Francois Jacques has shown great resilience in the face of deep sadness.

Among the first on the scene in the Lac-Megantic rail disaster last summer, he’s faced scores of personal and professional challenges since, testing him again and again.

“First we heard what sounded like a low flying plane about to crash,” he said, recalling the horrific night. “After that, we heard an explosion.”

He watched as a part of his 67-year-old family business, Jacques et fils funeral home, burned.

“We saw the building already starting to ignite, with smoke pouring out,” he said.

He wanted to run in and save the urns, but the danger was too great.

The funeral home faces the downtown core, where black smoke billowed and an inferno raged as dozens of derailed tanker cars piled up.

“I still see those images, you know. I still see the trains that were in the parking lot,” he recalled. “I'd say I was here three, four minutes and then the texting began. My wife was at home.”

His wife Dominik was too ill to join him because she was being treated for brain cancer. Jacques had no good news to give her.

In an instant, the funeral director's professional and personal life collided with devastating force. While he lost many good friends, he was also the one who laid them to rest.

“We decided to give the funerals because I thought it was important for the community and for all the people affected,” he said.

Jacques took on the funeral costs for 25 victims, his professional experience with death providing no comfort.

“We're familiar with it but when it happens to you, you leave your comfort zone. It's not the same. It's completely different,” he said.

Weakened by cancer, his wife Dominik was devastated.

“When it happened, she lost even more strength,” he said.

Only 6 months later, on Jan. 5, Dominik died. She was 40 years old, and left behind a 16-year-old son.

Francois Jacques now is faced with the task of rebuilding everything, a difficult battle.

The new funeral home is going up, but with much of his own money,

Rebuilding his spirits though, is the tough part, he said.

“You have to look ahead at tomorrow. You can't focus on what happened yesterday,” he said.