ICCFA Magazine January 2017

January 2017
ICCFA Magazine
MAGAZINE
CEMETERY
CREMATION
FUNERAL
How Hillier Cremation

Chapel creates an
experience for families
Lemasters: 3 times to
call an attorney (and 3
times you dont have to)
Stansbury: Why denial
of grief doesnt work
OSullivan & Shipper on
growth through preneed
Building your winning
preneed trust team
The arrival of the
remembrance revolution
Report from Memphis
Isard on getting your
combo to generate sales
Van Beck on avoiding
avoidable problems
OSHAs new silica regs
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Inside: Program for the ICCFA Annual Convention & Expo

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April 5-8, 2017
speakers on every aspect

of the funeral, cemetery
& cremation profession
11 uninterrupted Expo hours
Resolve to make 2017

great for sales: Sign up
for Wide World of Sales
January 11-13
Apply for a scholarship
to attend ICCFAU 2017
www.iccfa.com
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JANUARY 2017
International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association
Promoting consumer choices, prearrangement and open competition
Providing exceptional education, networking and legislative guidance and support
to progressive cemetery, funeral and cremation professionals worldwide
ICCFA 2017 Annual

Convention & Expo
91 Welcome
92 Special events
94 Keynote speakers
95 Breakout sessions
108 Registration form
Kyle Incardona and HIllier Cremation Chapel, which provides personalized services
for cremation families. Story, page 34.
12 Presidents Letter
The value of membership

by Mike Uselton, CCFE
14 Washington Report
Federal Court blocks new overtime
regs nationwide;
ICCFA begins new era in lobbying
by Robert M. Fells, Esq.
64 Supply Line
76 Update

76 G.A.R. Cemetery remembers
British cadets who trained in
Oklahoma, helps one cadets son
lay questions to rest

80 Rose Hill Cemetery celebrates
150th anniversary, plans for the
future with a new cremation garden

82 Michigan Memorial Park
celebrates 90th anniversary

83 New funeral service program
at Texas College
16 management/legal
3 times to call an attorney (and 3 times you dont have to)

Calling a lawyer never seems to top the list of things people like to
do. But sometimes its a good idea; sometimes a call now will save
you headaches and money later. Other times you can handle things
yourself. Here are some guidelines about when to make that call.
by Poul Lemasters, Esq.
20 celebrants/grief
Funeral gardening 101: Grief grows when its not expressed Some
people dont want a service for their loved one because they think
funerals are too sad. If you dont have a service, you wont be sad,
right? WRONG. Grief will not be denied, and its our jobs to help
families understand this and to deliver services that do right by them.
by Glenda Stansbury, CC, CFSP
28 preneed sales success
Creating growth with preneed sales: Change & comfort are

incompatible Are you ready for the future? Are you sure your funeral
home or cemetery has a future? There is a way to deal with the

January 2017
VOLUME 77/NUMBER 1
ICCFA officers
Michael Uselton, CCFE, president
Scott R. Sells, CCFE, president-elect

Jay D. Dodds, CFSP, vice president
Gary M. Freytag, CCFE, vice president
Paul Goldstein, vice president
Christine Toson Hentges, CCE,
vice president
Richard O. Baldwin Jr. CCE, treasurer
Robbie L. Pape, secretary
Robert M. Fells, Esq., executive director &
general counsel
Katherine Devins, communications & member services manager

kd@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1224
Jason Brown, communications assistant
jason@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1224
Magazine staff
Robert M. Fells, Esq., executive director &

publisher
robertfells@iccfa.com ; 1.800.645.7700, ext.
1212
Rick Platter, supplier relations manager

rplatter@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1213
Brenda Clough, office administrator

& association liaison
bclough@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1214
Susan Loving, managing editor

sloving@iccfa.com; slovingiccfa@yahoo.com
ICCFA Magazine
Daniel Osorio, subscription coordinator

(habla espaol)
danielo@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1215
ICCFA Magazine (ISSN 1936-2099) is published
by the International Cemetery, Cremation and
Funeral Association, 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite
100, Sterling, VA 20164-4468; 703.391.8400;
FAX 703.391.8416; www.iccfa.com. Published
10 times per year, with combined issues in
March-April and August-September. Periodicals
postage paid at Sterling, VA, and other offices.
Copyright 2017 by the International Cemetery,
Cremation and Funeral Association. Subscription

rates: In the United States, $39.95; in Canada,
$45.95; overseas: $75.95. One subscription is
included in annual membership dues. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ICCFA
Magazine, 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100,
Sterling, VA 20164-4468. Individual written
contributions, commentary and advertisements
appearing in ICCFA Magazine do not necessarily
reflect either the opinion or the endorsement
of the International Cemetery, Cremation and
Funeral Association.
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
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T A BLE OF CO N TE N TS
1 13 New Members, Classifieds
1 14 Ad Index, Calendar
ICCFA news
109 Two-day cremation training with
ICCFA & CANA

January 17-18, 2017
109 ICCFA offering celebrant training
in Nashville, Tennessee
April 3-5, 2017
109 Get your 2017 music licensing
before January 31
110 Last call to attend the 2017
ICCFA Wide World of Sales
January 11-13, 2017
Thank you to our 2017 sponsors
111 Where ancient ruins and modern
ideas converge
112 ICCFA Annual Meeting of Members
April 6, 2017
Thank you to our 2017
annual sponsors
www.iccfa.com
ICCFA Magazine online
ICCFA members in good
standing can read the magazine online
Web Expo directory of suppliers and
professionals
Association directory
Industry event calendar
Model guidelines
ICCFA Government and Legal Affairs
Committees model guidelines for state laws
and regulations
ICCFA Caf
Links to news and feature stories from all over
the world
Cremation Coaching Center
www.iccfa.com/cremation
n To apply for ICCFA membership:
Download an application at
www.iccfa.com or call 1.800.645.7700
f
8
Check us out on Facebook!

