David J. Roberts, LMSW, became a parent who experienced the death of a child, after his daughter Jeannine died of cancer on 3/1/03 at the age of 18. He is a retired addiction professional and an adjunct professor in the psychology department at Utica College, Utica, New York.   Dave is also the chapter leader for The Compassionate Friends of the Mohawk Valley. Dave has been a national and local workshop presenter on grief and loss and a keynote speaker. He is the featured speaker, workshop presenter and coach for Aspire Place.

Dave is a HuffPost contributor and a contributing author for The Open to Hope Foundation.   He has also been published on numerous other online grief sites and in the Recovering the Self Journal. Dave has co-authored two books with Linda Findlay of Mourning Discoveries, one on navigating grief during the holidays and the second on pet loss.   One of Dave's articles,” My Daughter is Never Far Away" can also be found in Open to Hope: Inspirational Stories of Healing and Loss. Excerpts from Dave's article for The Open to Hope Foundation, called The Broken Places, were featured in the 2012 Paraclete Press DVD video, Grieving the Sudden Death of a Loved One. He has appeared as a guest on both the Open to Hope radio and television shows, and was part of a panel on 12/28/16 for the BBC Podcast World Have Your Say, with other grief experts, discussing the death of Carrie Fisher. Dave’s website: www.bootsyandangel.com is devoted to providing support and resources for individuals experiencing loss.