When a co-worker dies
I was saddened by the news that Walter Cronkite, one of the great contributors to journalism had died. He was an exceptional and honorable reporter, news anchor and honest friend to the world.
In reading about his funeral arrangements I learned that he will have a private funeral at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in New York City and then be buried in Missouri next to his wife. Cronkite seemed to want to balance things so there was always fairness. Even in death his desire for balanced fairness in having a time for personal mourning and public mourning is being reflected.
When a co-worker dies it is important for the professional / employment community to take time to join together to grieve the death and loss of one of their members. It is important that this be done as a community. Often co-workers will attend the personal funeral tribute a family will have for their parent / child / partner / spouse etc. This is an event this is important to attend. It is also important to have an event for those that worked along side the person who has died that is specific to the life the deceased had with their work community. This event does not have to be elaborate, just meaningful.
When reflecting upon it, a major portion of our day and life is involved with the profession / work we do. At least 8 hours a day if not more is assigned to our work. That is a third of every day. Often we spend more of our non-sleep hours with co-workers and work-tasks than we do within the confines of our personal relationships.
Frequently we develop strong professional bonds with our collogues and co-workers. They may be the first people we tell the good news of a promotion or raise with. They may be the ones we tell the bad news to when we have to work late AGAIN on a Friday night or all day Saturday to get a project out on time.
Keeping balance in both the professional work life and our personal lives is important throughout our life. It is also important to have that same balance as we grieve the death of a co-worker and collogue.
Until our next visit together ~ Enjoy Life!
Doc T
I was saddened by the news that Walter Cronkite, one of the great contributors to journalism had died. He was an exceptional and honorable reporter, news anchor and honest friend to the world.
In reading about his funeral arrangements I learned that he will have a private funeral at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in New York City and then be buried in Missouri next to his wife. Cronkite seemed to want to balance things so there was always fairness. Even in death his desire for balanced fairness in having a time for personal mourning and public mourning is being reflected.
When a co-worker dies it is important for the professional / employment community to take time to join together to grieve the death and loss of one of their members. It is important that this be done as a community. Often co-workers will attend the personal funeral tribute a family will have for their parent / child / partner / spouse etc. This is an event this is important to attend. It is also important to have an event for those that worked along side the person who has died that is specific to the life the deceased had with their work community. This event does not have to be elaborate, just meaningful.
When reflecting upon it, a major portion of our day and life is involved with the profession / work we do. At least 8 hours a day if not more is assigned to our work. That is a third of every day. Often we spend more of our non-sleep hours with co-workers and work-tasks than we do within the confines of our personal relationships.
Frequently we develop strong professional bonds with our collogues and co-workers. They may be the first people we tell the good news of a promotion or raise with. They may be the ones we tell the bad news to when we have to work late AGAIN on a Friday night or all day Saturday to get a project out on time.
Keeping balance in both the professional work life and our personal lives is important throughout our life. It is also important to have that same balance as we grieve the death of a co-worker and collogue.
Until our next visit together ~ Enjoy Life!
Doc T
PS
I just found my Mom's old ID badge from when she worked at the Pentagon in Washington DC . It was way back when in 1959! I had a really beautiful Mom both physically and spiritually, may she have a beautiful eternity and always rest in peace.
Since we are talking about work related grief I thought I'd share a work ID badge. My Dad died while she was employed there at the Pentagon. I don't know what kind of support she received from co-workers after Dad died.
Dr. Terrie Modesto, PhD, CPT, CAC
Chief Thanatologist and Learning Officer
TEAR CenterWebsite: http://www.tearcenter.com/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/theresemodesto
Personal website: http://www.drterriemodesto.com/
What touches life ~ Touches death.
T. Modesto
Cronkite to be Buried in Mo. after NYC Funeral
http://www.1010wins.com/pages/4830171.php?contentType=4&contentId=4368815
NEW YORK (AP) -- Walter Cronkite's final resting place will be next to his late wife in Missouri, where the two first met, his chief of staff said Saturday.
The 92-year-old former CBS anchorman died Friday at his Manhattan home of disease involving blood vessels in the brain, according to Marlene Adler, his longtime chief of staff.
A private funeral service was scheduled for Thursday at St. Bartholomew's Church. Adler said the Rev. William Tully will preside over the Episcopal service at the Park Avenue church, which the Cronkites attended for many years.
A memorial is to be held within the next month in Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Adler said.
"It will be a fitting tribute to Mr. Cronkite and the life he lived, the people he knew, the people who loved him and the people he admired," said Adler, who headed Cronkite's staff for the past 20 years.
The Committee to Protect Journalists, an organization that works to safeguard press freedoms worldwide, will post remembrances of Cronkite, an honorary co-chairman, on its blog.
"Whenever press freedom needed a champion, he was there," CPJ board chairman Paul Steiger said. "We will miss him."
Cronkite is to be cremated and his remains buried next to his wife, Betsy Cronkite, in the family plot at a cemetery in Kansas City.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Walter and Betsy Cronkite Foundation through the AustinCommunityFoundation.org, which will distribute contributions to various charities the couple supported.
This is a great post about co-workers. I had a co-worker who's husband had died, and we really rallied around her after the death and it really helped her cope.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for your post on my blog. It was impeccable timing--my brother has just joined the army and his special program will more than likely have him deployed right away. He has two little girls and thinks that if he died it will have no effect on them whatsoever. Yikes! But thank you again for posting!!!
My best,
Kim Carolan
http://walkingthroughthevalleyoftheshadow.blogspot.com