01of 11A Special LightSusan Williams"Robin and I met later in life, both of us, yet we met right on time," Williams' widow, Susan, who first encountered the actor at an Apple store in 2007,told PEOPLE. “That sense of comfort when someone really sees you for who you are, that’s what we had and it was present that first day. It was this instant familiarity and comfort.” Here, the couple celebrates Robin’s 58th birthday in France. “The light was always on in him,” said Susan.
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A Special Light
Susan Williams
“Robin and I met later in life, both of us, yet we met right on time,” Williams' widow, Susan, who first encountered the actor at an Apple store in 2007,told PEOPLE. “That sense of comfort when someone really sees you for who you are, that’s what we had and it was present that first day. It was this instant familiarity and comfort.” Here, the couple celebrates Robin’s 58th birthday in France. “The light was always on in him,” said Susan.
02of 11"Just Robin"Susan Williams"Not until after Robin passed did they find out how incredibly [famous] he was," Susan shared about her sons Pete (left) and Casey (right). “To them he was just Robin, and we loved it that way.” The family enjoyed a holiday in Hawaii in January 2014.
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“Just Robin”
“Not until after Robin passed did they find out how incredibly [famous] he was,” Susan shared about her sons Pete (left) and Casey (right). “To them he was just Robin, and we loved it that way.” The family enjoyed a holiday in Hawaii in January 2014.
03of 11Staying ConnectedSusan Williams"We would always talk at least four, six, 10 times a day. That’s just what we did when he was away on the road. We would just share everything," said Susan, seen here in 2010 with Robin during fleet week in San Francisco. “We were each other’s rock. For years our favorite thing to say [to each other] was ‘You’re my anchor,’ ‘you’re my mojo.’ We felt so grounded when we were together and I miss that so much.”
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Staying Connected
“We would always talk at least four, six, 10 times a day. That’s just what we did when he was away on the road. We would just share everything,” said Susan, seen here in 2010 with Robin during fleet week in San Francisco. “We were each other’s rock. For years our favorite thing to say [to each other] was ‘You’re my anchor,’ ‘you’re my mojo.’ We felt so grounded when we were together and I miss that so much.”
04of 11Saying “I Do"Susan Williams"By early 2008 we were in love and what was clear was that I wanted to be with this man for the rest of my life,” said Susan. The feeling was mutual. “He came into the bedroom and he got down on one knee and he said, ‘Will you be Mrs. Robin Williams?’ And I said, ‘With all my heart, yes. With all my heart.'” The pair wed Oct. 22, 2011, in Napa Valley, Calif.
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Saying “I Do”
“By early 2008 we were in love and what was clear was that I wanted to be with this man for the rest of my life,” said Susan. The feeling was mutual. “He came into the bedroom and he got down on one knee and he said, ‘Will you be Mrs. Robin Williams?’ And I said, ‘With all my heart, yes. With all my heart.'” The pair wed Oct. 22, 2011, in Napa Valley, Calif.
05of 11Exchanging VowsSusan Williams"We wrote our own wedding vows for each other," she said. “‘Exactly as you are.’ We both teared up.”
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Exchanging Vows
“We wrote our own wedding vows for each other,” she said. “‘Exactly as you are.’ We both teared up.”
06of 11His Secret PainSusan WilliamsA few years into their marriage, Robin began experiencing unusual symptoms, including heightened anxiety levels, delusions and restricted movement. “He was really able to, I think, kind of keep it together when we were in social situations. And then when we would be home, the truth about his experiences would come out,” Susan revealed about the star’s devastating struggle withDiffuse Lewy Body Dementia, which eventually led to his suicide.
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His Secret Pain
A few years into their marriage, Robin began experiencing unusual symptoms, including heightened anxiety levels, delusions and restricted movement. “He was really able to, I think, kind of keep it together when we were in social situations. And then when we would be home, the truth about his experiences would come out,” Susan revealed about the star’s devastating struggle withDiffuse Lewy Body Dementia, which eventually led to his suicide.
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Keeping Cozy
08of 11A Brave BattleSusan Williams"My husband’s heart is what kept him alive for as long as he [was]," said Susan, who told PEOPLE she has learned to forgive Robin for taking his life. “I completely understood. I was beside myself in agony, but it was this sense of, he fought to the end and I didn’t know what we were fighting, but I knew we were fighting hard.”
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A Brave Battle
“My husband’s heart is what kept him alive for as long as he [was],” said Susan, who told PEOPLE she has learned to forgive Robin for taking his life. “I completely understood. I was beside myself in agony, but it was this sense of, he fought to the end and I didn’t know what we were fighting, but I knew we were fighting hard.”
09of 11Fighting TogetherSusan Williams"We would go to yoga on the beach with friends down the street, he would go cycling, we would meditate in the morning, and when he was up to it we would go to dinner with friends and family. We were still enjoying the normal things, but there was this definite melancholy under it all," Susan said of Robin’s battle with DLB. “He was so mad at himself for what his body was doing, for what his mind was doing.”
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Fighting Together
“We would go to yoga on the beach with friends down the street, he would go cycling, we would meditate in the morning, and when he was up to it we would go to dinner with friends and family. We were still enjoying the normal things, but there was this definite melancholy under it all,” Susan said of Robin’s battle with DLB. “He was so mad at himself for what his body was doing, for what his mind was doing.”
10of 11Holding on to HopeSusan WilliamsThe couple enjoyed a honeymoon in Paris years before his health began to deteriorate from DLB. “What Robin had, it would be as if he had cancer in every organ of his body, his brain was so ravaged,” Susan said of her husband’s autopsy results. “[The doctors] all said there was nothing more anyone could have done. It’s one of the worst cases they’ve ever seen. All the doctors were doing all the right things, Robin was doing everything he could.”
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Holding on to Hope
The couple enjoyed a honeymoon in Paris years before his health began to deteriorate from DLB. “What Robin had, it would be as if he had cancer in every organ of his body, his brain was so ravaged,” Susan said of her husband’s autopsy results. “[The doctors] all said there was nothing more anyone could have done. It’s one of the worst cases they’ve ever seen. All the doctors were doing all the right things, Robin was doing everything he could.”
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Making an Impact
source: people.com
