One Last Wish, A Burial Request....

Good Day All,

At this most sad and challenging time in our lives, I just received word that a very dear friend of mine, a  class of 1979 West Essex High School classmate, Jill Maxwell (née Steinberg) has just been admitted to Denver Hospice. She has been resiliently surviving a diagnosis of ovarian cancer since July 2015.

Being a hospice RN, I understand how difficult this situation can be for the patient and family.

Yesterday, I reached out to Jill asking her how she was doing. She has been in severe pain, no longer able to eat due to a perforated, obstructed bowel that is untreatable due to her spreading tumors. Dealing with all of this must be so hard, especially during a worldwide pandemic.


This woman, who I have known since I was thirteen, was the first person on the school bus to make me feel included by welcoming me to sit next to her. Jill has always been a beautiful soul, one united with nature. I think she was the first person I ever knew that wore Earth Shoes! She has always loved nature and has enjoyed the natural beauty of Colorado for many years. Jill  has always been a bright spirit, an upbeat soul with a smile as beautiful as a ray of sunshine! She has always celebrated life, her three children, and her friends. Never once have I noted an ounce of negativity in the many years I have known Jill.

The race to cure cancer has been something that Jill has consistently taken a vested interest in. Since she first began treatment Jill has participated in clinical trials and experimental alternatives to treating  ovarian cancer in tandem with her chemotherapy. In the years since she kept up her efforts to not only seek newer experimental cancer treatments but also to contribute to their testing and approval. She has always insisted that it could be within her lifetime that treating cancer with chemotherapy would become as obsolete as medically-administered leeches. As such, her eagerness to embrace radical new solutions for the greater good (THE GREATER GOOD) continues to shine through even as she faces her own mortality.

When I first reached out to Jill I asked her what I could do to help in this difficult time. Jill informed me that she had one last wish and that was to have a Green Burial once she had passed. I was not familiar with this, however many are. It is a cremation process using water and alkaline hydrolysis and reported to be a simple and efficient way to  return our remains to earth, where we benefit the land and all the life. Information on this process can be obtained at The Natural Funeral's website.



The only obstacle between Jill and her wish for this transitional moment of her life and legacy has been securing the funds for her and her surviving family to see her final wishes done. Mortuary expenses can be extremely costly and difficult to afford for grieving families. The Green Burial is no exception, however it is significantly less damaging on our environment than the drastic effects of fire cremation or standard burials.
Compared to cremation, alkaline hydrolysis reduces more than 75% of the carbon footprint, uses 1/8th the amount of energy, and mercury and gold from dental amalgam is contained and recycled not vaporized. The water left behind is exceptionally nutrient rich and can be used to fertilize plants and trees, returning the gift of life back into nature.

With a little help, meeting the final, beautiful request of my friend should be easily attainable.

Jill has always been a true friend to me. Her sparkling personality and glowing sense of humor have drawn an enormous community of love and support. She has always been kind to others and helped those less fortunate than her. For those that have not had the chance to know Jill, I am so sorry; you would be proud and truly honored to call her your friend.

With her final days approaching, perhaps we can help repay Jill for being the wonderful friend she has been to all of us by making a donation to assist her (to a sista'!) in her time of need and help fulfill her final wish.

With heartfelt sadness, thanks and appreciation, 
Lib Sargent, RN, BSN