MUSKEGON, MI – Names of people who died during the COVID-19 pandemic are written on a chalkboard.
A slideshow featuring the faces of loved ones lost last year, including many who had contracted the virus.
Those were just some of the signs of a special, somber event held Wednesday evening. Hosted at the site of a funeral home, the event was designed to allow loved ones who couldn’t gather at a funeral last year to come together as a community.
A couple dozen people gathered in the parking lot of the funeral home.
The Heart Remembers, hosted by Clock Funeral Home and Harbor Hospice, provided a place for families who were unable to gather at funerals last year due to pandemic restrictions.
“I want you to know that you are not alone and there are others who probably are having similar experiences and are looking for ways to have closure,” said Jodi Clock, an owner of the funeral home.
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A rotating slideshow at the event displayed the faces of 30 people who died in the last year. Attendees could write the name of their loved one on a chalkboard. And community members had the opportunity to share about their loss.
Dolores Olivarez, wearing a blue shirt with angel wings on the back, spoke about her husband of 50 years who died from COVID-19.
“I never in a million years thought that he was going to go before me,” she said.
Alejandro Olivarez, a man who loved horses, was hospitalized after developing a fever. He passed away on Nov. 19, 2020.
“I understand your pain and I’m sorry for all your losses,” Dolores Olivarez told the community gathering.
The open-house style evening welcomed anyone who experienced the loss of a family member, friend or pet during the pandemic.
The Heart Remembers provided “some sort of closure” for Rhonda Collins after she was unable to have a funeral for her father last year. Bill Collins, 83, spent Thanksgiving in the hospital and died from COVID-19 complications in December.
“When you say goodbye to a loved one, you have the ability to gather together and honor their lives through stories with family and friends. We know that is paramount to the healing process,” Clock said.
Most of the people who attended the event experienced a loss from COVID-19.
Harbor Hospice offers free grief support services and a COVID loss support group at its Healing Center in downtown Muskegon, 1050 W. Western Ave.
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