Like us and friend
ICCFA Staff.
ICCFA Magazine
inexorable rise in cremation and its impact on revenues: Increase

your market share.
by David Shipper and Gary OSullivan, CCFE
32 management/financial
Building a winning team for handling your preneed trust

Whether youre running a football team or a funeral or cemetery
trust, if you want to be successful, you need to select the right
players and then make sure they work well together.
by William H. Bill Williams Jr., LFD
34 cremation/service to families
How Hillier Cremation Chapel helps families say goodbye

What does it mean to embrace the future of funeral service? For
Kyle Incardona at Hillier Funeral Home, it means not only using
the label funeral, cremation & bereavement specialists, but also
making those words meaningful. And it means fully meeting the
needs of cremation families.
interview by Susan Loving
48 professional development
The keys to service: Avoidable problems

Some problems when youre dealing with a funeral or cemetery service
are unavoidable; you simply cant control everything. But some are.
Make sure youre taking steps to avoid the problems you can, and that
youre not creating any for yourself.
by Todd W. Van Beck, CFuE
52 Management
Cemetery Impossible: Why isnt my combo generating advance

sales? Combination funeral-cemetery operations can be beneficial
not only for consumers but also for owners. But dont make the
mistake of thinking that cemeteries and funeral homes should be
managed the same way.
by Daniel M. Isard, MSFS
54 Management/safety
What OSHAs new regulations for silica mean for cemeteries

Are your employees trained and equipped in compliance with
the new OSHA regulations covering silica dust? If not, stop that
landscaping and monument work, read this and make sure your
employees and your organization are protected.
by Shannon DeCamp
58 professional development
Report from Memphis: Learning & networking at ICCFA

University Whats it like attending ICCFA University? Its the
ultimate summer school for funeral cemetery and cremation
professionals. Its a combination of concentrated study with experts
in the profession and networking that bonds students and makes
them want to return to Memphis and keep learning.
by Gail Rubin, CT, CC
62 Technology
The remembrance revolution has arrived Technology will likely

enable our descendents to know way more about us than we know
about our ancestors. What will we want them to see?
by Steven Waldman
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ICCFA calendar
go to www.iccfa.com for program, registration & scholarship info
2017 Wide World of Sales

Conference
January 11-13, Hyatt Regency,

Phoenix, Arizona, Conference Chairs:
Andy Lopez and Stan Engh
2017 Cremation Certification
January 17-18, ICCFA arranger training

January 17; CANA operator training January
18; Baldwin Fairchild Funeral Home, Orlando,
Florida
February 28-March 1, ICCFA arranger training February 28, ICCFA operator training March 1, Mid-America
College of Funeral Service, Jeffersonville, Indiana
ICCFA Cremation Programs Coordinator Poul Lemasters,
Esq.
2017 Annual Convention
& Exposition
April 5-8, Renaissance Nashville &

the Omni Nashville, Tennessee,
Conference Chairs: Mitch Rose, CCFE,
and Nctar L. Ramrez
2017 Cremation Certification
May 24-25, CANA operator training May 24,

ICCFA arranger traning May 25; Wilbert Funeral
Services, Broadview, Illinois
June 7-8, ICCFA arranger training June 7,
ICCFA operator training June 8;
Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service, Decatur, Georgia
July 11-12, ICCFA arranger training July 11,
ICCFA operator traning July 12;
Dallas Institute of Funeral Service, Texas
July 18-19, ICCFA arranger training July 18,
CANA operator traning July 19;
Cincinnanti College of Mortuary Science, Ohio
ICCFA Cremation Programs Coordinator Poul Lemasters,
Esq.
2017 ICCFA University
July 20-26 Fogelman Conference Center,

Memphis, Tennessee
Chancellor: Jeff Kidwiler, CCE, CSE
Cemeteries Crematories Funeral homes Suppliers Pet loss professionals
Submit your news to ICCFA Magazine
Whats going on at your organization?

Have you held a groundbreaking or grand opening for a new facility?
Hired or promoted someone?
Is your company offering a new or updated product to cemeteries and/or funeral homes?
Have you recently held an unusual service or a successful seminar at your location?
Added a grief therapy dog to your staff?
Share your news with colleagues all over the worldsend it in to ICCFA Magazine!
Its a simple way to receive some well-deserved publicity for you & your staff & to share ideas with peers.
Heres how to get your news in ICCFA Magazine:

