Lynne McCollum Staley, '80
In Death Is the Secret to Life: A Tribute Journal. Hardcover, 128 pages; Tribute Journal, June 2000; ISBN: 0-96783-510-0.
Lynne Staley is a freelance writer in Naperville, Illinois, who was inspired to create In Death Is the Secret to Life: A Tribute Journal -- and, in fact, to create the concept of a tribute journal -- following the death of a close friend in 1999.
The book, printed on archival-quality paper, is intended for use at funeral visitations to encourage family and friends to write their thoughts and memories after the death of a loved one. Each pair of its otherwise-blank 128 pages includes a quotation selected to bring comfort, encourage reflection, or suggest hope to people suffering grief and loss.
"The idea of the book," Staley has said, "is to encourage people to have the courage to share a wonderful story with the family . . . often a picture of the loved one that their survivors may never have seen before."
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