Whelan Funeral Home Ltd.

04/09/2026

04/08/2026

CALLAGHAN, Sherry

Peacefully at Longfields Manor on March 10, 2026. Beloved wife of the late James (Jim) Callaghan. Step-mother to Mary Smith (Brian) of Sudbury and John (Roxanne) of Sault Ste. Marie. Grandmother of Allison, Harrison, Sidney and Hannah. Sister-in-law of the late Tom (late Willa) of Navan, late Josephine (late Dave) of Hawaii, Jackie (Bernie), and Kenneth (late Shirley) of Deux Montagnes. Pre-deceased by her parents Joseph Kennedy and Dorothy Otterson, and sister Lynda Kennedy. A memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM at St. Patrick’s Basilica, 220 Kent St., Interment Hope Cemetery.

Arrangements entrusted to the Whelan Funeral Home tel. (613) 233-1488

04/06/2026

RAMIK, Veronica

Veronica passed peacefully at Waterford Retirement Residence in Ottawa on March 29, 2026. Veronica, born Weronica Mielniczuk on April 9, 1928 to Maria and husband in Orchów, Poland. Predeceased by her loving husband of 64 years Frank Arthur (Francis Artur) Ramik. Loving mother of George (predeceased), Robert and Barbara; fond grandmother of Elizabeth, Mark (predeceased) and Laura, and great-grandmother to Zach, Lucas and Ruby. Predeceased by her brothers Mik (Mikolaj) and Ted (Teodor).

Many thanks to caring friends during her decline. Special thanks to the staff at the Waterford for their compassionate care. A private memorial service is planned.

Arrangements entrusted to the Whelan Funeral Home tel. (613) 233-1488
https://www.whelanfuneralhome.ca/services.html

04/05/2026

Happy Easter

Easter is a symbol of spring and new life. As you partake in today’s festivities take some time to reflect on new beginnings as you share Easter traditions with those who are close to you.

To individuals and families in our community who are Christian in faith, today marks the anniversary of Jesus' resurrection. May you find peace and joy as you remember his sacrifice.

04/01/2026

April is Cancer Awareness Month

Spring has sprung with a mix of colourful flowers popping out of the ground, but none more significant than the yellow daffodil. For the last 65 years, Canadians have rallied around the yellow flower to make life better for people living with cancer.

Cancer remains the leading cause of death in Canada. It knows no social, cultural, religious or geographical boundary. The disease has touched everyone, whether it be ourselves, a loved one, a friend, a neighbour or a complete stranger we read about on social media. Because of its crushing physical, emotional and financial impact, a collaborative effort is necessary to reduce its burden on patients, families, communities and health-care systems.

Canadian Cancer Statistics:
• Over 1.5 million Canadians are living with and beyond cancer today.
• Nearly half of all Canadians are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.
• Breast, prostate and colorectal cancers account for nearly half of all cancers in Canada.
• Approximately 64 per cent of people are expected to survive at least five years after their cancer diagnosis. This is up 55 per cent from the early 1990s and a further 25 per cent from the 1940s.

A hallmark of Cancer Awareness Month is the Canadian Cancer Society’s Daffodil Campaign. This annual initiative helps fund life-saving research to create more tomorrows and provides a support system to ensure no one faces cancer alone.

© Whelan Funeral Home/CFHC Online

03/26/2026

Free Online Memorial Pages

Surviving family members consider a variety of ways to pay tribute to their loved ones. Memorial pages provide an online venue where family and friends can share memories and pay respects over time.

There are many such platforms which offer services such as photo sharing, storytelling, uploading of personal information, life achievements, condolence wishes and videos. Some are available for a fee while others have no cost for their basic service package.

Below are six memorial page providers who offer a free page to memorialize a loved one:
• Never Gone
• Keeper
• Forever Missed
• Gathering Us
• Murial
• We Remember

This is by no means a complete list. If you seek to create a memorial webpage for a loved one, an online search will present even more providers who offer these services for a nominal fee.

© Whelan Funeral Home/CFHC Online

03/20/2026

The pandemic has forced many of our mourning rituals online. Here are some basic rules to make sure you’re not unintentionally causing offense

03/16/2026

Longer Term Grief

Every relationship we have is unique, and the way we process the death of a loved one is a very individual experience. We can all imagine that grieving the death of a distant cousin is very different from grieving the death of a child. The relationship, the way the person died, and the way we process emotions will have an impact on the length of time it takes to heal following a loss.

