Event Recap: Embracing Mortality: A Conversation with Shelby, Miles & Wurzer
No one wanted to miss a word as we dove into a rich conversation between three iconic
Minnesota broadcast journalists who also happen to be great friends.
End in Mind founder Cathy Wurzer brought her signature blend of expertise and warmth
to the forum on June 25, 2026, at Bet Shalom Synagogue, creating a space where
legendary local television news anchors, Pat Miles and Don Shelby could speak openly
about their personal encounters with death.
For Shelby, it was a series of strokes that, among other things, left him unable to
speak—a devastating experience for anyone, but it hit home in a different way for
someone whose passion and livelihood have been reporting the nightly news. Shelby
shared his determination to relearn an ability to communicate that most of us take for
granted and reflected on how facing his own mortality sharpened his perspective on
what matters most in life.
Miles lost her husband to pancreatic cancer in 2019 and found herself adrift in a chaotic
mix of financial, practical, and emotional confusion. She spoke about the challenges
women face as widows in a culture that is often ill-equipped to deal with loss and grief.
Her most recent book, Before All Is Said and Done (2023), co-authored by Suzanne
Watson, draws on stories gathered from interviews with widows and transforms them
into practical guidance for navigating this difficult terrain. For couples still sharing life
together, her message was clear: the time to become comfortable talking about death
and dying is before one of you receives a terminal diagnosis. Words of wisdom for all of
us.
Written by Michael Sala, LICSW, CDW (Certified Death Midwife) and End in Mind board
member.
