This year’s Honorary Hospice Family for the Memorial Walk is Mary, Jill, Mark and Michael Butler in honor of 69 year old William “Bill” Butler, Mary’s husband and Jill, Mark and Michael’s father. Bill was admitted to Bobby’s Hospice on November 30, 2017 and spent the last 70 days of his life at Hospice until his death in February 2018.

Bill was an engineer with the City of Saint John for many years and loved Saint John more than anyone according to his son Mark.

“I will never forget the look Dad had on his face when we were driving down Chesley Drive en route to Bobby’s Hospice as he was watching the City go by out the window. It was heartbreaking. Once we arrived at Hospice, we were all pretty frazzled and trying to keep on our brave faces for Dad. About half an hour after we got him settled in his room, one of the nurses came in with her checklist. That first conversation with staff at Hospice helped us all more than you can imagine. The laughs we were able to share as a family with this nurse put us all at ease immediately. Dad was also able to relax and get started on his note keeping and trying to get organized for his stay,” says his son Mark.

“To be honest, being kind and compassionate to the patients you look after should be a given to any caregiver. What we experienced at Hospice went well beyond what would be expected in a ‘care environment’ and Dad and I talked about it often. There are many things we are thankful for and that did not go unnoticed. I can’t list everything, but rest assured your kindness for Dad and the entire family was greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for everything you did.”

Now in its 14th year, the Hospice Memorial Walk, presented by Bayshore Home Health takes place on Saturday September 15th at Bobby’s Hospice at 385 Dufferin Row. The day starts at 10:30 am with music, coffee & donuts and fun for the kids, followed by a walk around the neighborhood, a barbecue and prizes for the top fundraisers. “This event is an opportunity to remember loved ones and support Bobby’s Hospice so we can be here to help others when they need it the most,” says Sandy Maxwell, CEO.

Bobby’s Hospice cares for over 170 people each year who need in-patient palliative care and grief support. The NB Government provides an annual grant of $766,500 and Hospice must raise over $1M each year from the community to cover the additional costs of care.