Testimonials

Anne Brisebois

That morning, April 24, 2013, my sisters and I were devastated – the doctor had just told us that my father didn’t have long to live. We knew he was very fragile, but we weren’t ready to let him go. Reality soon caught up with us and we had to coordinate the funeral arrangements. My brother-in-law had seen an ad for Voluntas in the parish paper, and with some reluctance, even before my father had died, we made THE CALL. The voice on the phone – Stéphanie Côté – was so full of compassion and empathy. There was no pressure, no marketing hype, just a helping hand so we could make the right choices for Dad. Thank you, Voluntas! Thank you, Stéphanie ! We owe you so much !!!

Ghislaine Tessier

Mrs. Marcoux,

A few words to express our gratitude and complete satisfaction with your devotion to my family and me when my mother died. Thanks to your high level of professionalism, I felt the Voluntas team was supporting me. Thank you with all my heart.

David Kelley

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first contacted Voluntas. I did not need a lot of the traditional funeral items (casket, flowers, etc.) so I did not want to feel pressured at an already stressful time. Instead, I was given professional yet compassionate service. The Voluntas staff was there when I needed them, at arm’s length, and only dealt with the funeral services that I actually needed. They were also very knowledgeable with the various forms needed to get the certificates and reimbursements completed and remitted in a timely manner. They made a difficult time much easier to bear. Thank you.

Honoré Boucher

Dear Mrs. Côté-Marcoux,

The assistance you provided when my dear wife died was priceless. You handled the administrative tasks and helped me settle the estate with great efficiency. There are no words to express my gratitude. I am completely satisfied with the services I received from your company.

The Beaudin family

Just a note to thank you, Stéphanie, for the excellent support you provided when our father, Joseph Beaudin, died. Your kindness, professionalism, flexibility and skills were so reassuring, and we greatly appreciate your devotion. You helped us choose a celebration of life that really reflected who our father was. Together, we captured his essence and celebrated his life in an intimate ceremony in an ancestral home near the water. He spent his life near the water, so the choice of site was really fitting. Family and friends paid tribute by listening to his favourite music and looking at photos of his life on the screen. The whole family participated and it really comforted everyone who was there, since the atmosphere of the ceremony and the rituals was very intimate, as if we had invited you into our home. For us, it was really beautiful. Again, all our thanks for your warm and respectful service.

Jocelyne La Bossière

Hello Stephanie,

I have just received the letter from the Living Memorial Program informing me that at your request, a tree has been planted in memory of Bernard.  This gesture has touched me deeply. Nicolas, Alexandre and Maga-Li join me in sending our sincere thanks. I assure you that this thoughtful gesture has truly warmed my heart. Au revoir – I wish you all the joy you bring to others.

Adrian Thibodeau

My father passed away in March 2009.  It was the first death in my immediate family, and my father had not left any specific instructions about his funeral arrangements. Although my father was conservative, my family never had any long-standing rituals or traditions. We needed someone to guide us through a memorial service that would be dignified, and reflect my family’s values, without the customary funeral parlour or church service.

Through a recommendation, I chose to meet with Stephanie Côté of Voluntas Commemoration Inc. When I first met Stephanie, I was immediately struck by her kindness, warmth and compassion. She listened patiently to our needs and helped us to create a memorial service that reflected perfectly who we are as a family, and how we felt about my father.

Voluntas Commemoration offered us services for all our needs, from the moment that my father died, through the closing of his estate, always taking into account our specific needs and wishes.

Stephanie gently guided my family to create a very personal and loving memorial ceremony for my father. We held his memorial at La Maison Tresler, a historic house in Vaudreuil that my father would have loved. Stephanie is extremely professional, down to the smallest detail. Stephanie also arranged to have Kerry-Anne Kutz preside at the memorial. Kerry-Anne read poetry and sang songs we had chosen. After the memorial, many people approached me to say how refreshing and enjoyable the service was; how they felt it was a true celebration of my father’s life.

