EP 85 Working Through Grief, One Recipe at a Time
In this heartfelt episode I sit down with bereavement specialist, grief educator, and author Patti Comeau-Simonson for a deeply meaningful conversation about love, loss, and thriving after 65.
I first met Patti years ago when I helped her e-publish her first book, and it’s been a joy to witness how her life and work have evolved since then. After the loss of her beloved husband, David, when she was 46, Patti’s life took an unexpected turn - one that led her into hospice volunteering, grief education, peer leadership, and authorship.
Now 79, Patti shares how grief didn’t shrink her world - it expanded it. We talk about the power of community, the importance of peer support, and her newest book - Recipes for Healing: Working Through Grief, One Recipe at a Time - how storytelling and food can nourish both body and soul.
Patti also reflects on how cooking became a grounding force during her husband’s illness and a meaningful way to create connection and healing for others.
This episode is a beautiful reminder that it’s never too late to begin again, and that thriving after 65 can be filled with purpose, service, and joy.
In this episode, we talk about:
- Turning profound loss into purpose later in life
- Why peer support matters in grief and healing
- How food and storytelling create comfort and connection
- What thriving after 65 really looks like
- Why it’s never “too late” to live a meaningful life
Learn more & connect:
Visit Patti’s website here.
Buy Patti’s book: Recipes for Healing: Working Through Grief, One Recipe at a Time here.
If you found inspiration from this conversation, please rate, review and share this episode.
I’d love to hear your thoughts, so be sure to hop on over to Don’t Be Caged By Your Age on LinkedIn or Instagram. Or leave a message on the website here.
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Ande ♥
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Patti Comeau-Simonson's life journey took a professional turn after the loss of her beloved husband, David, in his courageous battle with colon cancer. The care and support her family received while he was in hospice care left a lasting impact on her, motivating her to give back and make a difference in the lives of others facing similar challenges.
Her path began as a volunteer for hospice, which led her to become a bereavement assistant at the Bertolon Center for Grief and Healing in 2007. She wanted to enhance her skills and expertise in grief and loss and understand and support those grieving the loss of a loved one, so she pursued and received her thanatology certificate from the National Center of Death Education at Mount Ida College in 2011.
During her time at the bereavement center, Patti developed and implemented a peer training program that empowered individual who had experienced loss to become skilled in grief and loss. She trained twenty facilitators, who then went on to support and help grieving individuals to heal on their grief journey. She was honored for her work, receiving the Red Cross Health Care Hero award in 2013.
In 2015, Patti coauthored a book called A Book of Hope, a compilation of personal stories and affirmations from those who have navigated through their grief. The book offers hope and joy to those currently on their own grief journey, providing them with the strength and comfort to move forward.
Recipes for Healing: Working Through Grief One Plate at a Time (Just Not Lasagna!) is her teaching memoir about her own heartfe…
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