One of Prince George's broadcasting families is suffering through a tragedy this week. It was made high-profile due to the public nature of these two radio personalities who both got their start on local airwaves.
Although they now live in Penticton, they were known to local listeners as Marianne McHale and Jeremy McGoran in the early 2000s.
They became a couple in 2005 while living and working in this city. Both were popular personalities in Prince George, and became so again in the South Okanagan when they relocated.
They were married in 2009 and a couple of years later their son, Thomas, was born.
McHale and Thomas are now left to grieve after Jeremy, 35, committed suicide on June 9.
He was suffering from mental health conditions that McHale is speaking up about now just as Jeremy did publicly during his illness.
"The best way to honour Jeremy is to seek help and get help," said McHale, who agreed to an interview with The Penticton Herald on June 11 to ensure her husband's message lives on.
"Jeremy would not want this for you."
A former on-air host at EZ Rock, he made headlines across B.C. last year when he revealed publicly he was struggling with anxiety and depression and had contemplated suicide.
He pleaded for others to seek help as he did.
McGoran was so grateful for that help he later volunteered as a board member for the local branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association. And just two months ago, he spoke at the branch's launch of the Ride Don't Hide fundraiser to help break the stigma attached to mental illness.
McHale said her husband was being treated with medication and therapy and had been deemed by multiple doctors to be at low risk for suicide.
Nothing seemed amiss when she last saw him Friday morning, although McHale said McGoran was rattled by the apparent suicide last month of Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell.
"It just triggered his anxiety and his depression. It was always there and he just really felt it, felt for Chris," said McHale.
When the two met at the radio station in Prince George where they both worked, McHale was struck by her future partner's kindness, integrity and dedication to his craft.
Both were still in the radio business in January 2016 when they went public with their story. And, in the months that followed, the two, who later left the radio business to start a communications consulting company, received hundreds of messages of thanks from people who followed their advice.
"We always found there was such a stigma with mental health and people are afraid to be judged, but I can tell you neither Jeremy nor myself ever felt judged, and instead the moment he started being public about it the outpouring of the me-toos was overwhelming," said McHale.
But that seemed lost on Jeremy.
"He did not understand the reach of his impact and it makes me so sad that he didn't see that," said McHale.
She's worried now that McGoran will be remembered for the way he died, not how he lived, and that others may follow his example.
"I want him to be remembered for speaking out, being vulnerable, being honest.... That's what I would like people to know. How great of a father he was and friend, son, husband, employee," said McHale.
"I don't want anyone to be discouraged by this... Jeremy did so many things to take care of himself and he was such a champion for his mental health, and his thing was to talk about it, be open about it. There's nothing to be ashamed about. And if people still take care of themselves that would be a great legacy for him."
Those who want to honour his memory in other ways should consider participating in Ride Don't Hide on June 25 or supporting the YES Project in its quest to build a youth centre in Penticton.
An online fundraiser has also been created for McHale and Thomas and can be found at www.youcaring.com/mareandthomas-845405.
McHale encouraged anyone feeling shaken by McGoran's death - or any other struggles - to seek help from a doctor or by calling Crisis Lines B.C. at 1-800-SUICIDE.
She added that she's been overwhelmed by the support she's received from the community, but asked for privacy to allow the family to grieve.
-- with files from Frank Peebles
