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Celebrate a Life Well Lived

It's Okay to Defer Your Loved One's Celebration of Life

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Allen and Christine Ransome own and operate Cheers for the Years, an Okanagan company that helps families plan and hold celebrations of life for their loved ones.

The Ransomes are also dealing with something that many Okanagan residents are facing in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. They have a loved one in a care home—Allen’s 95-year-old mother—whom cannot be visited and is suffering from dementia. There is a very real chance the Ransomes will not see her again.

That is why the extended family decided to get together on FaceTime and prepare for her celebration of life.

“It was a difficult decision, but one we knew we had to move forward with,” Christine writes in a recent blog post. “We had discussed with her many times as a family, her need for us all to remember, rejoice and embrace all the moments we shared and the remarkable moments she lived as a young woman in war-torn Europe, prior to her coming to Canada and rebuilding another life.

“We knew she was unable to join us in this beautiful celebration of life. But we knew that this is what she would want. As a loving mother, amazing mother-in-law, awesome oma and beautiful great grand oma, this is how she would want to be remembered.

“Candles were lit, wine was poured and music was played. Every photo, every song, every laughter, every tear, brought back a kaleidoscope of beautiful memories for each and every one of us.”

All of those memories will be put together for a celebration of life when the pandemic passes and families are able to gather again.

“When you’re not able to actually see them, you can share memories about them and if you ever did want to do a celebration of life, it would all be prepared,” Christine says.

Another agonizing effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is a family’s inability to have a full funeral due to the government’s physical distancing recommendations. Cheers for the Years plans celebrations of life that take place well after someone’s passing, and unfortunately now there is nothing but time if you want to put together an event that will honour your loved one’s life.

“Let’s not rush through it,” Allen says. “Let’s use this time for planning and make it super special when everyone can be together.”

Anyone wishing to have a celebration of life will sit down with the Ransomes and go through a proprietary questionnaire in an effort to customize the event right down to the last detail. Cheers for the Years will take care of everything, including securing the venue, videographer and photographer, along with creating pamphlets, favours and picture collages.

Cheers for the Years also offers a “Celebrate MY Life” event for those who want to have their celebration of life while they are still alive or have a say in what they want their party to look like after they have passed.

The Ransomes are able to conduct a consultation through video conferencing during the pandemic.

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Allen and Christine Ransome own and operate Cheers for the Years, an Okanagan company that helps families plan and hold celebrations of life for their loved ones.

The Ransomes are also dealing with something that many Okanagan residents are facing in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. They have a loved one in a care home—Allen’s 95-year-old mother—whom cannot be visited and is suffering from dementia. There is a very real chance the Ransomes will not see her again.

That is why the extended family decided to get together on FaceTime and prepare for her celebration of life.

“It was a difficult decision, but one we knew we had to move forward with,” Christine writes in a recent blog post. “We had discussed with her many times as a family, her need for us all to remember, rejoice and embrace all the moments we shared and the remarkable moments she lived as a young woman in war-torn Europe, prior to her coming to Canada and rebuilding another life.

“We knew she was unable to join us in this beautiful celebration of life. But we knew that this is what she would want. As a loving mother, amazing mother-in-law, awesome oma and beautiful great grand oma, this is how she would want to be remembered.

“Candles were lit, wine was poured and music was played. Every photo, every song, every laughter, every tear, brought back a kaleidoscope of beautiful memories for each and every one of us.”

All of those memories will be put together for a celebration of life when the pandemic passes and families are able to gather again.

“When you’re not able to actually see them, you can share memories about them and if you ever did want to do a celebration of life, it would all be prepared,” Christine says.

Another agonizing effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is a family’s inability to have a full funeral due to the government’s physical distancing recommendations. Cheers for the Years plans celebrations of life that take place well after someone’s passing, and unfortunately now there is nothing but time if you want to put together an event that will honour your loved one’s life.

“Let’s not rush through it,” Allen says. “Let’s use this time for planning and make it super special when everyone can be together.”

Anyone wishing to have a celebration of life will sit down with the Ransomes and go through a proprietary questionnaire in an effort to customize the event right down to the last detail. Cheers for the Years will take care of everything, including securing the venue, videographer and photographer, along with creating pamphlets, favours and picture collages.

Cheers for the Years also offers a “Celebrate MY Life” event for those who want to have their celebration of life while they are still alive or have a say in what they want their party to look like after they have passed.

The Ransomes are able to conduct a consultation through video conferencing during the pandemic.