n Write it down. It doesnt have to be written perfectly (thats why we have editors)it just needs to include the
facts. Remember the basics: Who, What, Where, When & How (and sometimes Why).
n Send it in:
Email your Word document or pdf as an attachment to sloving@iccfa.com, or write your release in the body of
your email. Please include your full name and title and the companys name and location in the body of your email.
If your email is a large file and bounces back, send it to slovingiccfa@yahoo.com.
Photoshigh-resolution, RGB jpgscan be emailed. Photos must be suitable for magazine printing, not for use
on the internet. Make sure your e-mail program isnt helping you by maximizing photos for emailing (that means
its reducing the resolution). If youre scanning in glossies, they must be scanned in at a minimum of 300 dpi at the
size they are to be printed. If youre not sure if your photos are high-resolution, please check. A 10k headshot is not
high-resolution. A 100k photo of your event is not high-resolution. We want you to look good in print!
Questions? Need some guidance?
Email ICCFA Magazine Managing Editor Susan Loving at sloving@iccfa.com.
10
ICCFA Magazine
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Presidents Letter
by ICCFICCFICCFICCFA
2016-2017
President Michael
Uselton, CCFE
muselton
@kays-ponger.com
Uselton is a managing partner of Gibraltar
Remembrance Services,
Palmetto, Florida.
To support Useltons goal

of raising $100,000 to help
fight lung cancer, todays
#1 killer of women, go to
www.iccfa.com/lungforce
12
ICCFA Magazine
The value of membership
any of you reading this magazine are

members, but this particular issue
is also being read by many funeral,
cemetery and cremation professionals who are
not yet members of the ICCFA. In either case,
I have a question for you: What resources are
important to you for achieving your personal or
business goals?
The ICCFA offers unparalled member benefits
as compared to any other death-care association,
period. Whether its complimentary telephone
consultations with our legal team about taxes,
labor law, cremation or fraud investigation, or
perhaps the Cremation Hotline, the ICCFA is
here to protect your interests. How many of you
have taken advantage of the complimentary
review of your general price lists and statement of
goods and services? You cant afford not to take
advantage of this member benefit!
Behind the scenes, our Governmental Affairs
Committee and its hired lobbyists are here to
protect your interests against efforts to restrict
your right to market to and protect families with
end-of-life offerings. Your voice is heard, and the
ICCFA represents you well on Capitol Hill.
As I prepare this letter, I am with other ICCFA
members in Antigua, Guatemala, representing our
association at ALPARs Multicultural Symposium
of the Cemetery and Funeral Industry. Many
other groups from around the globe, including
FIAT-IFTA and associations from Japan, China
and Australia, are also here. The synergy between
the ICCFA and these other associations leads
us all to be more competitive through joint
activities that promote training and integration.
Our international influence continues to grow,
which will benefit all members in expanding their
networking and resources.
There are many member benefits that
add value to our organizations, including
discounted music and webcasting licenses,
certification programs for all segments of our
profession, optional membership in the Pet Loss
Professionals Alliance and the Jewish Funeral
Directors of America, and discounted rates
for The System, a preneed sales management
program, just to name a few.
So, lets talk about the dollar value of being
a member of the ICCFA. Being a member of
a worldwide association that covers funeral,
cemetery, cremation and pet loss professionals,
all included in one fee, offers the best value of
any association. As I have said before: Do the

math. Compare the cost of getting all of the
ICCFAs benefits via other national associations
in an la carte menu and add it up. You will
be shocked to see the dollar savings that being
an ICCFA member brings to your bottom line.
And, more important, these benefits are at your
fingertips through just one membership. Speaking
for myself, our companys membership covers all
aspects of what we do, giving us one association
where we can turn for guidance and resources.
If you are not a member, you can get started
by joining at an introductory one-year rate of
$245. Yes, you read that correctly. I personally
guarantee that making use of the benefits
membership includes will far outweigh the cost of
your dues.
Put Nashville on your calendar
Make your plans now to attend the 2017 ICCFA

Convention & Expo at the Music City Center in
Nashville, Tennessee, April 5-8. Listen to a wide
variety of speakers who will help you improve
your organization; experience the friendly and
collegial networking the ICCFA is known for;
spend time in the Expo Hall with the suppliers
who can show you their latest offerings; and
enjoy a city full of entertaining options. The
Omni and Renaissance hotels sit right in the
middle of the action, in the birthplace of country
music and music row.
Keep fighting lung cancer
Once again, a heartfelt thank-you to all who

have participated by contributing toward our
Lung Force fundraising goal. My family has
been touched by all those who have made a
difference in defeating the #1 killer of women
today. People from Washington, D.C., to Ireland
have participated in benefit runs. I have seen
Lung Force wristband drives and raffles for gift
baskets. All efforts contribute toward awareness
and are appreciated. Thank you.
See you in Nashville!
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Washington Report
by ICCFICCFICCFICCFA General Counsel
Robert M. Fells, Esq.
robertfells@iccfa.com
1.800.645.7700, ext. 1212
direct line: 703.391.8401
Fells is ICCFA execu-
tive director and general

counsel, responsible for
maintaining and improving
relationships with federal and state government
agencies, the news media,
consumer organizations and related trade
associations.
More about this topic
ICCFA 2017 Convention & Expo,
April 5-8, Nashville, Tennessee.

