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: ‘Learning to live again‘ The motivation to enjoy turkey dinner and pumpkin pie with family and friends is often overshadowed by sorâ€" row in knowing there will be an empty seat at the table. one. Overcoming the loss of a loved one But Jane Waurechan found a way to get through the holiday this year â€" her first in over a decade without her late husband, Ron Ober, at her side. Waurechan combined her grief over his death last spring, with profound appreciation for the memâ€" A ories â€" they ‘So wh made when he was alive. ,_luc,ky 2 Most of JIMG SOn those memo: â€" clal Ch ries still y bring a smile relatio to her face. And at times slane M she even catches herâ€" self laughing out loud at the thought of Ober‘s antics. "It‘s my way of honouring his memory, and keeping his spirit alive," Waurechan said of learning to deal with the loss of her best friend, life partner and soul mate. _ "You can‘t lock yourself in the past. You have to move forward." Waurechan admitted, she has found herself caught in a "web of emotional chaos", but more so during Ober‘s illness than after his death. She hopes to pass on that philosophy to others going through bereavement. â€" In 1998 Ober was diagâ€" nosed with sarcoidosis, a cell inflammation disease stemâ€" ming from environmental toxins. With quick response, Ihanksgiving can be a tough day for someone who has lost a loved By AnoreEa Bamey Chronicle Staff "So when you‘re lucky enough to find someone speâ€" cial, cherish that relationship..." â€"Jane Waurechan He succumbed to his illâ€" ness on April 20, 2003 when he, as Waurechan put it in true Ober fashion, "made like a baby and headed out." the illness can usually be treated. But in Ober‘s case the disâ€" ease attacked his heart, causing irreversible damage. News of his death rocked the parts of the community, as Ober touched many lives through his years as a lineâ€" man/metre technician with Kitchenerâ€"Wilmot Hydro, an active volunteer and a coach with various organizations including Kitchener Minor Hockey, the Kitchener Dutchmen Junior B club and the University of Waterloo men‘s varsity F team. l you re "It _ was )ugh to alwa}yl's rso muc un Oone spEâ€" going â€" out f with Ron," [Sh th(ft Waurechan ship... said. "Kids h would run up rechan to him and call him ‘Coa¢ch . Everyone seemed to know him." What also made Ober so recognizable was his sideâ€" splitting sense of humour. Catch phrases like "Smell ya later", "Eat pasta, run fasta" and "Laterâ€"hosen" were part of his daily diaâ€" logue. "He would say the goofiâ€" est things that most people couldn‘t get away with," Waurechan said with a smile. "But at the same time he never minced words, and he always treated everyone on an equal field. You never walked away wondering what Ron was thinking." Those qualities held true through his hardâ€"fought health battie. "His spirit never altered," LIFESTYLE Waurechan said. "He knew his time was limited, and he could have been very depressed. But he tried to balance his health with stayâ€" ing active. "He presented himself so well. That‘s why his death was such a shock to so many people." _ Watching Ober take his last breath was the hardest moment of Waurechan‘s life. But she said, in some ways she was prepared. Three months before his death Ober went into carâ€" diac arrest. "That was quite a jolt," Waurechan said. Jane Waurechan treasures every moment she had with her husband, Ron Ober. Ober died after a long battle with iilâ€" ness, last spring. Sensing the end could be near. she took a leave of i ou(o ns absence from her job with the City of Waterloo and spent her time exclusively with Ober. "I took an active part in trying to manage his medâ€" ications and everything else to ensure he was getting the best care possible," Wauâ€" rechan said. "Ron used to joke around with the hospiâ€" tal staff, calling me his assisâ€" tant or his coordinator. "But that period of four months gave us the opporâ€" tunity to come to terms with closing the chapter of our life together." Ober made it clear to Waurechan that he didn‘t Continued on page 1 1 Grand River Hospital invites the community to visit your new regional cancer centre Our cancer centre staff are eager to tour you through the stateâ€"ofâ€"theâ€"art facilities and share their enthusiasm in providing excellent patient care. We look forward to seeing you there. Entertainment and a BBQ provided. Parking is free Grand River Regional Cancer Centre OPEN HOUSE Saturday, October 18, 2003 10:00 am to 4:00 pm 835 King St. W., Kitchener, next to the Kâ€"W Health Centre GRAND®@@River HOSPITAL Presented by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario and the Region of Waterloo public health department, this workshop features a keynote presenâ€" tation by Patsy Marshall, followed by a workshop which will focus on reducing stress to enhance perâ€" sonal wellâ€"being. A HeartSmart Lifestyles workshop will take place Oct. 16 at the Waterioo Inn from 7â€"9 p.m. Learn how to achieve a balanced, heart healthy lifestyle. â€" Admission is $5, with proceeds benefiing the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Space is limited. The first annual Block Parent Halloween Carnival will be held Oct. 18 at RIM Park. Call the Heart and Stroke Foundation at 571â€"9600 to reserve tickets. The event will feature carnival games, prizes, a penny auction, face painting, vendors, crafts and a lot more. Every child is guaranteed to win treats at every game. â€" s â€" _ The carnival is designed for "fun not fear", and treats are guaranteed to be nutâ€"free. â€" Block Parents will be there, along with other comâ€" mupity organizations to help educate children on how to have a safe and happy Halloween. â€" The event will run from 1â€"4 p.m. Arrive early because there are only 500 admission tickets for kids available. Admission is $5 per child. Parents are free. An information session on Breast Health: Be aware, Be proactive and Get the Facts, will be held Oct. 22 in the lower level of the Kitchener public library. Topics will include common myths and misconâ€" ceptions, risk fattors, hormone replacement therapy, prevention and early detection, and information on the Ontario Breast Screening program. From 6â€"7 p.m., a breast self examination demon stration and display will be set up, allowing partici pants an opportunity to talk with a health profession al, view a video and practise on breast models. From 7â€"8 p.m., Dr. Paul Ferner, medical coordinaâ€" tor for the southwest region of the ontario Breast Screening program, will make a presentation on breast health, followed by Sheila Densham, health promotions coordinator for the southwest region of the Ontario Breast Screening program. The session will run from 6â€"8:30 p.m. Admission is free, and no registration is required. Block Parent Halloween carnival this weekend Waterloo Inn hosts HeartSmart workshop Session gives facts on better breast health