In a recent television appearance, David Woolley, a 61-year-old businessman, shared a deeply personal and painful chapter from his life: the loss of his first wife to suicide over a decade ago. The emotional revelation came during a candid discussion about family, grief, and finding hope again.
Woolley described the devastating moment in 2012 when he had to inform their eight children that their mother, Margaret, would not be returning home. “One of the hardest things I’ve ever done was to tell my kids that,” he recalled, his voice heavy with emotion. He spoke of the profound guilt and sorrow that followed, admitting, “I blame myself.”
Margaret’s struggle with depression, he explained, ended after 20 years of marriage, leaving him to raise their large family as a single father for 11 years. “Depression got a hold of her,” he stated simply, underscoring the tragedy’s stark reality.
Despite the enduring heartache, Woolley’s story is also one of resilience and new love. After years of navigating life alone, he connected with his now-wife, Christine, through a matchmaker in late 2022. The couple married in October 2023 in Utah.
Christine, visibly moved while listening to Woolley’s account, spoke warmly of Margaret’s legacy, noting home videos that revealed a mother who “loved her kids” and created many happy memories.
The couple’s journey has not been without recent sorrow. They honored Christine’s son, Garrison, who died by suicide months after their wedding, by planting a willow tree in their yard as a living memorial—a quiet place for reflection.
Now looking forward, Woolley expressed immense pride in his children and grandchildren and optimism for this new chapter. “The future is really bright,” he said, a sentiment marking a poignant turn from a past shadowed by tragedy toward a hopeful present built on love and remembrance.
