Departing

Death is a complex topic. At the CN&R, we know this. For several years, we’ve talked about publishing a Death Issue, but we didn’t want it to come off as sensationalistic. There’s a lot to consider when it comes to death and dying, and covering the subject well requires a deft touch. Plus, we wanted it to be useful—to have practical information that our readers would appreciate.

What we came up with is a cover package that includes three stories: a primer on preparing for the death of a loved one, from the perspective of medical professionals, including hospice workers; a look into estate planning and other end-of-life preparations; and a profile of a local funeral home employee known for his gentle demeanor when helping families make final arrangements for the departed.

But there are other stories scattered throughout the rest of the paper, including a thoughtful guest commentary by retired CN&R Editor Robert Speer and a feature on a local celebration of Día de los Muertos in Newslines.

With that, let’s talk about death.