Support Mark in Honoring Marie's Final Days

Marie had a metastatic melanoma in January 2023. She fought a valiant battle against the cancer. That battle got harder in the last 3 months, until she passed away peacefully in my arms on June 17, 2024. The eyeglass shop that we (Mark&Marie) own privately together could barely be open 1-2 days a week. Please DO watch the whole video above and keep reading below.

In order to give Marie the most comfortable last days of her life, I (Mark) had to provide her with round-the-clock caregiving. I tried to have her come to our "mom&pop" eyeglass shop so that she could rest all day while I worked. However, that soon became too hard on Marie. So, I had to make the choice of staying home with her and providing round-the-clock care over coming in to the shop.

We had someone with quality optical skills who was able to work only 1 or 2 days a week. This kind of business requires special skills and knowledge. We could not just put up a "Help Wanted" sign - especially for only a few months. So, the shop had to be closed for numerous days every month for three months. We still had big expenses to pay for running a business. And we lost over $20,000 already. But that is the only way that Marie could be sure to have the very best possible final days of her life, with me, the heart-broken husband, by her side and doing all that she needed for those precious days.

You can help be a part of making those final days by sharing in the cost of the loss. As the video shows, caregiving is very hard work. Few people have any idea just how difficult the task can be.

I have unhesitatingly been happy to do all the needed caregiving work because Marie is the love of my life. We were married for over 32 years and 7 months, and we were together for 5 more years even before that. Since January 1, 2022, we have both loved working our eyeglass shop (Specs For Less, "Specs For YES! ™") as we were able to work together every day we worked. I am blessed to have had those 28 months every day side-by-side, with this awesome woman.

I lost this dear sweet woman, my beloved, my wife, my partner, Dear Sweet Marie at 7:22 am Monday, June 17, 2024.

I will return to the shop in July - sadly, without her. Your contribution not only helps fund the loss from my choosing to give her the best possible last days of her life, but you may also see it as YOUR SHARE in making that possible. With your kind help, we all helped Marie have those best-possible final days of her life.

For contributions more than $500 from close family or close friends, I will share the spreadsheet of a month's caregiving, which includes blood pressures, heart rates, glucose sugars, medicines, and more. For others, I will find a way (like a discount on future glasses from my shop - something like that).

For contributions more than $1,000 from close family or close friends, I will share the same spreadsheet going back for the previous 3 months. Again, for others, I will find a way (like an even bigger discount on future glasses from my shop - something like that).

For contributions more than $2,500 from close family or close friends, I will share the same spreadsheet going back to last summer (2023). And one more again, for others, I will find a way (like a free or almost-free pair of future glasses from my shop - something like that).

With these spreadsheets, you will see how much was really involved in caregiving so that Marie could have the best possible final days of this precious woman.

Your contribution shares in having made that happen for Marie!