Death Café

deathcafe

I had heard of the term Death Café from an industry blogger that I follow. The idea of a gathering of people getting together to discuss death was rather intriguing to me. I have to admit that I could not guess what a meeting like that could be like… the idea was rather macabre. Would people have questions about planning for their death? What sort of person would attend a meeting where the topic was Continue reading

Winter Burials at the Cemetery

When a death occurs in the winter it is a perfectly natural question for a family to ask if it will affect the ground burial of their loved one.   The answer depends on the location of the cemetery.  Most cemeteries in the country today have the technology to dig a grave in all kinds of conditions.  Those in the northern climates may experience difficulty in getting through the frozen ground.  I work near the 40th Continue reading

How Do You Pick a Cemetery?

“How do you pick a cemetery?”  The question is a good one.  It is important to make the right choice since you will end up being there forever.  There are personal and logistical elements to be considered when making the choice.  If something is not considered, then your choice could turn from good to bad. My advice is for you to meditate on what you would like your final place of rest to look like.  Continue reading

What is it Like to Work with Families?

Most people consider my occupation to be macabre; some even it think it gross.  They believe that I work with dead bodies and cannot fathom how I can possibly stand it.  Their feelings about my occupation are merely a reflection of their personal feelings.  They truly misunderstand what it is that I do. My job, though it entails planning for someone that is deceased, is not actually working with them, but actually with those who Continue reading

Thoughts at the End of the Year

As we prepare to watch the ball drop on Times Square signifying the end of another year we take time to reflect on the year ending and the new year beginning.  When I do this regarding the business I am in, thoughts turn to the families I serve. One family I served was arranging for the burial of their only child.  He was an adult that had not reached middle age.  The parents have remarked Continue reading

A Remembrance Garden

Being able to get back outside is one of the great benefits of Spring.  Getting outside also means tasks to be accomplished outside, including mowing grass and tilling the garden.  It brings to mind that though I am far from capable of doing such a thing, I have always wanted to plan a special outside place that myself or someone else could visit and reflect on the life of my father. Planning the design would Continue reading

Frequently Asked Questions

There are many questions associated with funeral and burial that I am asked on a daily basis.  As food for thought I will answer ten of them here. 1. Is payment in full required for burial to occur? Yes.  One of the major reasons to make and pay for arrangements in advance is to prevent financial hardship at the time of death. 2. What are my choices in ground burial? There are single graves and Continue reading

Social Media- A New Area to Consider When Preplanning

I had a conversation a few months back with a Huber Heights City Commissioner who is also an attorney.  We were discussing various issues regarding end of life planning when he related a story about his brother. His brother had a profuse online presence.  He had many email accounts, social media accounts and the like, but there was one area that my friend noted a particularly large outpouring of grief and sentiment that my friend Continue reading

Why Pre-plan?

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Two thirds of the time I meet with the wife to make the burial arrangements for her husband. They had either neglected to make arrangements in advance or they purposely avoided the issue.  Now she is faced with making the arrangements without him and may be facing needless anxiety and guilt.  Not to mention the cost. Planning arrangements in advance though not the most popular of activities is one of the most important.  There are Continue reading

Why I Do What I Do

Everyday I help families make hard decisions at the worst time of their lives.  The loss of a loved one is never easy, and having been through the experience several times in my personal life, I can empathize with each and every family.  Also, I recognize that every family’s situation is unique, and though all the questions that must be answered are the same, each answer is different respective to each family. I am sometimes Continue reading