Although grief in the workplace has been researched, only two studies concerning the experiences of employees following the death of a coworker in an academic workplace have been published. Academia presents unique challenges when an employee dies unexpectedly because the institution must continue to function for the students, and the deceased employee’s duties must be assumed by highly-qualified individuals, frequently by grieving coworkers. To better understand the experiences of those left to carry on after the death of a coworker, a study of discovery was designed utilizing grounded theory. Twenty participants, 10 from Valdosta State University and 10 from Darton State College, completed a written survey consisting of five open-ended questions, and four follow-up questions related to the death of a coworker in an academic environment. Consistent themes between the two institutions emerged related to notification preference via phone or in person, responsibility for notification, faculty feeling honored to cover the descendant’s class, the greater difficulty of assuming upper administration duties, and the crucialness of upper administration response because of potentially lasting negative impression for years if handled badly. Evidence emerged that different responses are owed for the loss of a coworker to traumatic death than to natural causes. Further research is needed, especially related to traumatic loss, but the preliminary findings can be used to craft basic policy and procedure in anticipation of future deaths. Decisions may be made ahead of time related to manner of notification, designated notifiers, policies related to funeral attendance and memorials, training related to grief, cooperative agreements with adjacent institutions concerning the use of adjuncts, and the role upper administration will play when there is a loss.