No one, including the griever, can put a timeline on the duration of grief. If someone is becoming impatient about how long it is taking to move forward following a loss, seeking education about the grieving process can provide some comfort. It’s important to take the time to grieve and to not compare oneself to others.

We in the grieving profession identify ‘healthy and unhealthy grief.’ With healthy grief, the individual will experience a wide range of emotions and feelings over time, but there will be steady and continual movement towards an understanding of a new reality and life without the deceased.

With unhealthy grief, there is an inability to accept a new reality and the griever is fixated on the past. In some instances, this is all they think about, there is a preoccupation with honouring the relationship that was shared with the deceased. This can hinder current relations and can affect interactions at the workplace. Friendships can wane and sometimes those who grieve are unable to continue working. The griever becomes immobilized and isn’t able to see the possibility of a new life and reality.

With healthy grieving, the griever initially spends significant time processing their thoughts about the departed. Over time, their understanding of their loss begins to make sense and the proportion of time spent on this relationship lessens, and there is a shift to new routines and a new life.

For anyone who grieves, it is important to lean into emotions as they surface and to not judge oneself too harshly if there are periods of sadness or if difficulties are experienced. It does take time to adjust and processing emotions is part of the journey. Eventually, there will come a day when one’s grief seems less painful and the memories of a loved one bring a smile and not only tears. The grief we experience never ends, but should soften over time.

In the event someone is unable to cope with their loss and is experiencing ‘unhealthy grieving’ it is recommended to seek professional help.

Margaret Lorrie Beaton, MA, C. Hyp
Bereavement Counsellor

© Whelan Funeral Home/CFHC Online

03/11/2026

National Funeral Directors and Morticians Recognition Day
A Day to Celebrate Compassion and Dedication

Today, we would like to pay tribute to our colleagues across the nation for their devotion to the families they serve, the communities they support and the profession they honour. To be a funeral director is not a job or career, but rather, it is a calling and it is associated with a lifestyle that includes being available whenever needed.

To tend to these duties requires commitment and empathy. The loss of a loved one is a difficult passage for families and making sure they have all the support they need is essential.

Today we honour fellow funeral directors who strive to provide service excellence to those they support. On their behalf, we consider it a privilege to serve you at a time when most needed.

03/06/2026

The Gift of Grief

You will get over your grief
A Gentle Voice Whispered

My darling but what if…
What if I were to tell you that you have death and grief all wrong?
You’ve had it all backwards all along

What if the death of one was rebirth of another?
A portal to discovering an undying love for self
What if all you’re meant to do is find meaning from their leaving?
Grief’s purpose to help you evolve and grow

Yes, grief brings you to your knees
Cracks open your heart
Shatters the world as you knew it
Who says that death brings pain forever or that
You must give up your life also?

Instead…
Let go of your control, let grief wash away all that no longer works
Question beliefs, are they even yours?
Find new ones to fit, to serve you better

Keep your heart open
Don’t close it or build another wall
Though you are safe and others are out
Isolation will foster inner doubt

Release your guilt, blame and shame – they’re not there to punish you
Allow emotions to be brought back into balance
Ask why they are there and what they want
Examine their true cause as they taunt

Guilt helps reset your own moral compass
Blame permits anger and frustration to move out
Shame is the fear of not being connected and the belief you’re not worthy

Take time to remember the good things in your life
Reopen all the memories of the things that you love
Allow them to fill you up with undying love for self
Examine the emotions and feelings you employ
Allow them to turn your grief and pain into joy

Though death is difficult and it can challenge a person’s beliefs
This is the gift and purpose of Grief.

Anne DeButte

02/25/2026

Making the Decision to Prefund your Funeral

When preplanning a funeral, individuals and families essentially have two choices. Some decide to prearrange only. With this option a folder is created that includes decisions made on the services that are selected. This becomes a working copy of what will be done at the time of death.

Some individuals and families also choose to prefund their funeral in addition to the prearrangements they make. Two benefits of prefunding are: not burdening surviving family members with payment for services and secondly, freezing prices. Services which are prepaid avoid inflation. Funds are placed in trust and earn income over time, offsetting increases in price.

Many families we serve opt to have arrangements paid for in advance. To find out more about prefunding, please contact us.

© Whelan Funeral Home/CFHC Online