Vaughn Mcintyre

My sister Barb died on November 25, 2020. Just when you ask if 2020 can get any worse, it does! You would think that after experiencing the death of my wife Mary in 2018, my ability to accept the death of my eighty-six-year-old sister might be easier. After all, I had...

I am admittedly a privileged old dude with little financial worries so forgive me if this blog sounds tone deaf to those of you who may be struggling day to day to make ends meet. Perhaps there is less in my philosophical outlook for you than there is for many of my...

Under “normal” circumstances, the death of a loved one generates a final conversation about what to do with the worldly body. The decisions come down to things like: • Burial/cremation, • Casket/urn, • Cemetery plot or ashes in a special place. • Head stone/marker,...

At first blush, we look pretty much like any other couple. In fact, when we first started the relationship, we looked so comfortable that people assumed we were together. We had to keep saying that we had just met and that we were not a couple. But I get ahead of...

It will be 2 years on July 13th since Mary McIntyre passed-away. On July 16th it will be the fifth anniversary of the passing of Keith Pulley. For the past 18 months, Keith’s former wife Patricia and I have shared a new common law relationship. While our connection...

My mother, Evelyn Allen, was a great cook! She always prepared wonderful meals that just seemed to appear without fail on the table every day. Because we were a traditional Atlantic Canada family, they were on the table as close to 5PM as possible. The meals were...

THIS BLOG IS DEDICATED TO MICHELLE, LISA, ABBIGAIL, and all the women who lost their lives too soon. They were the daughters of parents who will now grieve for them forever. When Mary passed away, it made me think I was someone unique. In my first blog, I spoke of my...

My wife Mary died almost 2 years ago. In the short time since that catastrophic event in my personal life, the world has witnessed the burning of historic St Paul's cathedral, the eruption of Whakaari volcano on Whites Island off the coast of New Zealand, bush fires...

This posting may have made a lot more sense prior to the COVID-19 virus however the message is in some ways even more relevant to the audience it was intended to reach. Until COVID-19 came along, hugs, like handshakes, were typically a common form of greeting. I have...

Just when you are at your most vulnerable, corporate policy can stab you in the heart. Taking a deceased person’s name off an account is about the last thing you feel up to doing after your spouse has died. If you are like me, despite the potential cost of paying...