Finding Strength Through Shared Loss: Jackie’s Story and AB Walker’s Bereavement Support in Berkshire and Oxfordshire

When Jackie first walked through the doors of A.B. Walker in Reading, she had experienced something few people could truly understand, the loss of two husbands.

Her first husband, Ernesto, passed away after 37 years of marriage. Years later, she found happiness again with Steve. But heartbreak returned just three years later when Steve also died. “It doesn’t get any easier the second time,” Jackie says quietly. “You do know a bit more about what forms need filling in, but emotionally, it’s just as hard.”

Jackie, like many in Berkshire and South Oxfordshire, found that once the funeral was over, the world seemed to move on, but she couldn’t. “People mean well, but life goes back to normal for them. For you, it doesn’t,” she says. “You’re left with a silence that’s hard to fill.”

Finding Connection After Loss

It was a letter from A.B. Walker, a family-run, independent funeral director serving the community for over 200 years, that first introduced Jackie to The Link Bereavement Course.

Curious, and admittedly a little hesitant, she decided to attend. “I didn’t know what to expect. I just thought, if it helps even a little, it’s worth trying.”

The Link Course, developed in partnership with Cruse Bereavement Care (Thames Valley), is a free six-week programme designed to help those who have lost someone explore their grief in a safe and understanding environment. Hosted in the Blyth Suite at AB Walker’s Reading Headquarters, it brings together small groups of people who share one thing in common – loss.

“Everyone was so caring and friendly,” Jackie recalls. “They went out of their way to make you feel welcome. It was reassuring to listen to other people’s stories and realise you’re not alone. Everyone’s experience is different, but the feelings are similar.”

The Power of Shared Experience

Over the weeks, Jackie and her group explored the complex emotions that come with grief, anger, sadness, guilt, confusion, and even moments of relief. “It’s called the rollercoaster of emotions for a reason,” she laughs softly. “You can feel every emotion in one day. But in that room, you don’t have to explain yourself. Everyone just gets it.”

By the end of the course, Jackie had found not just comfort but connection. “I remember thinking –  I don’t want this to end. We’d formed such a bond.”

That sense of connection inspired her to continue what the Link Course had started. She founded the Link Up Social Group, a community of people who meet regularly for dinners, walks, and outings. “We’ve been to Winchester, we’ve shared meals, and we’ve shared tears,” she smiles. “Sometimes you give advice, sometimes you take it. No one bats an eyelid if someone gets emotional , we’re all in the same boat.”

When she hears laughter at their gatherings, Jackie says she feels “absolutely delighted.” “Grief doesn’t mean you stop living,” she adds. “You just live differently. You find new people to share the journey with.”

Continuing Care Beyond the Funeral

Stories like Jackie’s capture what AB Walker has always believed, that care for a family doesn’t end when the funeral does. In fact, it’s often afterwards that the real need for support begins.

While access to bereavement care on the NHS remains limited, AB Walker has taken a proactive, community-led approach to helping people cope with loss. Their Bereavement Support Hub offers a range of free services to anyone in Berkshire or South Oxfordshire, including:

• The Link Bereavement Course — group sessions to explore and understand grief
• One-to-One Counselling — private, professional support for those who prefer individual care
• The Link Up Social Group — ongoing social connection and friendship
• An Annual Service of Remembrance — a space to honour and remember loved ones

AB Walker’s team also provides access to GriefChat, a live online chat service where anyone can talk directly to a qualified bereavement counsellor, free of charge. The service runs Monday to Friday, 9am–9pm, and offers immediate, compassionate help for those who may be struggling.

A Community of Care

Today, Jackie remains a vital part of the AB Walker bereavement community, not just as someone who received support, but as someone now helping others. “I tell people all the time come along, even if you’re not sure. You’ll be surprised how much it helps to just talk.”

For A.B. Walker, now led by the fifth generation of the Walker family, stories like Jackie’s are a reminder of what truly matters: compassion, connection, and community.

“Grief doesn’t have an end point,” Jackie says. “But it can become easier to carry when you share it.”

Find Support Near You

If you or someone you know has experienced loss, we invite you to explore AB Walker’s range of loss and bereavement support services. Whether you’re in Reading, Wokingham,  Woodley,  Bracknell , Thatcham, Maidenhead and Henley or anywhere in Berkshire and South Oxfordshire, you’re welcome, no referral, no cost, just genuine care.

Click here to start a confidential conversation with a counsellor via GriefChat, or to learn more about joining the next Link Bereavement Course.

Because at AB Walker, we believe that while grief changes life, it doesn’t have to be faced alone.