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Sheldon Rafuse

That New Ross fellar, Sheldon Rafuse, was born under a waning gibbous moon on November 23, 1926 to Ira and Beulah Rafuse, back on the Mill Road. He died on September 3, 2020 at the age of 93. A great, luminous Corn Moon hung in the sky that night, likely watching as he spirited away from here. Sheldon was a man who took notice of the phases of the moon. He was well acquainted with the Farmers’ Almanac, and all things relating to the world of nature. He was a skilled woodsman and was on the roam for outdoor adventure his whole life. He loved hunting, fishing, and time at the “camp.” There’s plenty of tales about Sheldon out there in the woods with one crew or another, featuring end of the day dancing, drinking, headstand high jinks, other goings on and such. A few of those stories are likely true enough. More than once, Sheldon went moose hunting in Newfoundland, and salmon fished all over. He travelled as far as the Grand Canyon to have a look. Still, many folks will say he was just as content to take a walk up over the hill on his own property. You could see him up there often enough, even in winter: moving at a good clip too, hands ungloved, coat unfastened, always in a hurry. In early spring he’d be in search of the first mayflowers to scoop up and carry home to his bride. Summer was about berry picking and the garden up there; fall brought the show of turning leaves. Well now, from an early age, Sheldon was called upon to work hard, too hard for a boy, people might say, but he was agile, strong, determined and brave. He wasn’t one of those young people you might consider “no good for nothing”. He was serious at whatever job he was doing. Sheldon worked at Camp Aldershot during WWII and in the pulp woods, both for himself and for others. For a number of years, he was a grocery butcher, and later, head custodian at the local school. But he was happiest when working for himself, free to work at his own brisk pace and to make time for his outdoor hobbies. His formal education ended around sixth grade, but later in life, Sheldon returned to his studies and achieved his high school GED. He was an avid reader and creative craftsman. At one time, way back, he was a cooper and made barrels; he made willow rod baskets and Christmas wreaths. He put the smaller wreaths up for sale, but the biggest one was always up on the front of his house, lights and all. Sheldon tinkered and cobbled together a great many inventions in his time. There’s a freezer transformed for beer making that might still be down in that cellar of his; it was a real “Harl Rafuse outfit.” Now, Sheldon wasn’t one to go running around buying the right tools for every job. He made do, and things turned out mostly. He was just that sort of “mul-ty talented fellar.” It could be said that he was a man hesitant to do a thing any other way but his own. Well, he did store up some very informed wisdom over his years to go with whatever advice he was handing out. But sometimes, it’s true, he forgot to listen. He could take umbrage when it wasn’t called for and be quite argy-bargy just to line up a day’s entertainment. It needs to be added here, mind, that he’ll be remembered just as rightly as the kind, playful and generous man he was. Sheldon loved toys and gadgets and gizmos and good music. Anne Murray ballads were popular, old timey jigs and any modern tunes that inspired a dance. The Sheldon Shuffle originated with him, and he could pretty much step into any genre of music with that one, especially if Dry Ice was on offer. He was a man who was careful about the environment long before the need started trending. Once it did, Sheldon proudly provided his pesticide-free trees to the Ecology Action Center in Halifax for many years. Oh, he hated driving in the city, but loved meeting with its people, was passionate about his trees and very agreeable to having an audience. He was a natural storyteller, a showman and a bit of a show-off. Sheldon was still wielding that chainsaw of his when he was well into his 80s, and still executing that headstand trick, truth be told. Well now, you can’t really know the man without hearing about Sheldon’s most enduring love . . . for his wife of 67 years, his sweetheart and friend, Joyce Eleanor Rafuse (Leopold). Together they raised 10 children. There are stories a plenty with those kids, but that will have wait for a time down the road. Needs to be said, however, that he loved Joyce (or Mum as he started calling her along the way) in a forever kind of way, and every one of those children too. He wanted the world to be a kinder place than he knew it to be. He worried for them, and sometimes he wore that worry like an old sweater that might get turned inside out to hide the streaks. But then, as happens, only the anger and impatience are seen when a fellar does that. As his worries lessened, Sheldon became a more easy-going sort of man. He’d get together with bunches of his children and their children and tell stories, maybe have a few beers. The music would get turned on in that garage next door and then a party would break out. His grandkids loved those late-night pajama dances and heard a lot of old-time songs by the end of that era. Well now, Sheldon’s story took a sad turn on June 17, 2016, when he lost his darling Joyce. It turned out that many of his memories were lost with her. They had already faded some, and she had been holding them in place, so to speak. After that, he did a lot of veranda sitting with his son, “Big Guy” Graeme, who had one of those little TV or camera kind of gizmos that could tell you where those planes rushing across the sky were actually headed . . . Whoa, whoa, whoooooa . . . hold up, no need to hurry off just yet . . .there’s a few brews in the corner; there’s enough “Peeza” right there in that box to “feed a family of four.” Well now, there’s plenty more good stories about that fellar Sheldon, happier ones, like how he acquired that famous jacket of his, direct from the Ford Motor Company. That man’s porch walls were covered with hats, and each one brings on a story or two. There are quite a few Toyotee trucks could be talked about – all of them, “four-wheel drive and fully automatic.” The camp cook favorite might not be so well known in these parts, or it might have been told a time or two . . . “I ain’t the cook, or the cook’s son, but I’ll be the cook till the cook comes.” Sheldon is by survived by his older sister, Elaine Corbin and his children: Chris (Dan), Michael (Virginia), Lana (David), Jan (Rod), Carla (Michael), Kevin (Cathy), Kelly (Larry), Byron, and Tyler, his grandchildren: Jael, Aidan, Rowan, Daniel, Min, Adam, Kristian, Simon, Katie, Robyn, Amber, Parker, Brett, Spencer, Patrice, Nicola, Lucy, Kalee, Matthew and Melissa, and great grandchildren: Jett, Declan, Briar, Mia, Willow, Chase and Louie. Sheldon was predeceased by his wife, Joyce Rafuse, his daughter-in-law, Suellen Murray, his son, Graeme Trent Rafuse, his parents: Ira and Beulah Rafuse and siblings: Delphine, Rose, Dean, Lynn and Bonnie and Bruce. Arrangements to celebrate Sheldon’s life have been postponed and will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial donations to Shoreham Village, the Nova Scotia Salmon Association, or the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation. Arrangements have been entrusted to Serenity Funeral Home New Ross Funeral Chapel, 4935 Hwy #12, New Ross, B0J 2M0 (902-689-2961).

