My mom has arranged for a mass to be said for Mary on July 3rd at 5 pm at the Annunciation of the Lord Parish, 2414 Ogilvie Rd, Gloucester.
Many people spoke at today’s service and shared wonderful memories from Mary’s life. Anka did a great job of reading what I wrote.
Showing posts with label rememberance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rememberance. Show all posts
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Article in today's Citizen
Because I am unable to speak (literally) at her memorial service today, Anka will be my voice and read something that I wrote.
Mary and I shared of love of travel. This picture was taken on a trip to China and Vietnam that we took together almost 6 years ago.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Mary
My dear friend Mary died peacefully at home on Thursday.
Tuesday was her birthday and I went by with a gift - a photo album I put together of pictures of so many happy times our group of friends spent together: dragon boating, hiking, skiing, biking, snow shoeing, and travelling. My heart is breaking but it was wonderful to look back over all those times and to see smiling pictures of Mary looking healthy and active.
Mary slipped into a coma later that day and never woke up. I will write more about my memories of her at a later time. For now, here is her obituary from today’s Citizen.
Tuesday was her birthday and I went by with a gift - a photo album I put together of pictures of so many happy times our group of friends spent together: dragon boating, hiking, skiing, biking, snow shoeing, and travelling. My heart is breaking but it was wonderful to look back over all those times and to see smiling pictures of Mary looking healthy and active.
Mary slipped into a coma later that day and never woke up. I will write more about my memories of her at a later time. For now, here is her obituary from today’s Citizen.
Peacefully at home on June 10, 2010 in her 60th year after a lengthy illness with cancer. Mary was born on June 8, 1951 in Manchester, England, emigrating to Canada with her family at age three. She attended St. Thomas High School in Pointe Claire, Quebec and Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. After graduation, she served in the public service of Canada in Ottawa for her entire career, attaining executive rank. Reading was Mary's favorite form of recreation but she also enjoyed cycling, skiing and especially travel. She was also an avid dragonboater and was a founding member of the breast cancer survivor dragon boat team Busting Out. Mary leaves her loving husband Eric Smart, her sisters Patricia O'Rourke of Montreal and Frances O'Rourke and her husband Joe Joyce and their daughters Catherine, Joanna and Molly of Dublin, Ireland and a wide circle of friends. The family will receive friends at McEvoy-Shields Funeral Home, 1411 Hunt Club Road at Albion Road from 7-9 pm on Wednesday June 16, 2010. A memorial service will be held at 11 am on Thursday, June 17, 2010 in the chapel of the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, 704-265 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1S2E1, in memory of Mary, would be greatly appreciated. Online condolences may be sent to www.mcevoy-shields.com.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Meridy
I just received the sad news that Meridy died this evening at May Court hospice. I met Meridy years ago when we were both teaching the Christopher Leadership course and we more recently reconnected after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The positive spirit that I remember from the early days stayed with her throughout her illness.
A memorial service "A Celebration of Meridy’s Life" will take place at the Tubman's Funeral Home at 3440 Richmond Rd on Saturday, June 5th. The visitation will be at 10:00 am, followed by the Memorial Service at 11:00, Refreshments will be served following the celebration.
Rest in peace, Meridy. You will be missed.
Here is the obituary from the Ottawa Citizen:
Meridy Foster
FOSTER, Meridy Anne Meridy passed away with grace on May 31, 2010 at the age of 61, after living courageously with cancer for 2 1/2 years. Loving step-mother of Brad (Linda - Anna, Sarah) and Tim (Chris - Beth, Jack, Owen, Ruby, Daniel), god-mother of Jamie Stewart, devoted family friend to Karen and Dennis Gorr, Bob and Barb Stewart, numerous other long-time friends in Canada and her native Australia, as well as other countries around the world. She also leaves to mourn Jessie Stewart, Alie Lunn, Kristin Gorr, her niece Rebecca and nephew Matthew, her sister Beverly Silvius, and predeceased by brother Stephen. Meridy is grateful for the care she received at the Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre, CCAC and The Hospice at May Court. A special thank you to all those wonderful friends who assisted and spent time with Meridy on her journey. All who knew and loved Meridy are welcome to share memories and bid farewell by attending a memorial service at the Garden Chapel of Tubman Funeral Homes, 3440 Richmond Road (between Baseline Rd. and Bayshore Dr.), Nepean on Saturday, June 5, 2010, at 11:00 a.m followed by refreshments. Prior to the service there will be a visitation from 10 a.m until 11 a.m. Condolences, donations and tributes can be made in Canada in her memory to any CHF project in Vietnam at www.chf-partners.ca/index.html , in Australia to Sunrise Orphanages in Cambodia at www.sunrise childrensvillage.org/, or to The Hospice at May Court, Ottawa www.hospice maycourt.com Until we meet again...
Friday, September 18, 2009
The End of the Ride by Sue Hendler
Sue's final column appears in today's paper.
"If you are reading this, you'll know that my cancer journey has ended. I gave this column to Whig-Standard editor Steve Serviss some time ago as I wanted to have a way of providing closure to this series which started in June 2008."
Read the full story
Read past columns by Sue Hendler by clicking on her name below.
Fuck cancer
"If you are reading this, you'll know that my cancer journey has ended. I gave this column to Whig-Standard editor Steve Serviss some time ago as I wanted to have a way of providing closure to this series which started in June 2008."
Read the full story
Read past columns by Sue Hendler by clicking on her name below.
Fuck cancer
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Sue Hendler
I just received a notice from Sue's friend and Care Team coordinator Karla with this sad news:
"Sue died last night. It was at about 8:00. She was at St. Mary's but had only been there since the afternoon and so her plan to stay at home for as long as possible was very successful. As well, it was her choice to leave home and go to the hospital. She made all her choices until the very end. She was surrounded by more than an dozen of her wonderful family and friends."
