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End of Life Ethics - March 9, 2023

ICE Binder Lunch & Learn Session 1: September 8th Session 2: September 15th

I have only been in the funeral profession for a short time so I am continuously learning from the funeral professionals at our funeral homes.  The customs of today are very different from the customs of long ago as well as the not so distant past. It wasn’t more than...

The need to arrange a funeral is not an everyday occurrence for the average person.  There are many people who have never encountered a death and had the necessity to organize a funeral.  Which brings up the question – “What happens after my loved one dies?”  This can...

Our reactions to funerals vary from person to person.  Often, people are uncomfortable and unsure of what to say, how to act and what to wear.  There are so many variables that go into what is appropriate for funeral/ memorial service etiquette.  Traditions in the...

After a death has occurred there are many ways to honor the life that person lived.  What is important to remember is that participating in the final goodbye is acknowledging that there is a place in this world that the person filled and no one else can fill that...

These days we have everything at our finger tips.  It is more and more common for people to use a credit or debit card for purchases rather than cash or checks.  We are just a click away from learning, purchasing and/ or donating.  We have gotten away from the days...

The other day a new friend commented that they thought it would be sad to work at a funeral home.  I said that while it is true that it is sad when someone dies, it is also true that we celebrate lives.  Yes, we mourn their death, but we are all so much more than our...

“Grief never ends… but it changes.  It is a passage, not a place to stay.  Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith… it is the price of love.” – Author Unknown We have all experienced grief in one way or another and it is very different for each person....

Fifteen years ago my mother died.  She had been sick for about 9 months, but we weren’t prepared - in any way.  I knew she was miserable on a good day, she had a DNR (do not resuscitate) and she was in and out of the hospital so many times.  I was living in Wheeling...