Losing Your Dad: When Work Becomes an Escape

What happens when losing your dad makes you realize how much of your life depended on him being there to guide you?

In this episode of Dead Dads, Scott and Roger talk with Blair French about losing his father, Bob French, and the complicated reality of grief after a parent dies.

Blair shares the story of his dad, a Vancouver-born accountant and construction executive who was known for quiet wisdom, unexpected jokes, and deep dedication to family. After a routine medical check revealed cancer that had already spread throughout his body, Blair and his family had only a short window to process what was happening.

The conversation explores how quickly life can change after a diagnosis, the difficulty of saying goodbye, and the unexpected emotional toll that grief can take on mental health, work, and family relationships.

Blair also talks about burnout, therapy, regret about time not spent together, and the ways he now keeps his dad’s memory alive with his son.

Dead Dads is a podcast about losing your dad, coping with grief, father loss, and how men talk about the death of a parent. Honest conversations, real stories, and moments of humor that help make grief a little easier to carry.

If you’ve experienced losing your dad, grief, or the death of a father, this conversation will feel familiar.

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Timestamps:

00:00 Trust But Verify

00:29 Show Disclaimer Banter

01:03 Meet Blair French

02:16 Comfort Rewatch Rituals

04:27 Who Was Bob French

07:07 Fix It Or Call Pros

08:15 Diagnosis And Metastasis

10:40 Keeping Illness Private

12:14 Passing At Home

15:12 Finding Out And Aftermath

16:43 Stuck Away From Home

17:40 Family Support Network

18:29 Arriving And Taking Charge

19:46 Planning A Small Memorial

21:43 Travel Memories And Safari

23:40 Aftermath And Burnout

29:34 Missing His Guidance

31:34 Blue Jays And Legacy

34:21 Parenting And Time Regrets

36:39 Advice And Farewell