I'm not sure how I feel: shocked... sad... numb... thankful that she didn't linger.... all initial feelings that come to mind. I sent Sue an email on Monday to let her know that I was thinking about her but I hadn't had any communication from her since she made the following comment on my Visit with Sue posting on August 17th.
"Thanks Chris ...... I'll read this often over the next while and I know it will help me get through some difficult moments .... Take care and hugs to wonder dog!"
"Sue died last night. It was at about 8:00. She was at St. Mary's but had only been there since the afternoon and so her plan to stay at home for as long as possible was very successful. As well, it was her choice to leave home and go to the hospital. She made all her choices until the very end. She was surrounded by more than an dozen of her wonderful family and friends."
I'm not sure how I feel: shocked... sad... numb... thankful that she didn't linger.... all initial feelings that come to mind. I sent Sue an email on Monday to let her know that I was thinking about her but I hadn't had any communication from her since she made the following comment on my Visit with Sue posting on August 17th. "Thanks Chris ...... I'll read this often over the next while and I know it will help me get through some difficult moments .... Take care and hugs to wonder dog!"
I'll miss Sue's raw and honest accounts of her cancer journey in her Whig Standard column. I've already been missing our back & forth email banter about everying from mindless TV shows to our fears about the future. I hope that wherever Sue is today, she's laughing at her prediction that there's probably nothing on the other side and that it's one opinion she's just fine with being wrong about.
This message was circulated to the Queens University community:
I am very sorry to report that Dr. Sue Hendler, former Head of the Department of Women’s Studies, passed away yesterday after a long and courageous fight against breast cancer. As some of you will remember, Sue was a Co-coordinator of Women’s Studies in the 1990s and was Director/Head for five crucial years from 1999 until 2004. She will be remembered for the many important policy changes that she initiated and implemented while leading the Department, including drafting the first proposal for what has become our MA Program in Gender Studies, overseeing growth both in course offerings and the enrolment of concentrators, and recognizing the need to convert the Institute into a Department. Under her wise leadership the LGBT, now Sexual and Gender Diversity, Certificate Program was created and began to flourish. More permanent faculty members were hired and Sue guided the Department through its first Internal Academic Review. Sue was politically savvy, wise, and a very hard worker on behalf of the interests of all members of the Department. Those of us here now owe her enormous gratitude for the efforts that she devoted to ensuring Women’s Studies would flourish. At this time I do not know what arrangements will be made for a service.
You can read Sue's past columns by clicking on her name below, after Labels. Watch for one final column from Sue to be published, which she told me she submitted sometime ago.
This message was circulated to the Queens University community:
I am very sorry to report that Dr. Sue Hendler, former Head of the Department of Women’s Studies, passed away yesterday after a long and courageous fight against breast cancer. As some of you will remember, Sue was a Co-coordinator of Women’s Studies in the 1990s and was Director/Head for five crucial years from 1999 until 2004. She will be remembered for the many important policy changes that she initiated and implemented while leading the Department, including drafting the first proposal for what has become our MA Program in Gender Studies, overseeing growth both in course offerings and the enrolment of concentrators, and recognizing the need to convert the Institute into a Department. Under her wise leadership the LGBT, now Sexual and Gender Diversity, Certificate Program was created and began to flourish. More permanent faculty members were hired and Sue guided the Department through its first Internal Academic Review. Sue was politically savvy, wise, and a very hard worker on behalf of the interests of all members of the Department. Those of us here now owe her enormous gratitude for the efforts that she devoted to ensuring Women’s Studies would flourish. At this time I do not know what arrangements will be made for a service.
You can read Sue's past columns by clicking on her name below, after Labels. Watch for one final column from Sue to be published, which she told me she submitted sometime ago.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Yolaine Madge (1955-2008)
Yolaine Madge (nee Leblanc), daughter of Charles Henri Leblanc and Gratia Leblanc; passed away at home peacefully at the age of 53 on November 18, 2008. She is survived by her husband Kevin Madge, her three children Rylan, Michelle and Kelsey, and her siblings Ghislain (Johanne Hardy), Louise (Rene Pinard), Rejean (Johanne Pelletier), Normand (Claire Matteau), Denis, Sylvie (Jacques Prud'homme), Marc, Yvon, Christine and Marie-Josee (Dominic Debay). She leaves many nieces and nephews, uncles and aunts as well as her many friends and colleagues at St. Vincent's Hospital and Elisabeth Bruyere Health Centre where she worked as a pharmacist for over 23 years. Friends may pay respects at the Kelly Funeral Home, 3000 Woodroffe Avenue, Barrhaven, Thursday, November 20th from 6 to 9 p.m. Funeral Service Friday, November 21st to St. Maurice's Church, 4 Perry St., for Mass of Christian Funeral at 2:30 p.m.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------The last time I had contact with Yolaine was when I wrote about her on this blog in May. She seemed to be doing well then, so the news of her death came as a shock this week.
Being part of a wonderful, supportive community of breast cancer survivors is indeed a blessing … at least until we lose someone. It’s complicated; not knowing how to feel: sadness, anger, fear and even guilt. It’s hard to figure out why some people’s cancer returns and other’s do not; why some people do well and others don’t.
Many of my friends are at Yolaine’s funeral as I write this. I made the decision not to go - not because I didn't want to show my respect and honor Yolaine’s memory, but because a primal sense of survival and self-preservation tells me that it’s not the right place for me to be right now. I believe in my heart that Yolaine would understand. A sad goodbye to a fiesty lady and dedicated mom.
For those of you who knew Yolaine, please feel free to share a memory of her in the comments section. Add your name to the text portion if you want, but you can avoid having to log on by clicking on anonymous at the bottom of the window.
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