James Van Der Beek's wife is mourning his tragic loss. On Wednesday, news broke that the beloved Dawson's Creek actor passed away at 48. A rep for the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed to TMZ that his death was reported to them at 6:44 a.m. An official cause of death has not been shared at this time, but he had been battling with stage 3 colorectal cancer over the past couple of years. Related: Tragic Cause Of Death Revealed After Shocking Passing Of Scary Movie Actress Now, Kimberly Van Der Beek, whom he shares six children with, has taken to Instagram to pay tribute to him.