5 Condolences: Parades

Posted on July 2, 2012 by

As my high school band’s piccolo player, I marched in a lot of parades in my youth. Even if you’ve been to dozens of them in your life, there is always something a little bit thrilling about a parade, whether you’re watching or marching. The marchers are excited and a little bit nervous – they want to make sure they do their organization proud. And the folks on the sidelines are eagerly awaiting that perfect baton toss, their favorite patriotic song, or – especially if they’re under the age of 10 or so – all the candy that will land at their feet.

As the 4th of July approaches, parade afficionados around the country are gearing up for another great one, checking the route and picking out their favorite spot to stake out. And folks are remembering great parades of the past, and their loved ones who enjoyed them. This week, we share 5 condolences with parade memories. Continue reading →

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Who owns Legacy.com?

Posted on June 25, 2012 by

I get asked this question often. The answer is simple in a legal sense, but I’d first like to answer a question I believe is more important: What does it mean to be the owner of a company like Legacy.com? Continue reading →

Posted in Ask the CEO | Tagged , ,

Father’s Day

Posted on June 17, 2012 by

Today we celebrate fathers – we show a little extra love to the ones who are still here with us, and we remember the ones who are gone.

“This is me & my dad, James Rhoads. He was the kindest, gentlest, hardworking family man~ he was part of FDNY for 28 years. I am honored that I was able to know my Dad, & have him be the first man I loved! Hes MY HERO ♥” ~Pamela

Here at Legacy.com, we’re honoring beloved fathers who have passed away with a special photo gallery on LegacyConnect, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest. We love seeing all the wonderful photos our users send in – from great vintage shots of Dad as a young man to pictures of him playing with grandbabies. Continue reading →

Posted in Legacy.com Remembers, Life at Legacy.com, New from Legacy.com, Photos @Legacy.com | Tagged , , , , , , ,

Death goes digital

Posted on June 12, 2012 by

We were fascinated by a USA Today time line that explores how technology has impacted the rites and rituals surrounding death. 

From the earliest printed obituaries in the 1700s to memorial photographs, funeral trains, televised funerals, and online obituaries – technology has shaped and changed public mourning rituals.  

Check out the neat graphic Continue reading →

Posted in In the News | Tagged

Message in a Bottle

Posted on June 4, 2012 by

Legacy.com’s Content Screeners have a unique glimpse into the way we deal with loss. Today, Lise reflects on the countless entries she has read in the four years she’s been a screener. And she offers a bit of hope.

On one of the saddest days of your life, you stare blankly at your computer in disbelief. How can you be writing a message of love, loss, and good-bye for someone you just saw yesterday, or it seemed like only last week? You pour out your heart and your memories and click “send.” How far will it travel? How long will it take? Will anyone see it? It feels like launching a message in a bottle.

Every month, we receive one million condolence messages. That’s one million voices every month.

But please know this: amongst the millions of voices, I hear yours. Every Guest Book entry represents a story, a person, a voice. While my colleagues and I have to move quickly, we operate on two levels simultaneously. Professional separation helps us assess every entry with guidelines and instinct, but at a deeper level, I still hear your every word. Continue reading →

Posted in Life at Legacy.com | Tagged , , ,

In Remembrance: Memorial Day 2012

Posted on May 28, 2012 by

On Memorial Day, we honor the men and women who have bravely served in our armed forces.

All week, we have been collecting photos of beloved veterans from our users and featuring them in our In Remembrance: Memorial Day 2012 album on LegacyConnect, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest. We’ve been awed by the many photos we’ve received – from vintage wartime classics to the most recent photo taken before a much-loved veteran died. Continue reading →

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Top 10 death euphemisms

Posted on May 21, 2012 by

With more than 10 million obituaries in Legacy.com’s database, we’ve read just about every death euphemism you can imagine.  While approximately 6.5 million of Legacy.com’s obituaries indicate that someone has “died, ” more than 5 million use the term “passed away” (far and away the most popular death euphemism on our site).

Whether they are hobby-related (“gone fishing”) Shakespearean (“shuffled off this mortal coil”), or intended to bring a smile (“cashed in her chips”), I find people’s choices of death euphemisms fascinating.  As an avid baker, my all-time favorite is: “baked her last coconut cream pie and hung up her apron.”

If you’re looking for a gentler way to say someone has died, try one of these options from our top 10 list of death euphemisms: Continue reading →

Posted in Interesting and funny obituaries, Life at Legacy.com | Tagged , , ,

Flowers from an angel

Posted on May 14, 2012 by

For many of us who work at Legacy.com, one of the best things about the job is hearing about how we help people. Emails and Facebook posts of thanks from our customers are often shared around the office, and a story of how a Guest Book helped someone work through their grief can really remind us why we do what we do.

We recently received one of the most lovely thank-yous we’ve seen.

Continue reading →

Posted in Life at Legacy.com | Tagged ,

Mother’s Day

Posted on May 11, 2012 by

As Mother’s Day 2012 approached, we at Legacy.com knew we wanted to do something special to honor all the mothers and mother figures that our site visitors have lost. There are many things that can vividly remind us of a loved one who has died – a favorite recipe, a beloved item of clothing – but perhaps the most cherished is a photograph.

Diana L. Hare

We asked members of our grief support site LegacyConnect, as well as our friends and fans on Facebook, Pinterest and Google+ to share with us photos of their mothers or mother figures who have passed away. Continue reading →

Posted in Legacy.com Remembers, Life at Legacy.com, New from Legacy.com, Photos @Legacy.com | Tagged , , , ,

Sharing baby photos with obstetricians

Posted on May 7, 2012 by

Josie, 2 days old

Next week is my daughter Josie’s first birthday.  It’s been a year full of smiles, laughter, and adventure.  And the 9 months leading up to her birth were no different.  During that time, I visited my obstetrician more than a dozen times for routine checkups.  And I realized somewhere along the way that there are few doctors you spend quite as much time with as your OB. 

OBs have a special role in women’s lives – they answer your anxious questions, calm your nerves, and keep an eye on your growing little one (or ones!) to make sure all is well.  They play a key role in ushering women into motherhood.

Women’s special bond with their OBs is in strong display in their obituary Guest Books.  A trend I recently noticed that was sweet and touching is mothers uploading pictures of their babies in their obstetrician’s obituary Guest Books.  It makes sense – these little tykes are their connection to the deceased. And the deceased helped bring these little tykes into the world.

With Mother’s Day quickly approaching, take a moment to join in the celebrations of these lives, and to click through to view some adorable baby pictures! Continue reading →

Posted in Interesting and funny obituaries, Legacy.com Remembers | Tagged , , ,