About Patti

After my first husband David died of cancer I learned firsthand the grief and helplessness the death of a loved one brings. I found that I was drawn to others who had experienced the same loss, being able to share my story and listening to theirs. It was wonderful to know that I wasn’t going crazy, being with people who truly “get it!”

In time I became a volunteer at a local hospice with hospice patients and their families. Eventually in 2006 I became a staff member in the bereavement department and went back to school at Mt. Ida College to receive my Certificate in Thanatology. For a course credit I created and developed a peer facilitator training program where a person who had experienced a loss could go through an extensive training and then be able to facilitate a support group as a peer. These peers are to the participants” living proof that life can be good again.” I call them “Hope Representatives”.

During that time, I trained twenty peer facilitators and  have served over two hundred families. In 2012 I was honored to be asked to speak about this program at the Hospice & Palliative Care Federation of Massachusetts and in 2013 I received the American Red Cross Healthcare Hero’s Award because of the development of this program for which I’m truly honored.

Since retiring from hospice, I continue to offer trainings to become a peer facilitator to organizations who would like to enhance their bereavement program by training volunteers to become peer facilitators.  This will enable them to offer this service to families in the communities.

I also offer on-line Zoom Loss of Spouse/Partner support groups.