humor, dignity, and a decent glass of scotch.In this episode, Matty talks about what it was like to say goodbye, host a huge celebration of life, and start figuring out who he is without his dad physically here.It is a conversation about father loss, cancer, MAID, grief, pride, family, and the weird little moments that show up after someone dies.Also, yes, there are laughs. Because grief is weird like that. Rude, honestly.⏱️ Episode chapters0:00 – “1,200 People, One Shot of Scotch”3:00 – Nigel’s Rules for His Celebration of Life6:30 – “I’m Lucky It Hurts This Much”7:30 – Prostate Cancer and Dark Humor12:00 – Anticipatory Grief and the Long Goodbye13:00 – Choosing MAID on His Own Terms15:00 – The Bluebird Day, the Bridge, and the Scotch17:30 – Being With His Dad at the End18:45 – The Plane, the Comet, and “There He Is”23:30 – Emceeing in Front of 1,200 People30:00 – “What Would Nig Do?”32:30 – Why Matty Feels Infinitely Proud🖤 About Dead DadsDead Dads is a podcast for men figuring out life after losing their dad. Hosted by Roger Nairn and Scott Cunningham, the show features honest conversations about father loss, grief, identity, family, memory, masculinity, and all the strange stuff that happens after your dad dies. No grief brochure voice. No tidy healing arc. Just real conversations for guys who are grieving, remembering, avoiding, laughing, carrying on, or trying to understand what losing a father did to them.You’re not alone.☕ If Dead Dads has helped you feel a little less alone, consider buying us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/deaddadspodcastFollow Dead Dads:Website: https://www.deaddadspodcast.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@deaddadspodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/deaddadspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dead.dads.podcastSubstack: https://substack.com/@deaddadspodcastAnd listen to us here, or wherever you enjoy podcasts:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4WWlXBPzgj151SFYRUZeSB?si=fe005fdf079249b8Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dead-dads-podcast-grief-support-for-men/id1867632438New episodes every week.Dead Dads Podcast is produced with the support ...
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    35 mins
  • I Lost My Dad 13 Years Ago — Here’s How I Finally Dealt With Father Grief | Dave Genn of 54-40 | Dead Dads Podcast | Grief Support for Men

    I Lost My Dad 13 Years Ago — Here’s How I Finally Dealt With Father Grief | Dave Genn of 54-40 | Dead Dads Podcast | Grief Support for Men
    Apr 30 2026
    When does grief get easier after losing your dad?In this episode of Dead Dads Podcast, Dave Genn of 54-40 talks about grief, mental health, father loss, music, creativity, and what actually happens years after your dad dies.Dave got the honest answer from guys who had already been through grief and loss: the hurt does not really dull. It does not become less painful. But it stops being all day, every day.Dave talks about losing his father, Robert Genn, one of Canada’s most beloved painters and creator of The Painter’s Keys. He shares what it was like to watch his dad face pancreatic cancer, mourn the end of his creative life, and leave behind work that still feels alive.This is a raw, honest, and funny conversation about men and grief, dealing with loss, grief support, the healing journey, music and grief, creativity, legacy, and finding out how much your dad is still with you.🎧 In this episode, you’ll hear about:Why Dave says “when you see your father pass, you’re next”What grief feels like after losing your dadHow losing a parent changes your view of mortalityHow Robert Genn faced pancreatic cancer and the end of his creative lifeHow Dave turned grief into music and creativityWhy he rewrote “Crossing a Canyon” after his dad diedHow La Difference came out of grief and lossThe dream where his dad said “everything’s gonna be okay”Why grief does not get less painful, but stops being all day, every dayWhat happened when Dave lost his mom four years laterHow mental health, atheism, and grief support show up after lossWhy mortality is the great leveler👨‍👦 About Dave and his dad, RobertDave Genn is the lead guitarist of 54-40, a Canadian rock band that has been together for more than 40 years.His father, Robert Genn, was a painter, writer, teacher, and creative force. Through The Painter’s Keys, Robert reached artists around the world with reflections on art, work, discipline, and the creative life.In this episode, Dave talks about losing his dad, carrying his influence, and turning grief into art without pretending it fixes anything.It is a conversation about father loss, pancreatic cancer, creativity, music, legacy, grief support for men, and what remains after your dad is gone.Also, yes, there are laughs. Because grief is weird like that. Rude, honestly.⏱️ Episode chapters0:00 – When Dad Passes, You’re Next1:37 – Meet Dave Genn2:02 – Who Robert Genn Was3:44 – Advice, Dreams, and Songs5:25 – Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis6:37 – Final Months at Home9:23 – Turning Grief Into Art11:27 – Aftermath, Work, and Logistics13:09 – Legacy, Paintings, and Mortality15:47 – Counting the Years16:37 – Bandmates and Loss18:08 – Work as Coping19:25 – Crossing a Canyon and La Difference22:33 – Collaboration and Support24:13 – Grief Over Time27:56 – Advice for the Moment28:34 – Nihilism and Apathy30:14 – The Great Leveler32:03 – Atheism and the Afterlife33:19 – Closing and Resources🖤 About Dead DadsDead Dads is a podcast for men figuring out life after losing their dad. Hosted by Roger Nairn and Scott Cunningham, the show features honest conversations about father loss, grief, identity, family, memory, masculinity, and all the strange stuff that happens after your dad dies. No grief brochure voice. No tidy healing arc. Just real conversations for guys who are grieving, remembering, avoiding, laughing, carrying on, or trying to understand what losing a father did to them.You’re not alone.☕ If Dead Dads has helped you feel a little less alone, consider buying us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/deaddadspodcastFollow Dead Dads:Website: https://www.deaddadspodcast.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@deaddadspodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/deaddadspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dead.dads.podcastSubstack: https://substack.com/@deaddadspodcastAnd listen to us here, or wherever you enjoy podcasts:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4WWlXBPzgj151SFYRUZeSB?si=fe005fdf079249b8Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dead-dads-podcast-grief-support-for-men/id1867632438New episodes every week.Dead Dads Podcast is produced with the support of JAR Podcast Solutions, the branded podcast agency that helps organizations build shows people actually want to spend time with. Learn more at https://jarpodcasts.com/
    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
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