MaryEllen Gillan (née Melanson), B.A., M.A., is a wife, mother, grandmother, retired government executive, university lecturer, writer and community volunteer. 

Over the years, she has served on a number of boards. She has always actively participated in her community.  Recent board positions: Vice-Chair (2003-2005), BCCIC - the BC Council for International Cooperation, an umbrella group for NGOs providing aid and training in developing countries; Director (1999-2002) Operation Rainbow Canada. MaryEllen and her husband participated in a medical mission to the Philippines in 2002.

An observer of life, MaryEllen has lived and worked in 6 Canadian provinces and in Europe.  Her frequent travels provided the opportunity to read local daily newspapers and note the different regional flavours reflected in The Way We Say Goodbye.

MaryEllen has been reading obituaries for over 30 years - usually several thousand a year.  In addition to national and local daily papers, she now also reads obituaries on line.

Selecting special obituaries and contacting family and friends of the deceased made the writing of The Way We Say Goodbye “a very special spiritual experience" for the author.

MaryEllen Gillan can assist you in preparing final words of farewell for obituaries, Memoriam or anniversary notices, eulogies. She can be contacted at: rgillan@telus.net