Actor Tim Allen says he has finally forgiven the drunk driver who killed his father in 1964. The “Home Improvement” star credits an emotional eulogy by Erika Kirk, widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, for helping him find peace after nearly six decades.
Erika Kirk’s Message of Love
During Charlie Kirk’s memorial service on September 21 in Glendale, Arizona, Erika Kirk told mourners she forgave Tyler Robinson, the suspect charged with killing her husband on September 10. “I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it is what Charlie would do,” she said. “The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the Gospel is love.” Her words, streamed and shared widely, struck a chord far beyond the church walls.
Allen’s Public Response
Three days later, on September 24, Allen posted on X about how Erika’s message changed his heart. “When Erika Kirk spoke the words on the man who killed her husband: ‘That man… that young man… I forgive him.’ That moment deeply affected me,” he wrote. “I have struggled for over 60 years to forgive the man who killed my Dad. I will say those words now as I type: ‘I forgive the man who killed my father.’ Peace be with you all.”
A Tragic Loss in 1964
Allen’s father, real estate agent Gerald M. Dick, died in November 1964 when a drunk driver swerved into a median on Interstate 70 in Colorado and collided with the family’s car. Allen, then 11, was not in the vehicle and later admitted to long-term guilt and grief. “Every single thing in my life changed. And I knew it the moment he was dead that he was dead,” Allen said in past interviews with The New York Times.
Finding Peace After Decades
Allen has spoken before about using therapy to work through the trauma. Yet he said it was Erika Kirk’s example of grace that finally moved him to let go of his anger. His public declaration of forgiveness has drawn praise from fans and faith leaders who see it as a powerful reminder of the healing power of love.
For Allen, the moment marked the end of a lifelong struggle. “I forgive the man who killed my father,” he wrote, closing a painful chapter with a message of reconciliation and peace.
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