The My Tribute Gift Foundation (MTGF) is committed to preserving your privacy and maintaining the accuracy, confidentiality and security of your credit card and other personal information. This privacy policy describes the personal information MTGF collects by any means, including but not limited to our My Tribute Gift Memorial donor's portal pages and our website at https://mytributegift.org/privacy.html (each a “Site” and collectively the "Sites"), how we collect, use and safeguard that information, and the circumstances under which we may disclose it. By using one of our Sites or otherwise providing your personal information to us, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

What is personal information?

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, "personal information" is any information about an identifiable individual, other than an individual’s business title or business contact information. Personal information may include your name, address, age, credit card information, donation history and banking information, among other things. Personal information does not include information that cannot be associated with or tracked back to a specific individual.

What personal information does My Tribute Gift Foundation collect?

When you make a donation to a charity through one of MTGF's Memorial Pages, MTGF collects personal information directly from you in order to properly process your donation and be able to issue an official receipt for it, consistent with requirements of the CRA in Canada. MTGF also collects personal information from you in this manner to enable MTGF to contact you to confirm your donation and, in the case of a lost or missing receipt, to reissue you a receipt for your donation. This personal information consists of your name, address, phone number, email address, your credit card information, "acknowledgement" or "in memory of" information, recipient charity, your directions and notes to the recipient charity, and donation amount.

It is unlikely that MTGF will need to contact you, but we reserve the right in the event that we need to verify your personal information or to complete your donation. If you contact us by email or phone, we may ask you to verify your personal information so that we may respond to your inquiry. We may also collect personal information from emails, electronic messages and mail you send us, or from telephone conversations with you, for our use to complete your donation and to send you a receipt.