Join Fells and additional experts for the
annual Legal & Legislative Roundup,
The panel will provide up-to-date information and answer audience questions about
regulation, taxes, labor law and litigation.
www.iccfa.com
More from this author
Why we vote. A series of
articles on the importance of
engagement in the democratic
process in the United States.
www.iccfa.com
Funeral Radio. ICCFA General Counsel

Robert Fells, Esq., talks about legal and
legislative issues affecting funeral, cemetery and cremation businesses at
www.funeralradio.com
More resources
Wireless. ICCFA members, send us
your email address and well send you
our bi-weekly electronic newsletter full of
breaking news.
14
ICCFA Magazine
Federal court blocks new

overtime regs nationwide
n early holiday gift was given to

businesses nationwide when just
before Thanksgiving a U.S. District
Court in Texas granted an injunction to block
controversial new overtime regulations issued
by the Department of Labor (DOL) from
going into effect on December 1, 2016. The
new regulations are suspended pending a
final judgment by the court.
In March 2014, President Obama directed
the DOL to modernize and streamline
overtime regulations that were first published
in 1938 but amended several times since
then. Subsequently, DOL announced that
effective December 1, 2016, newly amended
regulations would increase the minimum
salary level for exempt employees from $455
per week ($23,660 annually) to $921 per
week ($47,892 annually). The new salary
level is based upon the 40th percentile of
weekly earnings of full-time salaried workers
in the lowest wage region of the country,
which is currently the South. The final
rule also establishes an automatic updating

mechanism that adjusts the minimum salary
level every three years. The first automatic
increase was to occur on January 1, 2020.
The 20-page memorandum issued by the
federal court strongly suggests that it believes
plaintiffs had met the necessary judicial
standards to overturn the overtime regulations
as unconstitutional. However, as a practical
matter, the court limited its ruling to issuing
a temporary injunction to maintain the status
quo until the issues could be adjudicated on
the merits. Interestingly, the judge, Amos L.
Mazzant, was appointed by President Obama.
Whatever the eventual decision of the
district court, the ruling can be appealed to
the federal appellate court and, ultimately, to
the U.S. Supreme Court.
However, given the new emphasis
on regulations by the incoming Trump
administration, the DOL may not be
interested in pursuing an appeal to an adverse
judgment against the regulations.
r
ICCFA begins new era in lobbying
ollowing perhaps the most contentious

election in living memory, the new 115th
Congress convenes in early January 2017
with Republicans in the majority in both the
Senate and the House. However, most votes
are not strictly along party lines, that is, some
Democrats vote with the Republicans and
some Republicans vote with the Democrats.
The chief advantage for the party having
majority control is that it appoints the chairs
of the many congressional committees. The
chairs in turn decide on the agenda of their
respective committees. This means that they
determine which bills are considered, voted
on, and forwarded to the full house for a vote.
This also means that the chairs decide which
bills are ignored, not considered and never
voted on.
The ICCFA leadership has foreseen the
challenges of the new Congress and has
decided to reinforce its highly effective
government relations program by hiring
the savvy Washington, D.C., lobbying firm
Dykema. This firm will work closely with
the ICCFA Government and Legal Affairs
Committee under the coordination of
Executive Director and General Counsel Bob

Fells. The immediate objective of Dykema
is to consolidate the ICCFAs position as
the go to trade association for cemetery,
funeral and cremation issues. The ICCFA
is unique among all the trade associations
representing funeral service in that its voting
members represent all segments of the funeral
profession.
The new year will bring many issues
affecting ICCFA members, including the
anticipated review of the FTC Funeral
Rule. It is certain that federal scrutiny of
the cemetery and funeral profession will
continue, and likely will increase. The
facts tell the tale: from the year of the
first Congress in 1789 through 2000, no
legislation directly affecting funeral homes
and cemeteries had ever been introduced
into Congress. However, since 2001 to the
present, four separate bills seeking the federal
regulation of funeral service have been
introduced and have been in play for over
ten of those years. The ICCFA is stepping up
its game because the federal government is
doing likewise.
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loved one.
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MANAGEMENT/LEGAL
Calling a lawyer never seems to top the list of things

people like to do. But sometimes its a good idea;
sometimes a call now will save you headaches and money later.
Other times you can handle things yourself.
Here are some guidelines about when to make that call.

513.407.8114
poul@lemastersconsulting.com
ICCFA Magazine author spotlight

Lemasters is principal of Lemasters
Consulting, Cincinnati, Ohio.

www.lemastersconsulting.com
He is the ICCFAs cremation program
coordinator and special cremation counsel.
He is an attorney and funeral director,

graduated from the Cincinnati College of
Mortuary Science in 1996 and from Northern Kentucky University, Chase College of
Law, in 2003. He is licensed as a funeral
director and embalmer in Ohio and West
Virginia and admitted to practice law in
Ohio and Kentucky.

Learn more from Lemasters at these
sessions:
Crisis communication management:
What to do when your brand or profession
becomes headline news (p. 100)
iCremation: A legal look at the online
world of cremation (p. 103)
Anatomy of a first call (p. 106)
ICCFA membership benefit

Lemasters is the ICCFAs cremation
program coordinator and special

cremation legal counsel. ICCFA members in good standing may call him to
discuss cremation-related legal issues
for up to 20 minutes at no charge to the
member. The association pays for this
service via an exclusive retainer.
Lemasters also provides, to ICCFA members in good standing, free GPL reviews to
check for Funeral Rule compliance.
Go to www.iccfa.com to the Cremation Support section, where you can post a

question for Lemasters to answer.
16
ICCFA Magazine
3 times to call an attorney
(and 3 times you dont have to)
o one ever likes to call an attorney.

