When tragedy struck, Sharon Joyeau turned her painful experience into a lifelong commitment to help others secure their family’s financial future.

Sharon and her husband Ancil planned to spend the rest of their lives together. They planned to have children, planned to get a big house with a white picket fence, planned to live the American dream. As Sharon remembers, “We spoke about growing old together — but we never spoke about death and dying. It was too morbid a conversation and it was too frightening to think about. We certainly never spoke about life insurance. It was never even a thought.”

Ancil was never sick a day in his life. Then, on October 13, 1994, after a routine check-up, Ancil was diagnosed with stomach cancer. He fought for 11 months, but lost his battle on September 13, 1995. Ancil was the primary breadwinner

Sharon Joyeau, New York Life agent, and son Shaquille and, when he died, Sharon quickly realized she was in trouble. Not only was she mourning the death of a wonderful husband, but she also had to find money to pay for his burial. On top of that, she also had to pay the bills and take care of their son Shaquille on her minimal income. Nothing was set aside for her child’s college education, her retirement, or even the payment of the mortgage.

Sharon believes that things happen in our lives for a reason. After her husband’s death, she decided to turn a negative situation into a positive one. Having learned that life insurance could have covered many of the burial and life planning costs, she became a life insurance agent to help other families avoid ending up in the same unfortunate situation that she had been in. Sharon says, “My desire is to reach as many people as possible and to help them understand the benefits of life insurance. Having life insurance protection is the most unselfish thing anyone can do for the people they love.”

“Many people are focused on living the American Dream,” says Sharon, “but if they fail to secure that dream, they can lose it very quickly.” Sharon’s mission is to help preserve a generation by helping her community give their children the opportunities they deserve in the event of a parent’s premature death. She relates to people who live paycheck to paycheck, who otherwise might not be able to provide a secured financial future for their loved ones. After all, she has been there herself. Sharon explains, “Life insurance can help provide peace of mind, knowing your finances are in order.”

In her wildest dreams, Sharon never imagined that she would become a life insurance agent. “But,” she says, “I honestly love my career and love what I do,” because she helps people make “life altering decisions” that can help them secure peace of mind about their family’s financial future.

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