We collect credit card information from donors so that we can process donations. This information is maintained on a PCI-compliant and secure server that is managed by a third party contractor. We also use a credit card processing company to process donations. Where we transfer personal information to a third party contractor to handle or process on our behalf, we ensure the third party agrees to use such information solely as necessary to provide the services to us, and that the third party otherwise handles and safeguards such personal information in a manner that is compliant with this policy and the laws and regulations that apply to MTGF for the protection of personal information.

Sometimes our collection of personal information from you may happen automatically. We may use tracking technologies such as cookies, log files, and pixel tags to automatically collect information when users visit one of our Sites. Information we collect in this manner includes, but may not be limited to:

IP address to measure our website traffic and to help provide a more personalized experience;
Information regarding your browser and other technical specifications required to use our Sites;
Your transaction history relating to the use of our services;
Computer data or files, often called “cookies,” which may be sent by your web browser and stored on an individual computer to allow our server to “recognize” you through the navigation of our Sites; and
Computer data files, often called “web beacons” that are collected from emails or links on third-party sites that allow our server to evaluate the popularity of those links or the information contained in emails or on third-party sites.

We use this information to to improve our service offerings and to customize your experience using our Sites. For more information, see the “Cookies and Similar Technologies” section below.

How does MTGF Use Your Personal Information?

As explained above, MTGF uses your personal information to process your donation, issue an official receipt for it, and to contact you if necessary for those purposes. MTGF may also use your personal information to provide you with services and support, personalize user experiences on our Sites, perform analytics and system improvement, and compliance with our legal obligations.

MTGF does not retain, share, store or use personally identifiable information for any secondary purposes without your express consent.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

We may use cookies, pixel tags, and similar technologies to gather information about your use of our Sites to improve our service offerings and to customize your experience using our Sites.

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Cookies are small data files that help us keep track of your usage of our Sites. Many of the cookies we use enable the Site to function as you would expect it to. Cookies enable the Site to remember things like your login information (if any) and other personalized settings. Cookies also enable us to track and analyze user behavior in order to improve our Sites and service offerings. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies but you can choose to accept or decline certain types of cookies if you prefer. However, declining cookies may impact the functionality of the Site and in some cases you may not be able to access the functions of the Site. We may use the following categories of cookies on our Sites:

Session cookies
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Persistent cookies
Persistent cookies stay on the user’s hard drive until they expire, even after the browser is closed. Persistent cookies are useful for remembering things like login information, so users do not have to enter their password every time they visit the Site.

Clear GIFs

Clear GIFs (also called pixel tags or web beacons) are small files embedded in websites that tell us what content a user accesses and how users navigate our Sites. Clear GIFs enable us to track and analyze user behavior on our Sites in order to make them more intuitive and user friendly .

Protecting personal information.

MTGF protects the personal information it collects using physical, technical and administrative safeguards that are suitable given the sensitivity of the information. These safeguards help protect the personal information against loss or theft, unauthorized access, use, copying, disclosure and modification. When a donor is asked to enter personal information (such as contact information, address and credit card number) on one of our online forms, that information is encrypted and is protected using secure sockets layer (SSL) digital certificates. While on a secure page the lock icon on the bottom of Web browsers such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Firefox, becomes locked.

Only MTGF employees who need the information to perform a specific task are granted access to personally identifiable information. All MTGF employees are apprised of and agree to adhere to MTGF’s security and privacy practices.

Does MTGF Disclose Personal Information?

With your express consent, MTGF may disclose your name, contact information, "acknowledgement" or "in memory of" information, notes and directions and the amount you donated to your charity of choice, the funeral home and the deceased next-of-kin.

MTGF may disclose personal information when required by law, the CRA or other governmental authority, or if requested by a credit card issuer in case of a dispute.

In working with our service providers, your personal information may be accessible in, or transferred to, a foreign jurisdiction. Such information may be provided to law enforcement or national security authorities of that jurisdiction in order to comply with foreign laws.

Accuracy of Personal Information

We take reasonable steps to ensure the personal information we collect is accurate, complete and current as required for the purposes for which the information is collected. You have the right to view and update your personal information or ask us to delete it at any time. Simply send your detailed request to us using our contact information provided below.

