This year two people received Pioneer Citizen Awards at the West Guilford Canada Day ceremony: Lyle Stamp and Pat Bain. Barry Boice presented the award to Stamp praising his generosity and sharing some of his antics. Kim Stamp presented the award to Bain saying she is a kind person who as a teacher was a loving presence for every child. /JENN WATT Staff By Jenn Watt
Abby Blythe Luck daughter of Dianne and Shawn Hagerman is putting her skills and life experience to work becoming an associate advisor with K. Brewer Financial Services Sun Life’s office in Haliburton.
Luck who was born and raised in Haliburton is a world traveller has run her own yoga studio and holds a degree in history and music. After years of travelling she returned to Haliburton in 2013-2014 and began talking with her father who started his life insurance business in the Highlands in 1976 about joining Sun Life.
“Growing up and having so many conversations with Dad about what he was doing and why he was doing it gave me a real appreciation for this career path and a desire to always help others” she says.
When Shawn Hagerman died in 2015 Luck says she wasn’t sure if her interest in the business would continue.
“I thought that my desire to do this career might disappear but I was surprised in the last years while teaching yoga to see that I kept thinking about and considering it” she says.
Kyle Brewer took over Hagerman’s business after he died. Last summer Luck met with him about joining Sun Life and told him she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
“Kyle was so gracious and told me that they’d love to have me once I was ready to work” she says.
Coping with the sudden loss of her father and then with a cancer diagnosis has helped Luck better understand the obstacles people face in life and about how useful insurance can be.
“Most people don’t like to talk about worst-case scenarios but the unfortunate truth is that incredibly difficult and unexpected things happen in our lives” she says. “I’m really touched when someone trusts me to help them with their financial protection needs.”
She says financial wellbeing can help reduce life stress and she is particularly passionate about critical illness insurance the importance of which became apparent to her when she was diagnosed with cancer and wasn’t able to make a regular income.
"It's a bit of a personal mission for me now to let people know that there is an insurance product available that will pay people a lump sum when they get sick" she says.
Luck started her new job on May 1. You can get in touch with her at 705-457-1052 x.207 or by email at abby.luck@sunlife.com .
