Widowhood is a reality many people face beyond 60, but it is rarely discussed with the honesty it deserves, and this episode goes there with care, clarity, and hope. In “Grief, Loss, and Living On,” Ruth and Fawn sit down with Teri Fontenot, former CEO of Woman’s Hospital and longtime board leader, who shares her deeply personal story of losing her husband after a rapid, devastating cancer diagnosis and the emotional whiplash that followed. Teri speaks candidly about how grief actually moves, not in neat stages but in waves, sometimes overlapping, sometimes pulling you backward, and she names the parts people often keep quiet, including anger, loss of control, faith being tested, and the exhaustion of managing pain and logistics while your heart is breaking. She also offers practical wisdom that listeners can use immediately: the power of a trusted inner circle, giving yourself permission to move at your own pace, avoiding major decisions until you are ready, and rebuilding a life through purpose, small goals, and experiences that bring joy back in. It is a grounded, compassionate conversation that will leave you feeling less alone and more confident that healing is possible, one step at a time.

About the guest;
Teri Fontenot is a nationally recognized healthcare executive and governance leader known for guiding organizations through complex, high-stakes environments with clarity and vision. Over a 27-year tenure as CFO, president, and CEO of Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, she helped transform the system into a national leader in women’s health, earning honors including Modern Healthcare’s inaugural Top 25 Women in Healthcare and recognition as one of its 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare. Since leaving the CEO role in 2019, Teri has focused on board service as an independent director and SEC-qualified financial expert, currently serving on the boards of AMN Healthcare Services, Amerisafe, and Bitcoin Depot, and advising leaders on strategy, growth, and effective governance.

Caregiving can be one of the most loving roles we ever step into, and one of the most intense, especially in retirement when you are juggling your own health, finances, time, and relationships while showing up for someone else. In this episode of Beyond 60: Unscripted, Ruth Williams-Brinkley is joined by entrepreneur and caregiver advocate Alexandra Drane, co-founder of Archangels, for an honest, practical conversation about what caregivers actually need, not just what people assume they need. Together they talk about why so many caregivers do not even identify as caregivers, how easily isolation and burnout can creep in, and why “care for the caregiver” has to be part of the plan. Alex shares concrete tools like building a “red phone” person you can call without shame, using a caregiver intensity score to name what is driving your stress, and the powerful idea of “outer circling,” which explains why caregivers need their own support system to hold them up while they hold others. They also dig into the complicated realities of spousal caregiving, the loneliness that can happen even in a full life, and how grace, community, and small supports can change everything.

About the Guest:
Alexandra Drane is the co-founder and CEO of ARCHANGELS, a women-owned public benefit corporation working to better recognize and support the millions of unpaid caregivers across the United States. A serial entrepreneur, Alex has founded multiple mission-driven companies, including Eliza Corporation and Engage with Grace, and she is a nationally recognized voice on caregiving, community health, and public-private partnership. She serves on several influential boards and advisory councils, speaks widely on the future of health and caregiving, and has been recognized with honors including the Care100 list and Entrepreneur of the Year distinctions. Known for her energy and candor, Alex brings both strategic insight and real-world humanity to everything she does.

https://www.archangels.me/

In this inspiring episode of Beyond 60: Unscripted, Ruth and special guest host Fawn sit down with Dr. Molly Coye—global healthcare innovator and Board Chair of SFJAZZ—to discuss how she’s redefining life after 60. Dr. Coye shares her journey from leading major health systems to championing the arts, highlighting the mental and emotional benefits of music, especially jazz, for those over 60. She delves into her concept of “rewirement,” illustrating how her career has positioned her for this new phase of life and how she continues to stay active and purposeful beyond traditional retirement.

Lean more about SFJAZZ: https://www.sfjazz.org/

Guest Bio:

A global leader in healthcare innovation, Dr. Molly Coye’s career has spanned executive leadership in government, academic and private health systems, innovative technology, health services firms, national policy advocacy and development. Dr. Coye serves as Executive in Residence at AVIA, the leading network for health systems deploying digital solutions to innovate and transform healthcare, where she is executive sponsor for the Medicaid Transformation Project. Dr. Coye is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and serves on the board of directors for Amedisys (AMED), Headspace Health, SameSky Health, and Curai, in addition to advising venture investment firms and venture-backed companies developing digital health services. Dr. Coye served as Chief Innovation Officer at UCLA Health; engaged in more than a decade of board service at Aetna, Inc. and at PATH.org; founded and led HealthTech, which became the premier forecasting organization for emerging technologies in health care from 2000-2010; was Commissioner of Health for the State of New Jersey, Director of the California State Department of Health Services, and Head of the Division of Public Health Practice at the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health.