I guess it has to do with the hourly
fee and the fact that the clock starts
ticking as soon as the phone rings. (Wait,
do I hear my phone ringing?) Nevertheless,
there are times when biting the bullet and
making that call can go a long way to
saving you money later. But how do you
know when its one of those times?
This article is not an attempt to get you
to call me, or another attorney. Dont get
me wrong, I love you guys and always
welcome a call, but what I want to address
is how to make the right call about whether
to make that call. In fact, this article is about
when to call and when not to call. That
sounds like a good deal, doesnt it? And Im
not charging you anything right now!
The first examples discuss some times
when you should call an attorney. Youd
think it would be a matter of common
sense, but sometimes the fear of the
unknown makes us afraid to call.
Some of the unknowns: How much will
this cost? What if I call my attorney and
it makes things worse? What if I call my
lawyer and get laughed at because I should
already know the answer?
As an FYI, I never make fun of anyone
who calls me about an issue. In fact, I
would rather have people call me, even
if turns out to be an easily resolved issue,
rather than have them not call with what
turns out to be a difficult problem that got
worse due to lack of legal advice.
(I do reserve the right to make fun of
the issue after we hang upor, to be more
accurate, to turn it into a cautionary tale to
help others, but I always change the names.)
When you need to call an attorney

Employee claim Anytime an employee
makes a claim, you should talk to your

attorney. Youre probably wondering,
What kind of claim? Any claim regarding
wages, termination, discrimination, workers
compensation, etc.
These types of claims can become very
serious, very quickly, and how you initially
respond and react can be crucial. Also,
your documentation needs to be thorough
to successfully defend against such claims.
An attorney can make sure you do the right
things, and that you dont dig yourself a
bigger hole. Call your attorney.
Board complaint Most death-care
professionals think they can easily handle a
simple response to their licensing board. (Im
using board as shorthand for any regulatory
agency that oversees your licensing.)
There are a couple of potential pitfalls
when dealing directly with a board. For one
thing, what may seem like a small issue to
you may be a big issue to the board. And
the board has a lot of power, which it can
exercise through fines, as well as license
suspensions and revocations.
As an example, consider a family
complaining about a preneed contract they
were unable to transfer. You investigate
and discover the funds were not properly
deposited, and therefore the family could not
transfer the contract to another provider.
You think, I can take care of that myself.
You make good the missing amount and
the family is able to transfer the contract.
Problem solved! As far as youre concerned,
no harm ever came to the consumer.
The problem is, the regulatory board sees
this as preneed fraud, and your admission
is more than enough proof that it took place.
The result is the suspension of your license as
well as the business license for selling future
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President, Trust 100
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The bottom line is this: Anything that comes before your regulatory board is serious.
The board holds your license and your companys future in its hands. Call your attorney.
preneed. (Yes, this is one of those changedthe-names true stories.)
Many professionals will try to tackle and
resolve a situation with a family without
realizing the ramifications, without realizing
they are in effect admitting to something
thats going to come back to bite them no
matter how satisfied that particular family
ends up.
Another potential pitfall with avoiding
that call to your attorney before responding
to a board complaint is that the complaint
might be only the beginning. In some
instances, a board complaint is the precursor
to a lawsuit. How you handle that initial
complaint can set the tone of, and build up
evidence for, the legal case thats headed
your way.
The bottom line is this: Anything that
comes before your regulatory board is
serious. The board holds your license and
your companys future in its hands. Call
your attorney.
Letter from an attorney When a business
gets a letter from an attorney about a problem
with a family they served, it can be very
scary. Especially when the letter includes a
demand for money or threatens a lawsuit.
Many times, the professionals first
instinct is to tackle the issue head on and
solve the problem. After all, you met with
the family. You know what happened. And
(this is my favorite) you know somehow
theres just been a misunderstanding, and a
few words from you should clear it up.
Step #1 in this case is call the attorney.
Your attorney, not the familys attorney!
Their attorney isnt looking for a better
explanation from you about what happened
at this point; hes looking for money. If
you call him, the only thing you will do is
provide him with ammunition.
Anything you say to the familys
attorney can be considered an admission
and probably be used against you later.
And the fact is, you are going to take this
very personally, and you will ultimately say
something you shouldnt. Dont you hate
how sneaky some lawyers are?
Let me repeat: If you receive a letter
from an attorney who isnt working for you,
call yours. Whatever the issue was that led
to that letter being sent, things are further
18
ICCFA Magazine
along than you may think, and you need to

protect yourself. Call your attorney.
When you (probably) dont

need to call an attorney
Upset family As hard as we try to serve

every family perfectly, sometimes we fall
short (or the family feels we did). Maybe
the make-up didnt look right; maybe we
forgot to set up a tent at the grave site;
maybe they just didnt like our services.
Whatever the reason, the family gets
upset and demands satisfaction. You decide
to offer them a partial or total refund. You
decide to offer them something elsesome
free DVDs, or a new casket or urn. Its
your decisiongo for it. This is not a legal
matter.
Keep in mind, Im talking about people
who say, We arent happy with what you
did and dont follow that complaint with a
threat of legal action. If they add, and we
are calling our attorney, that might be a
more serious issue and require a call to your
attorney.
But you should feel empowered to
resolve consumer issues. In fact, train and
empower your people to resolve issues, as
well, rather than to kick everything upstairs.
Many lawsuits are caused by businesses
not resolving issues at the time they are
first brought to an employees attention.
Consumers get frustrated and angry and
decide the only way to get satisfaction is to
call an attorney.
Business licensing Many people think
business licensing is a legal matter.
Licensing may include dealing with local
regulatory offices, state licensing and even
business licensing such as LLC filings.
Believe it or not, these applications
actually are not set up to require a lawyer.
In fact, most of these agency websites are
supposed to be designed to be consumer
friendly so that anyone can file. Having
said that, the fact is, most sites are horribly
confusing despite best intentions.
Nevertheless, dont be afraid to do your
own licensing paperwork. Dont be afraid
to call the agency and ask for their help
when you cant figure things out from their
website. Many state offices are there to
help.
If you simply dont want to spend the

