Monthly Archives: February 2011

The following is an account of how my family coped with the death of my sister Amy in our own way by having a home funeral.

My sister Amy battled breast cancer for many years. Wanting to aid her in her quest for recovery, I flew to Ireland to secure an alternative cancer treatment for her. Unfortunately, this was to no avail. A few years later, at the age of 43, Amy became so ill it was apparent she had lost her battle and was dying.

Amy was adamant she did not want to die in a hospital, hooked up to equipment; she wanted to die at her home in Seattle. As her health rapidly deteriorated, my sister Victoria flew from New York City to help Amy’s husband Bob care for her. One morning a week later, I got a call from Bob letting me know it was time for our family to come up to Seattle because Amy was very close to passing. My father and I immediately jumped onto a plane and flew up from San Francisco. My mother Arlene and my other sister Leslie booked a flight for the following morning. Continue reading →