Last Acts of Love

Vista Death Cafe
2025-10-08 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Vista Senior Center, 1400 Vale Terrace, Vista, CA, 92084, United States
The Vista Death Cafe meets in person at 1 PM on the second Wednesday of every month. The Vista Death Cafe started in August 2025. Despite having to coordinate schedules with the very active Vista senior community, Mel McClave eventually found a time and space to accommodate all.
Do you have an interest in the subject of dying and death? Are you looking for a safe space to share your thoughts, ask questions, and hear what others say? At this Death Cafe, we welcome all opinions and topics, provided they follow a few rules that keep the discussions safe and accessible. You are certainly welcome to join us for quality conversations around dying and death.
The purpose of this Death Cafe is “ to increase awareness of death to help people make the most of their finite lives.” We use this time to discuss dying and death with no expectations, agendas, themes, or promotions.
Death Cafes are a worldwide phenomenon. Jon Underwood launched and hosted Death Cafes in London from 2011 until his death from cancer in 2017. He modeled them after Swiss sociologist Bernard Crettaz’s “Café Mortale.” In 2012, Lizzy Miles hosted the first Death Cafe in the US in Columbus, Ohio.
Death Cafes and DeathCafe.com are hosted by volunteers and are always FREE to attend. The guidelines that govern Death Cafes are the vision of Jon Underwood to keep the conversation welcoming and free from personal debate. Attending Death Cafes brings you into a space that allows for an exchange of ideas without the pressure of conforming. Some Death Cafes ask for donations. Consequently, if you feel the need to donate, please donate directly to this Death Cafe or directly to DeathCafe.com.
Learn more about the Death Cafes hosted by Mel, here.

Terminal Talk is Virtual Now!
2025-10-08 10:30 - 12:00 | CA
Are you living with a terminal illness? “Terminal Talk” is now a virtual resource for those facing their mortality to openly explore the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of dying. This supportive space is exclusively for individuals with a life-limiting diagnosis, not for caregivers, loved ones, or the general public. We meet virtually on the second Wednesday of the month at 10:30 AM Pacific Time.
Do you have a life-limiting diagnosis? Terminal Talk, a group-led discussion, invites individuals to explore the realities of dying and death. This supportive space encourages participants to share thoughts on the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of dying. While grief may naturally emerge, Terminal Talk does not serve as a grief support group or cater to caregivers, loved ones, or the general public.
Mel McClave and Roseana Spangler-Sims launched “Terminal Talk: An Open Discussion on Dying for a Select Few” when Roseana invited Mel to host an in-person meeting for people living with an incurable diagnosis. In May 2025, Mel hosted the first “Terminal Talk” in person at the Vista Senior Center.
Although people wanted a virtual option, this group stayed in-person until Roseana’s death in August 2025. Consequently, I’ve discontinued the in-person meeting in lieu of a virtual meeting on the same date and time. Before I added Terminal Talk to my monthly educational outreach, I learned how to facilitate both virtual and in-person discussions by being a Death Cafe host.

OC Virtual Death Cafe
2025-10-07 16:30 - 18:00 | Orange County Virtual Death Cafe, United States
The OC Virtual Death Cafe is celebrating two years of monthly meetings in October 2025! This Death Cafe was started by the dedicated, end-of-life doula, Linda Barnard. Eventually, Mel McClave accepted the invitation to take over hosting in October 2023 and presently hosts it on the first Tuesday of the month.
Do you have an interest in the subject of dying and death? Are you looking for a safe place to share your thoughts, ask questions, and hear what others say? At this Death Cafe, we welcome all opinions and topics, provided they follow a few rules that keep the discussions safe and accessible. You are certainly welcome to join us for quality conversations around dying and death.
The purpose of this Death Cafe is “ to increase awareness of death to help people make the most of their finite lives.” We use this time to discuss dying and death with no expectations, agendas, themes, or promotions.
Death Cafes are a worldwide phenomenon. Jon Underwood launched and hosted Death Cafes in London from 2011 until his death from cancer in 2017. He modeled them after Swiss sociologist Bernard Crettaz’s “Café Mortale.” In 2012, Lizzy Miles hosted the first Death Cafe in the US in Columbus, Ohio.
Death Cafes and DeathCafe.com are hosted by volunteers and are always FREE to attend. The guidelines that govern Death Cafes are the vision of Jon Underwood to keep the conversation welcoming and free from personal debate. Attending Death Cafes brings you into a space that allows for an exchange of ideas without the pressure of conforming. Some Death Cafes ask for donations. Consequently, if you feel the need to donate, please donate directly to this Death Cafe, or directly to DeathCafe.com.
Learn more about the Death Cafes hosted by Mel, here

Terminal Talk
2025-09-10 10:30 - 11:30 | CA

Orange County Virtual Death Cafe
2025-09-02 16:30 - 18:00 | CA
