Obituary of JUNE 5

Updated: June 5, 2020 COVID-19 - SPECIAL PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES WE ARE ALWAYS HERE TO SERVE YOU As we have throughout the current health crises, we remain available to serve you at times of loss. We are at work and our phones will always be answered. As New Brunswick moves forward through the designated stages of recovery we are constantly monitoring the situation and, following closely the guidance of health authorities, we are gradually updating our service offerings while continuing our vigorous efforts to protect our customers, our community and our team. Following the declaration of a state of emergency by the Province of New Brunswick in March, we CLOSED OUR FACILITIES TO PUBLIC ACCESS. While some restrictions have now been relaxed we regret we are still unable to welcome you freely to our buildings. Whether making arrangements, visiting family members or attending a service we must restrict access to ensure all safety protocols are followed. Only those with an appointment or an explicit invitation from a family to attend a gathering will be admitted, and then only after completing the mandatory COVID-19 screening process. LARGER GATHERINGS Recent changes to provincial regulations now allow us to hold gatherings of up to 50 people as long as physical distancing can be maintained. This applies to visitations, funeral services and burials, in our funeral home, in Churches and at cemeteries. Each venue and each room will have its own specified capacity which cannot be exceeded. Each family we serve will be advised of the guest capacity for their gathering and asked to help determine who should be in attendance and to communicate the necessary information to those people. We will refrain from publicly releasing service times to avoid confusion. Physical distancing is a vital part of this new stage. To help ensure that everyone remains safe and that further outbreaks don’t cause a return to tighter restrictions, we will be following strict physical distancing guidelines at all services and asking the community to work with us to help implement this successfully. If you are attending a funeral-related gathering, we will be providing instruction in advance, or at the service location, relating to safely entering and leaving the venue. Once inside, we will be asking guests to sit only with those in their own household and to maintain a two metre distance from all others at all times. Physical contact - hugs and handshakes - will remain forbidden for now, standard precautions with regard to handwashing and not touching your face are recommended and community face masks are encouraged. As always, if you are feeling unwell, having flu-like symptoms, or running a fever, or if you have entered New Brunswick recently and not yet completed your required 14 days of isolation, please do not leave home. We are requiring the same of our staff. OPTIONS TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS AND COMFORT LEVEL At this time we are meeting family representatives in person to make funeral arrangements, under strictly applied safety guidelines, however we are able to conduct complete arrangements by telephone where that is preferred. We are asking that you always call to make an appointment before coming to the funeral home. Whether by phone or in person, our funeral directors are well prepared to guide families through the options available to address their needs in these difficult circumstances. We can arrange gatherings as described above and, in some circumstances, can record services for those unable to attend. Your funeral director will be happy to help you determine what will work best for you. We are also available by telephone to discuss preplanning options and answer any questions you may have about existing or new prearrangements. Call us to learn more. YOU CAN HELP While suffering a loss is never easy, it has become particularly difficult under the circumstances we currently find ourselves in. Being unable to come together at such a time, to offer comfort and care to one another, adds significantly to the burden of grief. Even with the relaxed restrictions we are now experiencing, we still are not able to do all the things we normally do to support those in grief – surrounding them with the love and compassion of their entire community. So, we’re asking each of you to be mindful of those you know who may have suffered a loss. Please reach out with a card or a call, use the funeral home website to send a message of condolence or pledge a memorial donation, send flowers to the family home or drop off a meal. Find a way to offer comfort from a safe distance and remind them that they are not alone in their grief and that the loss of their loved one has not gone unnoticed. Your thoughtfulness is needed now more than ever. Finally, please remember that while things are slowly returning to normal, this is only possible as long as we follow the rules that are keeping us all safe and stopping the spread of the virus. If we fail in this effort we will be forced to return to stricter guidelines that will limit us once again in our ability to care for one another at times of loss. We are grateful to everyone for their understanding as we continue to address this situation and seek the best ways to protect everyone while serving those in need. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us by phone at 458-9170 or email at mcadams@mcadamsfh.com. THANK YOU