A Day of Funerals

This is going to arguably be the saddest day of my life. I've had sad days before, like when I lost my Grandfather, My Grandmother and the day I lost my Dad. Today is going to be especially though because we lay to rest not one, but two loved ones in Jean and her brother Mick on the same day, at the same funeral home and at the same grave site.  

Jean passed away Christmas Eve at her home and Mick also passed away somewhere around the same time frame although they list his date of death as December 25th, but that was when they made the declaration, his actual passing was between 8:00 and Midnight according to the medical report.

It's hard enough to say goodbye to anyone, much less a loved one. I can't imagine what it is going to be like today to say goodbye to not one, but two very inspirational people in my life. Two people that I consider it the highest honor to have known and loved.

Keep the family in your prayers as this is going to be a tough one.

Visitation Day

Today is a day that I am dreading already, it is a day that we start to grieve and say goodbye to not only lone loved with with Jean , but her brother Mick as well. Visitation will begin this afternoon at 3:00 to 5:00 and then a two hour break to grab dinner and then another two hour visitation between 7:00-9:00 with the Parastas Service at 8:30.

To say that this has been a log time has been an understatement considering it has been a few days since the passing to allow family members to travel from out of state. Now the funerals/visitation start to begin. Everyone appears to have been fine the past few days from both sides of the family, just a lot of preparation and getting ready for a day that I'm sure that we are all going to not only be dreading but double dreading.

Something tells me that the next 36 hours are going to be filled with hugs, tears, remembrance, celebration of life and sorrow.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit once again in a quiet household, I'm the only one up and going on just a couple of hours of sleep and I'm just sitting here with the TV off collecting my thoughts for the day. I'm thinking real hard about going back to bed and laying down for a few more hours.

Well the Funeral arrangements for both my step mother Jean and  Uncle Mick  have both been completed and will coincide with one another at Hastings. The viewings and funeral will be run simultaneously but in different viewing rooms. Monday afternoon from 3:00 - 5:00 and then again from 7:00 - 9:00. Then there will be a viewing on Tuesday Morning between 10:00 and 11:00 with the double funeral beginning at 11:00 followed by a final memorial at East Oak Grove where Jean will be buried next to my Dad with Mick in very close proximity to them and his parents. Both Full obituaries will be available today in the Dominion Post and a more condensed version in tomorrow's edition.

Jean had arranged for her own funeral and written her own obituary in January prior to her having surgery, there were a correction or two that were pointed out but were not published on the website or in the newspaper with the corrections until it was too late and it already went to press. Namely Kynlea Dalton was spelled inaccurately, even though it was pointed out.

I need to make a DVD with Jean's pictures today for the funeral as well as possibly assist Michael in making a memorial video for his Dad.

Have a great day.

A Humbling Day

Siblings Mick and Jean (RIP)

Yes Yesterday was Christmas, however it has to have been the most humbling day of my life. Going on little to no sleep Christmas Eve due to the passing of Jean after her long battle with Pancreatic Cancer, I woke up with a second dose of reality. As I woke up, I found out that my Uncle Mickey, Jean's brother, has also passed away on what we believe Christmas Eve.

No one was able to reach him by phone to inform him of Jean's passing, so first his daughter Sherri and then his son Michael drove to his home late night Christmas Eve to find that he had also passed.

My sister Pam said that Jean started to become real restless in the early AM prior to her passing on Christmas Eve, being these two siblings were very close many of us are wondering if that is when something happened to Mick and Jean just knew it. Her demise was expected, Mick had even stopped in at the hospital Sunday evening to see her and he looked great, so to say that his passing was a surprise is an absolute understatement.

My heart goes out to Sandy and Richard, who lost two siblings and Michael and Sherri who lost their father and Aunt as well as their respective families as well as my own siblings during this time of double loss/grieving. One we were prepared for, the other we were not. RIP Mick Toth and Jean Hall, I am a better man for knowing each of you.

An Inspirational Woman

RIP Gloria Jean Toth Hall

Gloria Jean Toth Hall
 8-20-49 - 12-24-14

Tonight we lost a very special person. My step Mother Jean whom I was very close to was called home to be with my Dad on Christmas Eve. She was a remarkable woman and I consider it an absolute honor to have known her and shared much of my life, both the triumphs and tragedies with her.

She was an absolute inspiration to any and all who ever met her and would selflessly work herself into exhaustion for the benefits of those she loved. She is the most remarkable and inspiring person that I have had the pleasure to have known.

We have kept her year long battle with Pancreatic Cancer off of the internet or social median, because she was so selfless that she did not want anyone else to worry about her.

She has touched so many lives, and I can't even explain how inspirational this woman was even after she had a debilitating stoke 16 years ago and never let that slow her down one bit. She was truly a one of a kind woman.

We miss and Love you Jean.