time figuring things out for yourself, sure,
go ahead and call your attorney and he or
she can take care of it for you.
Appointment of agent This is such an
important one, and its something that
many funeral providers are still not doing.
In almost every state (Kentucky is the
most recent to join the list), an individual
can appoint someone to handle his or her
funeral arrangement, including authorizing
cremation.
This is such a huge benefit and an
incredible resource for families as well as
service providers.
Can you imagine having all your families
walk in at the time of need and handing you
a legally enforceable document that says,
this person is in charge. And that person
is actually standing there in front of you! No
more family disputesamazing.
This is not a fantasy scenario, it can
actually happen. More importantly, deathcare providers are in charge of seeing that it
does happen.
An attorney is not required to complete
this form. In fact, many times lawyers
mess things up because they put the agent
authorization inside a will, and that actually
can create problems, as the will might not be
read until after the service.
As a death-care provider, you should have
copies of this Appointment of Agent form at
the ready, and make sure families sign it as
part of all preneed arrangements.
Overall, this is a sampling of when you
should use an attorney and when you can
forgo doing so. There is no one-size-fits-all
rule, but I hope these guidelines and examples
will help you in the decision-making process.
I should mention that there is one time
that you should always call an attorney:
When the call is FREE!
The ICCFA pays retainers so that asso
ciation members can have free telephone
consultations with me for cremationrelated legal issues; Michael Pepperman,
Esq., for labor and employment issues;
and Les Schneider, Esq., CPA, for taxrelated questions regarding trust earnings,
care fund allocations, capital gains,
investments, etc..
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by Glenda Stansbury, CCCC, CFSPCFSPCFSPCFSP

glenda@
insightbooks.com
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
CELEB R A N TS / G R IEF
Some people dont want a service for their loved one

because they think funerals are too sad. If you dont
have a service, you wont be sad, right? WRONG.
Grief will not be denied, and its our jobs to help families
understand this and to deliver services that do right by them.
Stansbury is vice
president of marketing for

In-Sight Books, Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma.
www.insightbooks.com
She is a licensed funeral director and em-
balmer and trains funeral directors, cemeterians and others as Certified Celebrants who
meet with families to talk about their loved
ones and plan personalized funeral services.
She is adjunct faculty with the funeral
service department at the University of

Central Oklahoma, where she teaches
courses in funeral service communication
and the psychology of grief and oversees
practicum students.
She and her father, Doug Manning, a
former Baptist minister who became a noted

author of books about grief, developed
the Certified Celebrant program and have
recently added a new component, to train
celebrant trainers.

Stansbury will be on a panel discussing
The hospice perspective: How improved
understanding can help your firm better
serve families (p. 102)
How to become a celebrant

Come to Nashville early for celebrant
training, April 3-5, 2017, at the Westin Nash-
ville, a block from the Music City Center (new

convention center) where the ICCFA Convention
& Expo will be held. Register for both the celebrant training and convention and save on both.
By the time the convention starts, you'll be a
Certified Celebrant, ready to better serve families
and add value to your funeral home or cemetery.
www.iccfa.com
Attend ICCFA Universitys College of 21st
Century Services, led by Dean Glenda Stansbury. ICCFAU 2017 will be held July 20-26 at the
University of Memphis Fogelman Executive
Center, Memphis, Tennessee. www.iccfa.com
Contact Stansbury (glenda@insightbooks.com)

or go to www.insightbooks.com, the In-Sight
Books website, for information about celebrant
training sessions scheduled around the country.
20
ICCFA Magazine
Funeral gardening 101: Grief

grows when its not expressed
live in a high-rise apartment. Thats

not meant to be important except to
say that, after 28 years of living in
a 2,800-square-foot house with a huge
yard, we now live in a 1,600-square-foot
apartment with no, repeat, no maintenance.
They change our filters and lightbulbs,
plant flowers, take care of the grounds,
fix anything that is broken, bring us our
packages, greet us at the door when we
come home at night. This is nice.
While we lived in the house in a nice
neighborhood, we of course took great
pride in our yard. My husband was a fanatic
about keeping our grass mowed to puttinggreen perfection, the shrubs trimmed and
his vegetable garden planted in beautiful
straight rows.
I dived in enthusiastically to the task
of the beds, digging, planting, pruning,
weeding, etc., etc., etc. Our neighborhood
had one of those passive-aggressive
associations that gave out Yard of the
Month awards during the summer. Nothing
pushes you more than driving by a home
with a proud YOM sign and thinking Im
not worthy, then dragging yourself to the
lawn and garden store for more mulch and
annuals.
For many years, I found this whole
digging-in-the-dirt thing to be therapeutic
and fun. What a wonderful way to get some
fresh air and exercise while making the
world a little prettier. You would visit with
the neighbors while they were toiling away
at their flower beds or trimming trees, you
could get a tan (no letters, please, about the
dangers of sun exposure) and your home
looked so perky and happy surrounded by
the wonderful smiles of nature. I even won
the coveted Yard of the Month a couple of
times. Not bragging, just facts. My flowers
looked a little smug that whole month.

