Camp Widow

Tanya Villanueva Tepper

Tanya Villanueva Tepper
Tanya Villanueva Tepper

Tanya is a 9/11 widow living happily “even” after who is featured in the Peabody Award-winning documentary, Rebirth. The film captures the almost decade-long journey of five individuals whose lives were permanently altered by the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center. Interwoven with time-lapse photography of the rebuilding of the site at Ground Zero, the audience sees each participant through the darkest days of grief and trauma toward hope, healing and renewal. It is the longest and most complete film record of people coping in the aftermath of disaster and is a unique tool for teaching, healing, and research.

Tanya studied with world-renowned grief expert, David Kessler, and became a Certified Grief Educator in 2023. She brings the wisdom of her own grief journey and a holistic, individualized approach to grief in her work as a widow mentor to help those on the road after her rebuild after devastating loss.

Tanya is also a member of the Advisory Board for Soaring Spirits International, which brings peer-based programs to the widowed community. Each year, Tanya delivers hope, comfort, and laughter through her workshops at Camp Widow, a weekend-long gathering of widows from around the world. She is also a Soaring Spirits Regional Group leader and facilitates social support gatherings for those who are living in Miami.

Tanya is a recognized 9/11 family member and has appeared on CBS This Morning, The Talk (CBS), Extra (NBC), Good Morning America and other network and international news programs. She has been featured in articles for the New York Times, the Toronto Star, and Robb Report Motorcycling. She has spoken at The White House, the Vinfen Film Festival at Harvard University, and the Sarasota Film Festival.

Tanya delivered her talks, Happily Even After at TEDxCoconutGrove in 2016, Grief: What Everyone Should Know at TEDxUniversityofMiami in 2017, and Love After Loss: Curiosity Led to My Happily Even After at TEDxUniversityofMiami in 2022. She has also written articles for the Huffington Post. She loves her life in Miami with her husband Ray, their daughters, Emilia and Samantha, and their rescue dog, Tony Pupperoni.

For more information please visit www.tanyavtepper.com.