Heyman HospiceCare at Floyd will remember former patients and honor their families at its semi-annual candlelight memorial service Thursday, May 12 The ceremony is free and open to the public and will be held at St. Peters Episcopal Church at 6 p.m.

Each year the staff at Heyman HospiceCare honors the family members and friends of former patients with a special service.

This is an evening we and our families cherish, said Marsha Atkins, bereavement coordinator for Heyman HospiceCare at Floyd. It is an opportunity to honor the lives of those who have gone before us, and to offer hope and healing for their families. The service will close with a candlelight remembrance ceremony at which the names of approximately 300 former patients are read aloud. A reception will follow. At the gathering, families will have the opportunity to talk with staff who cared for their loved ones and meet other hospice families.

Also at the reception, the Heyman HospiceCare staff and volunteers will share a memory book of pictures, letters and remembrances collected and assembled over the past year.