The Young And The Restless Star Jess Walton Suffered The Heartbreaking Loss Of Her Husband

After a brief battle with liver cancer, soap opera star Jess Walton announced that her husband, John James, had sadly passed away in a heartbreaking post shared on August 12, 2021. "Three months ago, my sweet husband of 40 years, John, was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer," she captioned an Instagram photo featuring herself with James and their children. "This has been far and away the most painful period of my life, and our children's. At the same time it has been richly rewarding," she disclosed while reflecting on the tragic loss. A military veteran, James was a grief management expert who authored several books on the topic and established The Grief Recovery Institute in 1985 after losing his newborn son from a previous marriage. 

According to his obituary, James died in his native Oregon on August 10, 2021 surrounded by his family at the age of just 77. In her sweet tribute, Walton — who is widely recognized for her role on "The Young and the Restless" as Jill Abbott — remembered her beloved husband as a devoted family man and an unfailingly kind soul. "John James has spent his entire life helping others, And most especially taking care of us, his family," she wrote. "For us to be able to devote ourselves to him in his home with all that entails, and give him love and care and comfort from the people he loves the most, was our honor." Throughout James' health struggles, Walton never left her husband's side.

In 2018, soap stalwart Jess Walton revealed that her husband John James had undergone surgery to remove a lump in his neck, which turned out to be a form of cancer. She shared the news on Facebook alongside a photo of James lying in a hospital bed captured just moments before the procedure took place. She wrote, "To all my friends out there [...] Great news! My husband had a malignant tumor in his neck for the last year and we finally decided to come down to UCLA in Los Angeles and we had it removed." Following the operation, James was said to be in remission, with Walton confirming, "He is now cancer free and in recovery." She added, "We thank God for all our family and friend's prayers."

Unfortunately, just a few months after celebrating his birthday in February 2021, James' cancer returned and this time around, the outlook wasn't as optimistic for the grief recovery expert. James was diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer and was ultimately given just months to live by his doctors. In her Instagram post announcing the terrible news, Walton asked her followers to pray for her husband amid his ongoing health struggles. "To all our much loved friends: My remarkable husband John and I have led a blessed life for 40 years. Unfortunately though, his cancer has returned and our family is going through a very painful time," she wrote. Sadly, he passed away three months later. 

To say that Jess Walton was saddened by the death of John James would be a massive understatement. Three years after she tragically lost him to liver cancer, "The Young and The Restless" alum continues to honor and cherish his memory by sharing tributes to her late husband on her various social media platforms. On their first wedding anniversary since his death, Walton took to Instagram to pen a sweet message for James alongside their wedding photo. "41 years ago on our wedding day I kissed the love of my life," she shared. "Wherever you are my angel, thank you for it all." She also remembered James on what would have been his 78th birthday in February 2022. Posting a pair of throwback snaps, Walton recalled how they used to spend each other's birthdays when James was still alive. "Our birthdays are two days apart, so we'd always celebrate together," she noted.

In August 2022, Walton also dedicated a tribute post to her late husband in honor of his first death anniversary, where she reflected on the heartbreaking loss once again. "It's been a year since I lost the love of my life. He was the best thing that ever happened to me and his death was the worst," the soap star admitted. Despite her grief, Walton acknowledged that she's incredibly grateful that she met James and had him as her life partner. The actor gushed, "Thank you John James for loving me and sharing your life with me."