But then, as my career changed and my
travels increased and, quite honestly, my
body aged, the gardens that had brought
such joy became so very depressing. I didnt
have the time or energy to devote to kneeto-ground work and, when I pulled into my
driveway each evening, the flower beds
seemed to be aiming accusatory stares at me
for becoming such a neglectful gardener. It
sucks to be shamed by a geranium.
During my 28 years of fighting the
good fight with Mother Nature, I found
something that every person who has ever
picked up a spade discovers: No matter
how effective your methods, no matter how
much you spray toxic killers, no matter how
many polypropylene sheets or burlap bags,
rocks or cardboard barriers you put down,
weeds and errant grass will find a way.
Install a walkway, and there they are,
little shoots of grass sprouting up between
the cracks. The frustrating thing is, there
were parts of my yard where I actually
wanted grass to grow and it refused. It
preferred to wedge and wangle its way into
the uninvited and unwanted crevices.
Before you think Ive converted
myself into a master gardener columnist,
there actually is a method to this rather
convoluted analogy.
Grief, just like weeds, will always find
a way out. No matter how long you hide
it, stuff it, ignore it, mask it or numb it, it
will ultimately be expressed. Sometimes in
unexpected and unmanageable ways. No
matter how much you try, unresolved grief
does not dry up and blow away. Its always
there.
I love to watch all the sad, train-wreck
shows on TV such as Hoarders or
Intervention. My husband thinks Im a
Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com
January 2017
21
C e l e b ran t s / g r i e f
We are built to grieve, to express, to commemorate, to exorcise these holes that are left
when something happens to us. My wise father, Doug Manning, calls it establishing
the significance of the event. It is just as necessary as breathing or eating to find ways to stop,
acknowledge and embrace what this change in your life means. When ignored, it settles down
into dark places and finds inconvenient and sometimes unhealthy ways to emerge.
little sick. I probably am, but I tell him that I
watch them for research. They fascinate me.
If you look beyond the piles of clutter
and wasted bodies and truly listen to the
stories, the problem always began with
grief. With loss. With unresolved trauma.
When I lost my baby, I couldnt lose
anything else. When my mother died,
I needed to numb the pain. After I was
raped, nothing mattered anymore.
The endless stories are a testament to
the power of loss and how it affects the
human psyche. We are built to grieve,
to express, to commemorate, to exorcise
these holes that are left when something
happens to us. My wise father, Doug
Manning, calls it establishing the
significance of the event.
It is just as necessary as breathing or
eating to find ways to stop, acknowledge
and embrace what this change in your
life means. When ignored, it settles down
into dark places and finds inconvenient
and sometimes unhealthy ways to emerge.
Grief ignored is not grief dissolved. Grief
ignored is grief inevitable.
Learning about grief work
For those of you who are not familiar with

our celebrant training, let me take you on
a little tour. The first day of training, we
spend six hours talking about grief, what
the funeral can do for grieving families
and how everything we do as a celebrant
is focused on healthy approaches to and
expressions of grief.
Contrary to popular thought, our
celebrants are not here to undercut the
clergy, to create Disney on Parade bellsand-whistles services or to offer a light and
fluffy celebration of life. We are laser
focused on the needs of the family, the story
of the deceased and how, in telling that
story, their loss is honored and recognized,
and they are given permission to grieve and
tools with which to begin their journey.
Does this include ceremonies, music,
candles, videos, backdrops and memory
takeaways? Sometimes. But even when we
dont include the extras, the props, we
22
ICCFA Magazine
offer a way for every person in that room to

ponder what this life, and this death, meant
to them and how they will process it going
forward. We say multiple times in training
(ad nauseum, according to some of our
participants), Its about grief and meeting
the needs of the family.
The second day of training, we get into
the tech portion. How to have a family
meeting, where we gather the stories and
allow the family to share with each other
and with the celebrant, how to formulate a
eulogy, what tools can be used. Whats in
the secret sauce for creating a service that is
unique, personalized and meaningful.
Then, at the end of that second day,
the participants are given homework. Yes,
Im an old schoolteacher at heart. Each
person, or group, is given a type of death
or an age of death. Baby, senior citizen,
spouse, suicide, tragic, etc. That is the only
guidelinean age or a manner of death.
From that nugget, its up to the partici
pant to create a story and then create a
funeral from that story. We always tell the
trainees that if their assignment is too close
to home because of a personal loss, they are
welcome to change it.
The third day of training is funeral
presentation day. Each person stands up and
performs his or her service. Everyone is
expected to have written a complete funeral
event, with music and any other elements
or ceremonies that would be included. Its
brutal. Its fun!
The rest of the class learns so much from
hearing other voices, other approaches,
other words to describe a loss and embrace
the grief experience. The trainers are there
to provide support and suggestions, but the
real learning is in the doing. And sometimes
very powerful things happen.
One funeral director sat through most of
the training reacting negatively to most of
it. He said he had no idea how he would get
people to talk to him in a family meeting
he couldnt get them to talk to him in an
arrangement. He was very closed and fairly
unwilling to acknowledge that this approach
to service would work.
He was assigned to write a celebrant

