Céline Dion Too Grief-Stricken to Attend Brother's Funeral
How does a person cope with losing someone he or she is genuinely in love with? And in just two days you lose another, only this time, he is your brother.
It has been a devastating January for the Canadian singer, Celine Dion. The 47-year-old singer did not attend her brother's funeral on Monday. Her children were also not there to commemorate their Uncle Daniel Dion's departure from this life. It is reported that the family is too grief-stricken to attend another funeral, according to a report gathered by Hello Magazine.
The singer may have missed the funeral but, on Saturday, she paid her final respects to her brother at Salon Charles Rajotte in Repentigny for his memorial service. They chose to hold the memorial in Charlemagne, Québec because that is where the whole family was raised.
Celine's husband, René Angélil, died of cancer in Jan. 14, 2016, while her brother Daniel also died of cancer in Jan. 16, 2016. The two deaths in two days were too overwhelming for her to handle.
Celine and René have been married for 21 years. They got married at the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, Canada, the same church where they held the memorial service of René.
During the public funeral, Celine offer an emotional goodbye to her late husband.
In a statement released by the singer through People Magazine, Celine acknowledged the millions of fans who mourned with them through her darkest days.
"The support we've received has been such a blessing," Celine said.
The multi-awarded singer and her children have showed tremendous strength during the memorial service, which have gained coverage from all media outlets around the world.
René was two days shy from his birthday when he died. He would have been 74 years old. His son, René-Charles, bid his goodbye to his late father by honoring his achievement.
"Dad, you are a tough act to follow, but with your help, everything is going to be fine," he said. "Dad, I promise you we are all going to live up to your standards."
It was certainly an emotional tribute from the whole family. According to Mirror, Daniel's obituary speaks about his fight against cancer and the support of the whole family.
"Battling cancer for a few years, it's in the uttermost discretion and surrounded by his family that Daniel Dion, 59, died today, January 16. He was the eighth child of Thérèse and Adhémar Dion, brother of Céline."