Retention of Personal Information

We retain personal information only as long as it is required for the reasons it was collected for. The length of time we retain information varies, depending on the purpose and the nature of the information. When your personal information is no longer required for these purposes, the information is either physically destroyed or deleted.

Children

We do not knowingly collect personal information about individuals under the age of consent in their jurisdiction of residence without the consent of their parent or guardian. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from such an individual without the consent of his or her parent or guardian, we will reasonable efforts to enable us to promptly delete such information from our database.

For EU Residents

The vast majority of our donors are Canadians. However, while we do not target our services to individuals outside of Canada, some of our individual donors may be residents of the European Economic Area (“EEA”). For the benefit of such users, we handle their personal data in accordance with applicable EU data protection laws and regulations, including the EU GDPR. Subject to certain exemptions set out in the GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to the Personal information we hold about you:

The right to access and inspect your personal information or to be provided with a permanent copy of the information being held about you;
The right to request the correction of any inaccuracies in your personal information or where the accuracy of information is disputed, to add additional information to give notice that you dispute the accuracy of the information content;
The right to request the erasure of your personal information, particularly where the continued processing of the information is no longer necessary;
The right to object to the processing of your personal information, particularly where there are no longer sufficient legitimate grounds for us to continue processing the information;
The right to restrict processing, data portability and the right to appeal any automated decision making or profiling; and
The right to complain to a Data Protection Regulator about our processing of your personal information.

If you are a resident of the EEA, our legal basis for collecting and using the personal information described in this privacy policy will depend on the personal information concerned and the specific context in which we collect it.

However, we will normally collect personal information from you where the processing is in our legitimate commercial interests which are not overridden by your protection interests or fundamental rights and freedoms. Typically, our legitimate interests include: providing our services, facilitating our security safeguards, and defending legal claims.

If you use our services, we may need your personal information to perform a contract with you. In some limited cases, we may be under a legal obligation to collect, use or disclose your personal information, such as disclosure required by court order.

Where we rely specifically on express consent to collect and process your personal information, you are not obliged to provide your consent and you may subsequently withdraw your consent once it has been provided. It should be noted however that this may limit your experience with our resources and services.

If you have any questions about or need further information concerning the legal basis on which we collect and use your personal information, please contact us at the address provided below.

Withdrawing Your Consent

You may withdraw your consent to our collection, use or disclosure of your personal information at any time. Simply contact us as set out below with your request.

Changes to our Privacy Policy:

MTGF reserves the right to change its Privacy Policy and, in the event, will post those changes so that donors are always aware of what information we collect, how we collect, use and safeguard it, and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it. Please check this web page regularly to ensure you are aware of our current Privacy Policy. Your continued use of one of our Sites or your continued provision of your personal information to us by any means whatsoever constitutes your agreement to our then-current Privacy Policy.

Contacting MTGF:

MTGF works hard to ensure that your giving experience is a positive one. If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of MTGF, or your dealings with our Websites, please contact:

My Tribute Gift Foundation
info@mytributegift.org
Telephone: 1-855-355-8141
Privacy Policy as of May 2023.

The My Tribute Gift Foundation (MTGF) is committed to preserving your privacy and maintaining the accuracy, confidentiality and security of your credit card and other personal information. This privacy policy describes the personal information MTGF collects by any means, including but not limited to our My Tribute Gift Memorial donor's portal pages and our website at https://mytributegift.org/privacy.html (each a “Site” and collectively the "Sites"), how we collect, use and safeguard that information, and the circumstances under which we may disclose it. By using one of our sites or otherwise providing your personal information to us, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

What is personal information?

What personal information does My Tribute Gift Foundation collect?

When you make a donation to a charity through one of MTGF's Memorial Pages, MTGF collects personal information directly from you in order to properly process your donation and be able to issue an official receipt for it, consistent with requirements of the IRS in the U.S.. MTGF also collects personal information from you in this manner to enable MTGF to contact you to confirm your donation and, in the case of a lost or missing receipt, to reissue you a receipt for your donation. This personal information consists of your name, address, phone number, email address, your credit card information, "acknowledgement" or "in memory of" information, recipient charity, your directions and notes to the recipient charity, and donation amount.

