First Annual Coroner’s Day Of Remembrance
Photo by Lydia Berglar – Courtney Gross (Dade County coroner) shared her goals of decreasing preventable deaths and increasing awareness of grieving resources while also remembering recent losses in our community at the first-ever Coroner’s Day of Remembrance.
By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor
The Dade County coroner’s office held its first ever Coroner’s Day of Remembrance on the morning of June 7. Courtney Gross (coroner) plans for this to be an annual event. Her goal is to help the community grieve well together, share resources with people who have experienced loss, and remember the community members who have died over the course of the previous year.
Gross welcomed attendees, saying, “The coroner’s office and the community as a whole is here to support everybody, anybody who has lost somebody they loved. We have a lot of resources to help each other heal, grieve, and move on with life…When I say move on, I don’t mean forget those we lost; I mean to learn to live with their absence and continue to grow…The memory of someone doesn’t disappear. It’s something we always cherish and want to share.”
Photo by Lydia Berglar – Jan Smith with Little Sparrow Counseling displayed resources for understanding death, grieving, and emotional wellness.
Gross told the Sentinel that she’s heard great things about the GriefShare program, and she was glad that the support group was represented at the event at one of the resource tables.
Her experience walking alongside two families in particular spurred her to start this event. One family lost a teenage child in a car accident, and the other lost a child in his/her 20s. Both families have stayed in touch with Gross as they continue to work through their grief.
She said, “A lot of times, grieving families feel lost, stuck, and alone, but you’re not. You have a whole community that wants to support you and love on you and help you grow through your grief.”
The coroner’s office deals with many preventable deaths, so she announced to the attendees that she is working on bringing a teen safety driving program to Dade County Schools. “That’s a death we can help prevent. That’s one less phone call I’ve got to make to a parent telling them that their child has died.”
The number of preventable deaths varies from year to year. Gross told the Sentinel that during the COVID-19 era, the office saw a spike in some types of accidental deaths and a decrease in others. She added, “I can tell when new initiatives are getting pushed out into the community because I see a decrease in those types of deaths.”
Photo by Lydia Berglar – Ryan Funeral Home attended the event to provide resources about end-of-life preparations and funeral planning.
For example, overdose deaths dropped in 2024 (see the Feb. 5 Sentinel), likely due to increased awareness about the dangers of drugs like fentanyl that result in a high number of unnecessary deaths.
Along with Gross, Don Townsend (county executive), Alex Case (EMA director), and Jerry Atkins (volunteer county chaplain) spoke at the event. The American Legion led a Missing Man and flag folding ceremony to honor the casualties of war and remember families who grieve for lost heroes.
Ryan Funeral Home and Jan Smith of Little Sparrow Counseling set up tables with resources to help the community understand death, grieve and move on well, seek emotional well-being, prepare for end-of-life needs, and plan funerals.
Photo by Lydia Berglar – The American Legion led a Missing Man and flag folding ceremony to honor the casualties of war and the families who grieve these heroes.
Townsend shared sincerely about his personal experience with grief in recent years. His wife, Lisa, battled ovarian cancer from 2020-2022. Having been her caregiver until her death, he said, “I’d like to recognize not only those we’ve lost but also the caregivers. It takes a special person to be a caregiver.”
Five months after Lisa’s death, her sister (Townsend’s sister-in-law) died. A few months later, Townsend’s mother died unexpectedly. Two of his friends also died in 2023. In less than 12 months, five people in Townsend’s life died, leaving him in shock.
He said that mourners often don’t realize that they’re in shock. “I really didn’t know what that meant at the time, but I know now that shock is a phase that you have to go through. There was shock, numbness, and denial.”
Moving on to the next phase of loss and grief, Townsend talked about withdrawal, confusion, anger, fear, disorganization, triggers, guilt, loneliness, isolation, and depression. He shared how these played out in his life over the last few years.
Eventually, mourners adjust to the new normal and new way of life. “That’s new relationships, new strengths, new patterns,” Townsend said. In the reconstruction phase, mourners experience clear thinking, hope, and acceptance.
“Now, where am I in those steps? I have no idea,” Townsend said. “I used to think, ‘This will be day two, day three, day seven, week four, week seven,’ but no. Everyone is in a different phase.”
He encouraged those who are grieving to talk with others who have experienced similar loss, avoid making major life decisions (if possible) for at least two years, and express emotions. “It’s okay to cry in front of people, in the shower, or wherever you need to. Take care of yourself.”
