Two North Vancouver women who transformed personal loss into decades of service are being recognized for their lasting impact on supporting families through loss.
According to The Compassionate Friends (TCF), Jan Bryant and Cathy Sosnowsky have provided more than 25 years of steady leadership to the North Vancouver Chapter, helping shape it into a place of understanding, honesty, and compassion for bereaved families.
Bryant first attended a chapter meeting in 1993, six weeks after her 10-year-old daughter Lindsay died. Lindsay was remembered as smart, creative, and athletic, with a love for singing, reading, drawing, and caring for animals. Bryant continued returning because, she said, the group understood her grief and helped her see it was something to be carried rather than fixed.
That same year, Sosnowsky and her husband, Woldy, joined TCF two months after the sudden death of their son Alex, who was 17. Alex was described as playful, artistic, and deeply curious about the world. The press release noted that one line from his art teacher — “He probably wanted to have a closer look at the stars” — became a meaningful way of remembering him.
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In 1996, Sosnowsky was asked to take on the role of chapter leader and invited Bryant to serve with her, forming a co-leadership that would guide the North Vancouver Chapter for more than two decades. Their partnership was built on shared loss, trust, and a deep understanding of grief.
Under their leadership, the chapter became known as a place where grief was not rushed or minimized, the press release said. Parents were welcomed, whether they were newly bereaved or decades into their loss, children’s names were spoken openly, and members were supported without pressure to “move on.”
Both women also made lasting contributions beyond the meeting room as Bryant served as treasurer, helping ensure the chapter met its charitable responsibilities, and led workshops at TCF conferences. Sosnowsky edited the chapter newsletter for many years and helped update pamphlets and written materials used by newly bereaved families across Canada.
Together with their chapter community, Bryant and Sosnowsky also played a role in creating Enduring Love, a public memorial in North Vancouver that has become a meaningful place of remembrance for many families.
The Compassionate Friends Canada is a peer support organization that offers understanding, hope, and healing to families grieving the death of a child, grandchild, or sibling through local chapters, peer connections, and national resources.
