“Everybody dies; no one wants to talk
about it: Communication and Grief”
Because people asked to have a daytime
program of the two evening presentations
that were held in May and June, we’re
offering them again. They’re free and
open to the public.
Part I
“Everybody dies; no one wants to talk
about it: Communication and Grief”
Thursday, August 13, 2026
11 am Thienes Lounge
Open to the public
Beth Alves, a professor at CT State
Community College Quinebaug Valley, will share
feedback she gathered about communication when it
comes to conversations about estate planning, death
and grief (with the main focus on grief), a project she
undertook on successes and challenges related to
such conversations after the unexpected death of her
husband in 2022.
What she learned through interviews and
survey questions helped her create a unit for her
Interpersonal Communications class about how
people communicate (or struggle to communicate)
when it comes to the most difficult of topics.
For those who find it challenging to talk with
someone whose friend, coworker, or loved one has
died, the presentation will include the advice she
received on ways to communicate with those who are
grieving.