About Dead Dads

Let’s be honest: losing a dad is weird.

One day, you’re arguing about the thermostat, and the next, you’re responsible for a human-sized jar of ashes and a garage full of literal junk.

Dead Dads is a podcast about the "before, during, and after" of losing your father. It’s not a "journey to wholeness."

It’s more like a slow-motion car crash where the radio is stuck on a classic rock station your dad loved.

Who are we?

Your hosts, Roger Nairn and Scott Cunningham, are not doctors, grief counsellors, or particularly well-adjusted. They’re just two guys who recently lost their dads and realized that most "grief content" feels like it was written by a greeting card company.

We’re here for the stuff that isn't on the card:

- The Physical "Inventory": Dealing with the 47 half-used cans of WD-40 and the password-protected iPad that is now a paperweight.
- The "Post-Death" Admin: The endless, soul-crushing hold music with the phone company or the bank, explaining for the 14th time that, no, he won't be coming to the phone.
- The "Body Logistics": The dark absurdity of things going wrong—like the funeral home literally fumbling the handoff—and the fact that you’re allowed to laugh about it
- The "Sympathy Casserole" Fatigue: People bringing you lasagna when what you actually need is someone to come over and help you throw away 30 years of old National Geographic magazines.
- The "Grief Ninja": How you can be totally fine at a hockey game or a meeting, and then a specific smell of old leather or a certain song on the radio absolutely levels you in the middle of a grocery store.

Every episode, we talk to guests who have survived the same thing. Some lost their dads decades ago; some are still waiting for the death certificate to arrive in the mail.

This isn't a self-help show.

We can't fix you. We can’t even fix ourselves. But if you’ve ever found yourself weeping in the middle of a Canadian Tire because you saw a specific brand of motor oil, you’re in the right place.

Join the club.

Listen, watch, and send this to someone who’s currently wondering what the hell to do with their dad’s old VCR collection.

About the Hosts

Roger Nairn

Host

Roger Nairn is a dad, a husband, and the co-host of Dead Dads. He’s also the co-founder and CEO of JAR Podcast Solutions, where he helps brands tell better stories. After losing his father, Roger started this show to talk honestly about what comes next. The grief, the absurdity, the paperwork, and the parts most men don’t say out loud.

Scott Cunningham

Host

Scott Cunningham is a dad, a husband, and the co-host of Dead Dads. He recently lost his father and, like Roger, is trying to make sense of what that actually means in real life. This show is his way of talking through the grief, the confusion, the dark humor, and the moments that don’t fit neatly into a eulogy.