DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE
I grew up in a small community in Newfoundland. After finishing high school I went on to graduate as a Registered Nurse in 1981. For 40 years I worked in my profession, retiring 2 years ago.
In 1982 I married my childhood friend, Reuben. We had our son Michael in 1983 and our daughter Johanna 1986. They were 4 and 1 when we made Garnish on the Burin Peninsula our home. Michael continues to live in Marystown with his wife Pam. Johanna being independent and determined moved away from home in 2005 after graduating from the hairstylist program at the local college. She was 18. Only 6 weeks after starting her first job she came home with her grandmother to spend Canada Day weekend with us. She never made it back to St. John’s. Both she and her grandmother died in a single motor vehicle accident on their way back.
I hadn’t ever heard of The Compassionate Friends but what I did know was that I felt a need so great to be with other parents who knew the pain of such a loss, that we would drive 3 1/2 hours to meet with a new group of bereaved parents. This group eventually became the Avalon Chapter.
My husband and I decided to form a group on the Burin Peninsula. It was quite informal and the very first meeting we had no idea how many or if anyone would come. In shock, we counted as 30 people sat together in grief. Over several months that group dissolved and life went on.
In 2015 I began getting phone calls from more recently bereaved parents who were where I was in 2005. They were looking for support. By this time I knew there was a group called TCF. I felt a group needed a good foundation to be successful in the long term. That was when I contacted the national office and from there met Eileen and Andy Bond who took me through the process of forming The Compassionate Friends, Burin Peninsula Chapter.
I’m looking forward to working with the board of directors to continue to support parents, grandparents and siblings to have hope, find peace, and live again.