Knowing what a dedicated and loving father he was, all I could think was how devastated he would have been if he could have seen how broken hearted his children were. At his funeral, his friends were devastated, and his three children were absolutely crushed. I came to know Robin then, and was always impressed by what a wonderful father he was, and how much he loved his children. We met through our children, because one of my daughters and his son were boyfriend/girlfriend devotedly all through high school. And I knew Robin Williams for 16 years when he died. He was 14 at the time, and we shared his grief with him. Many years ago, one of my children’s friends was on vacation with us, when he saw on television the news that his famous actress mother had committed suicide, and then not long after, his father. Bourdain personally, but several of my children are his ardent fans. I did not know Kate Spade, although several of my children knew her and her husband, and one of my sons is/was very close to them, and crushed by her death. And tragically, I have been to more funerals for young people than for my own contemporaries. Each of my children has had friends who have committed suicide. Others among Nick’s friends have done so as well.

It came as a shock to everyone who knew him-more so than when my son Nick died, since he had battled with bi polar/manic depression all his life. Several of Nick’s friends followed that same path, and his very best friend, a wonderful boy, with everything going for him, great family, nice girlfriend, successful career, bright, charming, intelligent, kind, an incredibly decent person, and he committed suicide in his 30’s. Bourdain was 61, both much too young to have left this world, both immensely talented and greatly admired and respected.Īs most of you know, I lost my son Nick to suicide (resulting from bi polar disease all his life) at 19, so I have lived the fall out of suicide at close range. The events I am referring to are the suicides of Kate Spade, the fashion designer, and Anthony Bourdain, the famous chef and TV personality, in the last week.

But recent events are too serious to ignore, so I’m sitting down to write to you. So I was going to take a week off from the blog, since I’m traveling, and send you a “Gone Fishing” message. I’m on one my usual three city/two country treks, with 10 suitcases and three Chihuahuas, visiting two daughters midway, and meeting another when I arrive at my destination.

Danielle steel's sister