Hi, my name is Diane Coffman, and I am asking for help during the most heartbreaking time of my life.

On the night before Thanksgiving, my dear husband Chuck was getting ready to make a holiday meal. The ingredients were laid out on the counter, waiting for him to start cooking the next morning. He went to sleep thinking tomorrow will be a day of gratitude. Doing what he loved, cooking and spending time with friends. Before he ever had the chance, Chuck suffered a massive stroke. He never woke up.

Since that night, Chuck has been in a coma and is currently on life support. After speaking with his doctors and facing the reality of his condition, I’ve had to come to the most painful decision I’ve ever made: he will need to be removed from life support, and I will have to say goodbye to the love of my life.

Chuck was so much more than my loving husband, soulmate and partner for 45 years.

He was a guitar player, a soulful musician who could make a room go quiet with just a few chords. He was a humble, gracious, generous human being. If someone needed help, Chuck was there—no questions asked. He was kind and compassionate, always going out of his way for others, always the first to give and the last to complain.

At home, he was my best friend and the center of our little family. Our dogs, Annie and Marty are still looking for him, waiting for him by the door and listening for his footsteps and his voice. They don’t understand why their person isn’t coming home, and the silence without his music and his laughter is overwhelming.

We lived very simply and very much one day at a time. There was no life insurance, no savings set aside for an emergency like this, and nothing planned for funeral or burial expenses. I never imagined I would be in a position where I’d have to ask for financial help just to say goodbye to my husband in a dignified way—but this is where I am.

I am creating this GoFundMe to help cover:

Funeral home expenses

Burial and cemetery costs

A simple service and memorial so that friends and family can say goodbye properly

If there is anything left after those costs are paid, it will go toward related end-of-life expenses directly connected to laying Chuck to rest.

I know times are hard for so many people, and asking for help does not come easily to me. But I also know that Chuck spent his life giving of himself, his music, and his kindness to others. I am hoping that, in this moment, those who knew him—or those who are simply moved by our story—might help me give him the farewell he deserves.

Any amount you can give, no matter how small, will make a difference.

If you are unable to donate, sharing this page with others is also a tremendous help.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading, for caring, and for helping me honor Chuck’s life, his music, and his gentle spirit.

With gratitude,

Diane