Widow support group offers comfort in good company

• Reprints

Updated: March 10, 2012 8:08AM

Two friends who found solace and support in each other following the loss of their husbands are hoping to reach out to local widows and widowers through a new social group.

Laura Tully Dennis and Wendy Doyle Diez, of Chicago’s Northwest Side, formed Chicagoland Young Widowed Connection, a group open to men and women under age 55 who have lost a spouse. Other leaders of the group are Susan Svensson Donatello and Matt Croke.

The goal of CYWC is to provide people with referrals for resources, support, seminars, workshops and volunteer opportunities. CYWC also plans to organize social events every six to eight weeks.

“I think the community, the bond, the social outlet is so important when something like this happens in your life,” said Dennis, who was widowed at age 31. “You redefine yourself by the people you surround yourself with.”

The group’s first social, Valentine & Wine, will be 6-8 p.m. Feb. 11, at Winestyles, 108 S. Northwest Highway in Park Ridge.

“We wanted to try and do something around Valentine’s Day because obviously that can be a difficult time,” Diez said. “We thought it would be fun to do a wine tasting.”

The event, which costs $25 per person, will allow participants to sample various wines and appetizers while getting to know others.

“It’s going to be our first opportunity to start networking with people,” Diez said, explaining that additional information about CYWC will be provided.

Dennis and Diez, who both lost their husbands in 2009, decided to form a group for younger widows and widowers after realizing that people their age, especially those with young children, needed support and help in navigating their new lives. There is no formal membership and the group is open to anyone who has lost a spouse, fiance or partner, Diez said.

The motto of CYWC is “Touched by loss. Empowered through community.”

“There’s just nothing like being with people who are in the same boat and really get it,” acknowledged Diez, who was 38 years old when her husband, Chris, died from an aggressive brain tumor. Finding friendships with other widowed people “helps us keep going,” she added.

Dennis said she hopes CYWC “decreases the isolation that comes with widowhood.” She also feels as though she is “holding the flashlight for someone who is in the dark.”

“Forming the group has been empowering to me,” Dennis said. “It’s given me a sense of purpose in what is a really unfortunate situation. Being able to be on the giving end instead of the receiving end of so much kindness is a nice change of pace.”

To find out more about Chicagoland Young Widowed Connection or to attend the Valentine & Wine social, go to www.chicagolandwidowed.org or e-mail info@chicagolandwidowed.org.