In honor of the late Treat Williams‘ 72nd birthday on December 1, his family remembered him by sharing memories of the actor with PEOPLE. His wife, Pam Van Sant, 68, and their two children Gill and Ellie Williams, even revealed what they believe the Everwood star’s legacy is nearly six months after his death. “His family was the thing that he always said [he’d be remembered for],” his daughter explained, to which Pam added, “You guys are obviously his legacy. He was just so proud of both of them.”
Earlier in the interview, the 68-year-old shared that she is still “grappling” with her husband’s tragic death. “I think because of the suddenness of it — there was absolutely no preparation — so I find that I’m still grappling with the fact that it happened and that he’s really, really gone,” Pam said of Treat’s passing in June. The late father-of-two died following a motorcycle accident in the summer, his agent, Barry McPherson, confirmed to PEOPLE at the time.
Treat’s son Gill, 31, told the mag that it’s odd to live in a world where his father is “actually gone.” He went on to add, “But at the same time, he’s left behind this beautiful legacy. I think that’s something that you’re very lucky if your parent is an artist — especially when [the artist] is as prolific as him, because you do get to, in many ways, still be with them through that art.” Treat was a well-known actor with over 120 credits under his belt prior to his death. Some of his work includes Hair, Chesapeake Shores, The Deep End of the Ocean, Deep Rising, and more.
Following the beloved dad’s death, his family took to Treat’s Instagram account on July 31 to share a photo from his “Celebration of Life” ceremony. “As time passes, the grief doesn’t get any easier, but life is fragile. We are trying to live every day like it’s our last, and appreciate the time on this beautiful planet that we are lucky to call home,” the caption read. “Here’s a picture from Treat’s Celebration of Life of the family.” In the photo, Pam posed in between her two kiddos as she and Gill held onto their dogs.
After the family shared the snapshot, many of Treat’s nearly 60K followers took to the comments to send their condolences. “Love this photo Pam. Treat’s truck, the flowers, your 3 smiles and the pups sending hugs,” one admirer penned, while another added, “Beautiful family. Treat’s legacy lives on in each one of you.”
More recently, Ellie took to her father’s account to share a series of portraits she took of him. “Some portraits that I took of my dad in college. He loved mowing and loved his tractors. -Ellie,” she captioned the post.