L. R. Giberson Funeral Directors

12/08/2025

Remembering a Lost Pet Through Art

Looking for a unique way to remember your furry loved one? A one-of-a-kind oil painting by Canadian artist Zann Hemphill might be the perfect way.

Using her unique skills and soulful approach, Zann’s paintings honour these members of our families, bringing them back to life on canvas, capturing the true depth of their likeness and creating a special memorial that can bring comfort to a grieving heart.

Oil paintings allow for flexibility, including the option to change the background of a photo. A dog sitting on the couch can be placed on a favourite beach. The bad lighting or a wayward finger beside the cat easily removed. Whether choosing several small paintings to share with family members or a large piece of art to adorn the mantel, honouring the relationship with your pet can feel like bringing them back home.

Zann’s pet portraits can also incorporate a small amount of the animal’s cremated remains making for a truly personalized memorial. Serving clientele in both Canada and the U.S., Zann has painted hundreds of likenesses of beloved dogs, cats, horses, rabbits and birds.

If you seek a unique and personal way to remember your beloved fur baby, please visit www.pawsbyzann.com.

© L. R. Giberson Funeral Directors/CFHC Online

12/07/2025

The death of Deborah “Debbie” Ann Tompkins-Goodine occurred on Friday, December 5, 2025, peacefully at her home. Debbie was born March 15, 1959, in Bath, NB and was the daughter of the Dorothy (Miller) Tompkins and the late Maurice ...

12/07/2025

The family of Betty Jean (Reeleder) Oakes are heartbroken to announce her passing from this earth but thrilled that she has attained a heavenly home, on December 6, 2025 at the Riverview Manor in Bath, NB. She ...

12/07/2025

The death of Kenneth “Ken” Scott Lang occurred on Friday, December 5, 2025, at the Victoria Glen Manor, Perth Andover, NB. Ken was born July 1, 1948, in Baker Lake, NB and was the son of the late Lionel ...

12/05/2025

12/03/2025

Our ‘Candlelight in Memory Gathering’

On Monday, we held our annual Christmas In Memory gathering, honouring those in our community who have recently passed.

For us, the evening is a time to remember and honour, together in a casual setting. We gathered, connected and shared fellowship and light refreshments. Our memorial candle display was set up in the chapel and families visited and reflected on cherished loved ones.

We hope the evening held something special for everyone who attended. We are fortunate that our community spirit and ties are strong, and that those who have been part of shaping our local way of life continue to be remembered fondly as the holiday season arrives upon us.

Lance and Cindy
L. R. Giberson Funeral Directors

12/03/2025

Some Ideas to Personalize a Funeral

Many families we work with express a desire to make the service a meaningful reflection of the life of their loved one. There are a variety of ways to achieve this, sometimes current day technologies are incorporated and sometimes personal passions are out on display. Some ideas follow:

• Include a memorial slide show or video, one that presents pictures and clips going back in time to their childhood.
• Create a display at the service with some of their memorabilia. Were they a sports fan, a painter, a gardener or a fisherman? Bring props to shed light on their passions.
• Do they have academic or association accomplishments or titles? Bring these to highlight parts of their life where they strived to improve themselves.
• What was their favourite music? Were they passionate about a certain television series or an epic movie franchise? Did they participate in online gaming platforms? Incorporate these pastimes as part of the visitation or funeral service.
• What foods did they like, why not have these served at the reception?
• Choose someone who knows them well to deliver the eulogy. Provide talking points if you feel this will help them with their duties.
• Were they a fur-baby parent? Perhaps a visit from their endeared family member will provide a special moment at the service.
• Did they leave a written message or a recorded good-bye? This could be presented as part of the service.

These are but a few ways to introduce personalization. If you have questions about this, please contact us. We would be happy to share what the families we serve are including to make their services more personal.

© L. R. Giberson Funeral Directors/CFHC Online

12/01/2025

The death of Hazel Marion Fowler, formerly of Florenceville, NB, occurred on Sunday, November 30, 2025, at the River View Manor, Bath. Hazel was born December 11, 1937, in Saint John and was the daughter of the late Kenneth ...

11/27/2025

Remembering the Year 1950

The year 1950 was significant to both Canada and the world as it marked the beginning of the Korean War. The Canadian Army Special Force was established in response to this conflict with the first regiment deployed to Asia in November. Over 26,000 Canadians served in this war, which lasted from 1950 to 1953.

Back on Canadian soil, 1950 marked the first time Inuit people could vote. In politics, British Columbia’s Nancy Hodges became the first woman in the Commonwealth to be elected speaker of the legislature. In medicine, Winnipeg-born inventor John Alexander Hopps helped design a cardiac pacemaker. Working alongside a team of scientists, his invention was successfully tested on a dog, marking a medical milestone in the development of human pacemakers. In industry, 1950 saw the completion of the first inter-provincial pipeline linking Alberta’s gas fields to markets in Central Canada.

Pop culture news of the day witnessed, Disney’s Cinderella premiering in Boston, Charles M. Schulz publishing of his first Peanuts comic strip and Zenith’s introduction of the TV remote control (Lazy Bones). In the US far south, a black bear cub was also making news following its rescue from a burning forest in New Mexico, aptly named Smokey the Bear, this cub would become the mascot for wildfire prevention.

Technology advancements in 1950 included the first credit card payment with a Diners Club Card in New York City, Canadian scientists Harry Wasylyk, Larry Hansen and Frank Plomp’s invention of plastic garbage bags and Bell Laboratories creation of the electronic telephone answering machine.

In science, Dutch astronomer Jan Oort discovered the Oort cloud making our solar system a much bigger place and U.S. President Harry S. Truman approval for the development of the hydrogen bomb, a response to the Soviet detonation of an atomic bomb, forever changing the arms race.

Across the world in India, Catholic nun Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity. The purpose of this order was to help the poor while living among them, sharing their experience and treating them with kindness, compassion and empathy, but never pity.

© L. R. Giberson Funeral Directors/CFHC Online

11/24/2025

It’s a Family Matter

Often when discussing prearrangements, the conversation is about addressing the needs of immediate family members. What are the wishes of the spouse, children, grandchildren and extended family. There is a phrase that is commonly used which says, “Funerals are about the living.” Yes, the loss of a loved one is sure to have an impact on those who were closest to them.

A primary consideration is about honouring the life of a loved one, the relationships they forged and their accomplishments, both personal and professional. That said, a service is about providing an opportunity for family members to express how important their beloved was to them.

This connection is vital in how a service is planned. Elements need to involve family members, whether it be as the person who delivers the eulogy, someone who reads a special message or scripture, someone who plays music or sings… or those who meet with well-wishers on behalf of their beloved.

This is exactly what a service provides; it offers a time and place for family to reflect, remember and pay tribute to one of their own. It truly is a family matter.

© L. R. Giberson Funeral Directors/CFHC Online

11/21/2025

Historically, religious funerals mostly aimed to help the deceased in their passage to the next life. This continues to be the case, but in modern times emphasis has shifted towards comforting the bereaved, particularly within Christian traditions

11/20/2025

Our family is heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved mother Brenda Joanne Denny, of Beechwood, NB which occurred on November 17th, 2025 at the age of 73, at the Saint John Regional Hospital. Brenda was ...