My father’s burial at the National Field of Honour in Pointe-Claire was extremely reverent and moving. A bagpiper led the procession with traditional music from Nova Scotia, my father’s birth province. My sister carried my father’s urn during the procession, and at the graveside, Stephanie read poetry that the family had selected. Then while the piper played, Stephanie invited my brother and me to lower my father’s urn into the ground. It was a beautiful ceremony that I think of regularly with fondness and pride.

I am deeply indebted to Stephanie for helping us successfully celebrate my father’s life. If you require Stephanie’s services, either traditional or uniquely tailored, I recommend that you meet with Stephanie and make up your mind for yourself.

Paula

Dear Julie, Stéphanie, Carol-Lynn and Denis,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your excellent customer service. You were always there to answer all questions and always very gracious. Your presence at the visitation and was mass was seamless and your professionalism was outstanding. You have been with our family throughout the journey and we are so pleased that we entrusted our funeral arrangements to you. Your personalized and caring approach comforted our family during this difficult time.

On behalf of my father and our entire family and friends: thank you.

S.C. on behalf of my family

 

Stephanie,

I received your card in the mail late last week. What a wonderful thoughtful gesture. However, I should be the one thanking you for the care, compassion, efficiency and creativity you have shown my family at the time of my aunt’s passing and with the scattering of her remains.

I didn’t know at the time of our first meeting to plan my aunt’s cremation that you would also take care of filling out all the legal-notice documents that are required after a death. Now, months later, I realize my family hasn’t had to fill out a single government form since that afternoon in your office. What a huge relief. We never felt pressure to purchase a package or an item we didn’t want and you also facilitated my aunt’s obituary notice in the newspaper. We were in your office less than 2 hours.

When it came time to scattering my aunt’s ashes in her favourite lake, you and Denis came up with the brilliant idea of freezing her ashes first. You took the time to come up with various prototypes before working with my aunt’s ashes and the result were impressive. On the day, we simply rolled the cylinder of ice from the shore to a deeper part of the lake and let the ice melt. My aunt is now in her final resting place and she was brought there with great dignity.

Thank you for such professionalism beyond expectation.

Client who preferred to remain anonymous, June 2015

Dear Stephanie,

We would like to thank you for your services regarding the resent passing of our dear Dad. We found you all to be so very sympathetic, understanding and professional with both myself and my sister at this very difficult time. It was reassuring to have your expertise and compassion in fulfilling all the legal and necessary details associated with the death of our beloved Dad. We wish you luck in your future endeavours and will certainly be very eager to recommend your services to our family and friends.

With our sincere gratitude,

Client who preferred to remain anonymous, May 2015

Dear Stephanie,

Thank you for helping me through this difficult time with such grace and professionalism. The commemoration day was wonderful, in large part because of you. You have chosen a great staff too. Please thank Julie for all her help and Denis for just being himself.

The Bachand / Raymond Family

Dear Stéphanie,

Thank you for the kind support at this time. Our mother, Paula, was a beautiful and classy lady, and she would have been thrilled with Tadja Hall and the celebration that you have helped put together.

Merci infiniment,

Jo-Ann and Michael McGowan

A special thank-you to Stephanie and her staff for providing wonderful guidance and service to us for our recent memorial gathering. Our family did not want a traditional service held in a funeral home but rather a celebration of life in a bright, open, comforting setting with family and friends. The experience was truly collaborative allowing us to participate in the preparation to the level we were comfortable with while leaving the rest to the Voluntas team. In retrospect, our family could not have asked for a better result and we would not have changed a thing.”

Sarah Segev

“Voluntas delivered exceptional service throughout this very difficult time. They handled every detail, right down to completing an export form for my father’s ashes. They answered all our questions and were there for us at every turn. Stéphanie and her husband are warm and genuinely caring people who did their utmost to minimize the burden of planning a funeral. Our heartfelt thanks to Voluntas. Can’t recommend them enough!”