Greg Mais & Vanessa Francis
Vanessa was widowed when her husband died by suicide in 2016. Greg lost his wife to appendix cancer in 2017. Their paths crossed in May 2019 at a Meet Up for people who like to listen to live music and dance. From the first meeting they both understood that their losses gave them a greater sense of empathy toward each other.
Greg serves on the Soaring Spirits Canada Board and co-facilitates the virtual Men’s group. Supporting widowed people is their way of giving back to the community. They frequently speak at various Camp Widow workshops including the Suicide Loss Support Group, Men’s Support Group and Love after Loss.
They live in Milton, Ontario Canada with Vanessa’s daughter, their dog and two cats. Vanessa is an interior designer and Greg is recently retired and is pursuing creative endeavors in sculpting and painting.