Very sad news this morning. On the heels of Constable Mike's cancer fighting initiative comes word today that Jan Daly has died from cancer.

Jan was a quiet and beautiful soul, a musician and the partner of my friend Murray Journay, geologist and Lawn Dog. I knew her mainly through music. She played guitar and sang with outfits like Contraband, the Ruby Slippers and the community choir. I remember her as someone who always enjoyed making music, who played with a smile on her face and a joie d'esprit.

She had struggled with cancer for a number of years and fought her way through various recurrences of the disease. She was loved widely around this island and I know she had close support in the end, and that when Murray returns to us from her bedside in Vancouver, he too will have dozens of friends to draw upon for support.

My father in law passed away not a year ago from this same bastard disease. I can appreciate what Murray is going through now. If you're reading now pal, you have my whole heart.

This is when small communities are at their best, when one of us needs the rest. Last Sunday at Evensong, we dedicated the readings and the service to Jan, as almost all of us in the church that day had made music with her at one point. It was a hard service to sing with that intention in it. But it was all we could do with Jan off-island in palliative care.

All we can do is send notes into the air to find her, and get some food to Murray to wrap him in the support he needs now. Jan had a lot of friends around the Island too who are all keenly feeling this loss.

If you are on island and want to help, it would probably be best to call Linda Cannon to see what is needed.