IP address to measure our website traffic and to help provide a more personalized experience;
Information regarding your browser and other technical specifications required to use our Sites;
Your transaction history relating to the use of our services;
Computer data or files, often called “cookies,” which may be sent by your web browser and stored on an individual computer to allow our server to “recognize” you through the navigation of our Sites; and
Computer data files, often called “web beacons” that are collected from emails or links on third-party sites that allow our server to evaluate the popularity of those links or the information contained in emails or on third-party sites.

We use this information to improve our service offerings and to customize your experience using our Sites. For more information, see the “Cookies and Similar Technologies” section below.

How does MTGF Use Your Personal Information?

MTGF does not retain, share, store or use personally identifiable information for any secondary purposes without your express consent.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

We may use cookies, pixel tags, and similar technologies to gather information about your use of our Sites to improve our service offerings and to customize your experience using our Sites.

Cookies

Session cookies
Session cookies are stored on the user’s hard drive temporarily and are deleted when the user ends the browsing session. Session cookies are useful for things like keeping items in a shopping cart while the user continues to browse.
Persistent cookies
Persistent cookies stay on the user’s hard drive until they expire, even after the browser is closed. Persistent cookies are useful for remembering things like login information, so users do not have to enter their password every time they visit the Site.

Clear GIFs

Protecting personal information.

Does MTGF Disclose Personal Information?

MTGF may disclose personal information when required by law, the IRS or other governmental authority, or if requested by a credit card issuer in case of a dispute.

Accuracy of Personal Information

Retention of Personal Information

Children

For EU Residents

The vast majority of our donors are Americans. However, while we do not target our services to individuals outside of the United States, some of our individual donors may be residents of the European Economic Area (“EEA”). For the benefit of such users, we handle their personal data in accordance with applicable EU data protection laws and regulations, including the EU GDPR. Subject to certain exemptions set out in the GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to the Personal information we hold about you:

The right to access and inspect your personal information or to be provided with a permanent copy of the information being held about you;
The right to request the correction of any inaccuracies in your personal information or where the accuracy of information is disputed, to add additional information to give notice that you dispute the accuracy of the information content;
The right to request the erasure of your personal information, particularly where the continued processing of the information is no longer necessary;
The right to object to the processing of your personal information, particularly where there are no longer sufficient legitimate grounds for us to continue processing the information;
The right to restrict processing, data portability and the right to appeal any automated decision making or profiling; and
The right to complain to a Data Protection Regulator about our processing of your personal information.

It is important to note that the rights set out above are not unconditional and the specific circumstances of the processing being undertaken by us will determine if these rights may be exercised. Further information concerning these rights and their application can be obtained by residents of the EEA by contacting us at the address provided below.
If you are a resident of the EEA, our legal basis for collecting and using the personal information described in this privacy policy will depend on the personal information concerned and the specific context in which we collect it.

If you have any questions about or need further information concerning the legal basis on which we collect and use your personal information, please contact us at the address provided below.

Withdrawing Your Consent

You may withdraw your consent to our collection, use or disclosure of your personal information at any time. Simply contact us as set out below with your request.

For California Residents: Your California Privacy Rights

Access and Correction Rights

California Civil Code § 1798.83 permits users that are California residents to request certain information regarding our disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. To make such a request, please contact us via the contact information provided below.

Do Not Track Signals

Our Sites do not respond to browsers’ Do Not Track signals.

Changes to our Privacy Policy:

Contacting MTGF:

MyTributeGift Foundation
info@mytributegift.org
Telephone: 1-855-355-8141
Privacy Policy as of May 2023.

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Does MTGF Disclose Personal Information?

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For EU Residents

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Changes to our Privacy Policy:

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What is personal information?

What personal information does My Tribute Gift Foundation collect?

How does MTGF Use Your Personal Information?

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Clear GIFs

Protecting personal information.

Does MTGF Disclose Personal Information?

Accuracy of Personal Information

Retention of Personal Information

Children

For EU Residents

Withdrawing Your Consent

For California Residents: Your California Privacy Rights

Access and Correction Rights

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