Mary Bart

Mary Bart chairs Losing Our Parents, a registered charity. As her parents’ principal caregiver for ten years, Mary has first-hand experience in helping aging parents, dealing with family dynamics, and working with public and private organizations. Her father died of cancer in 2005 and her mother died of Alzheimer’s in 2008. Losing Our Parents is an internet-based community that offers support and education to people who are coping with the declining health or death of a parent. “Losing Our Parents” was formed by a volunteer Board of Directors composed of business, health, and social work professionals. The Board developed a strategic plan that will help people all over the world through its interactive website and organized group retreats. We invite and encourage people from all countries and backgrounds to share, learn and support each other. “Losing Our Parents” is after all a universal, timeless issue. Reach Mary at www.losingourparents.com.

Articles:

Creating Web Community Helped Her Deal With the Loss

I was my parents’ principal caregiver for ten years.  I have first-hand experience in helping aging parents, dealing with family dynamics and working with public and private organizations.  My father died of cancer in 2005 and my mother died of Alzheimer’s in 2008.  Words can barely describe the depth of loss I felt when my father died. I believe that I cried every day for at least a couple of years. My life felt so empty and so alone.  I really did not know how I was going to get on with my life.  Every night, I would take my […]

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Does Grief End? The Last Bag of Clothes

Mom died one year ago. When she died, we sorted through all of her clothes and divided them into two categories.  The first category was the clothes that I wanted to keep, either because I was going to wear them or because they had a special meaning for me. The second group was the clothes that we planned to give away to people who needed them. We made three bags of these. My family members dropped off two of the bags at the second-hand clothing store. I promised that I would take the final bag and drop it off … […]

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From Tears to Ideas, the Healing Begins

By Mary Bart — Words can barely describe the depth of loss I felt when my father died.  I believe that I cried every day for at least a couple of years. My life felt so empty and so alone.  I was 48 years old, and did not know how I was going to get on with my life.  Every night, I would take my two dogs for a walk before heading to bed, and I would cry and talk with my dad. While my heart was broken with his loss, I still had the responsibility to help care for […]

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