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Home Improvement actor Tim Allen announced Thursday that he had forgiven his father’s killer.

It’s been less than a week since Erika Kirk, widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, told the world that she forgave his killer. “I forgive him because it’s what Christ did and what Charlie would do,” Erika said during a powerful speech at her late husband’s memorial service.

In the days since, numerous testimonies of forgiveness have been shared from viewers who were impacted by her statement. Actor Tim Allen is among those who heard her message and were moved by it.

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Tim, a comedian and actor best known for his role as Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor in Home Improvement, shared an impactful message of his own on Thursday night. He told his fans in a social media post that, because of Erika Kirk’s speech, he had chosen to forgive the man who killed his father.

“When Erika Kirk spoke the words on the man who killed her husband: ‘That man… that young man… I forgive him.’ That moment deeply affected me. I have struggled for over 60 years to forgive the man who killed my Dad. I will say those words now as I type: ‘I forgive the man who killed my father.’ Peace be with you all,” Tim wrote.

The profound confession left his fans wondering who Tim Allen’s dad was and what happened to him. Here’s what we know.

Who Was Tim Allen’s Father?

Tim Allen was one of six children born to Gerald and Martha Dick. Tim’s birth name was Timothy Alan Dick, but he dropped his last name and changed the spelling of his middle name when he launched his career.

In 1964, when Tim was 11 years old, his dad was killed in an accident when his vehicle was struck by a drunk driver.

In an interview with “Inside the Actors Studio,” Allen detailed his father’s death and expressed his guilt over the accident. The actor said that his father had taken the family to a Colorado football game. On their way home, a drunk driver crossed the median on the interstate and landed upside down on top of his dad’s side of the car.

“It broke his neck and he died in my mom’s lap,” Allen said.

“I generally would have been with them. This was one of those days I went down to the neighbor’s,” Allen said. “As many times as I relive this … it changes every single thing, from your cells and DNA turns a different color. Every single thing in my life changed. I knew the moment he was dead that he was dead, and it was not for four hours that I found out.”

Tim confessed that his father’s death was a “startling event” that he credits for who he is today, including his love of cars.

“Any car we got at the house, immediately the manifold came off, and the wheels and tires came off, and the car was louder and faster within moments of getting it from a dealership,” Allen recalled.

In an interview with Mike Rowe in April 2025, Allen said his dad “was a great dad. The love of my life.”

Gerald Dick was a Denver-based real estate agent and insurance salesman. He was only 40 years old at the time of his death.

Hear Tim Allen talk about his father’s death in the video below.

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