service for a spouse. I had no idea how he
was going to handle any type of service; he
simply wasnt engaged. We get those people
sometimes and can only hope that at some
point a spark is ignited.
When he stood up to present the funeral
he had written, he gave us an amazing story
about a woman who was a survivor. She
had lost both of her parents and two siblings
and her first husband. She had overcome
two bouts with cancer. Everything in her
life had been a struggle and a battle.
I was listening to him and thinking,
Wow, hes laying this on very thick, but
well see where he goes. And then he
talked about how she found the love of her
life late, and what a wonderful marriage
she had and how difficult it was when her
cancer came back and finally claimed her
life. He literally had the room in tears as he
spoke of this love and grief.
When he finished, he told his fellow
celebrant trainees, This was my wife.
She died two years ago. We didnt have a
funeral for her, so thank you for letting me
do it here.
We didnt have a funeral for her! A
funeral director who works in this business
every day who couldnt see the value or
the importance of the very thing he sells to
families! He turned to me and said, Now
I get it. When you hear the grief, you can
connect with people. Its all about grief.
I dont know if he is serving families
as a celebrant these days, but I can assure
you that he is a better funeral director and a
healthier individual. His grief finally got to
see the light of day.
Another one of our participants used
the true story of one of the Virginia Tech
students who had been shot. He knew the
boy and his family personally and had
served them at that tragic and difficult time.
So, he took that story and expanded it into a
celebrant service.
The minute he stood to speak and said
the words Virginia Tech, one of the other
participants in the audience began crying.
No, she began sobbing. Big, gulping, ugly
Given what we know about grief, about the pervasive and insistent presence of pain
that will find a way out, no matter how hard one tries to suppress it, lets think about all of those
families who are walking into your firm requesting cremation, no service. Wow. This is not just
a conundrum involving revenue and concern for the funeral business, this is big, heavy stuff.
crying sobs. We all froze for a moment,
wondering if we should interrupt his presen
tation to see to her, but then decided this
was what she needed, and let him continue.
He did a wonderful job telling the story
and honoring this amazing life and horrific
death. When he was finished, I went to the
woman and said So?? Want to tell us what
happened? She explained.
Her father worked in one of the Twin
Towers on the day of 9/11 attack. She was
at school and clearly remembers her mother
calling and saying, Turn on the TV. She
sat alone in utter disbelief and dread until
they got the terrific news that he was safe.
So, you dont grieve a near miss, right?
You thank whatever luck or deity you
believe in and go on with your life. Theres
no grief there. Wrong.
She attended Virginia Tech. On that
awful day of the shootings there, she was
in California attending mortuary school.
Again, her mother called and said, Turn
on the TV. Again she sat alone in utter
disbelief that her university, the campus that
she loved, had turned into a killing field.
She couldnt come home for any of
the funerals and never had a safe space to
express that knot of dread in her stomach
every time the phone rang. So, this time,
this training, this reliving was finally her
release. She could grieve for her friends, she
could grieve for the scared little girl inside,
she could grieve for all of those unnamed
losses that had been put aside.
It was cleansing and healing.
We did something different at one of the
trainings just to change things up a bit. We
added to the types of death, no body, a
person missing and presumed dead with no
body recovered. And instead of assigning
deaths, we allowed each person to pick
from a bucket. Very random. The woman
who got that designation paused for a
minute and looked at me. I asked, Are you
OK with this one? and she nodded.
The next day she told a wonderful story
she had created about a young woman who
was a daredevil and loved adventure who
was lost in a helicopter crash in Hawaii.
About halfway through her presentation,
24
ICCFA Magazine
she broke down and started crying. This

happens at almost every training, and we
just allow them to gather themselves and
go on.
She made it through her service, but had
to stop and take lots of deep breaths and
cry a little more before she could proceed.
After her presentation, I said, So?? What
was happening for you? She said that she
had lost a cousin several years ago and they
never found his body, and it just hit her. She
was surprised that it had had such an effect.
She gave no other details and sat down, and
we went on to the next service.
Then, during a break, she shared the
rest of the story. Her cousin had moved
to Detroit 30 years ago and opened a
counseling practice. Evidently, one of his
clients was a woman who was married to a
man in the mob. The police found the wife
murdered in the cousins counseling office,
but the cousin was nowhere to be found.
Our celebrant trainee said that her family
received threatening calls and were told
never to look for him or they would end up
the same way. For 30 years she had told no
one this story. Of course they didnt have
a service for him, and the matter was just
stuffed in the family trunk of things we
dont discuss.
This training, this realization of what
unresolved grief can do, gave her the
opportunity to finally grieve for her longlost cousin. And it opened such floodgates
that she basically cried for the rest of
the morning. What a freeing and healing
experience.
Another participant did a service for
his father. He had not been invited to his
fathers funeral. A woman did one about
her difficult and distant mother. She had
not attended her mothers funeral. A funeral
director did a service for his stillborn baby,
writing a poem called, Love At First
Thought.
This happens at every training. Someone
finds a way to express personal grief and
loss that never was resolved or accepted
the first time around. Grief will always find
a way out. I tell our trainees that we dont
charge extra for the counseling portion of
the session. I say that in jest, but it is so

very true. I always stand in amazement
at the healing power of the permission to
grieve.
Cremation, no service
Which brings me to the scary portion of this

article. Given what we know about grief,
about the pervasive and insistent presence
of pain that will find a way out, no matter
how hard one tries to suppress it, lets think
about all of those families who are walking
into your firm requesting cremation, no
service. Wow.
This is not just a conundrum involving
revenue and concern for the funeral busi
ness, this is big, heavy stuff. How many
people, trying to avoid a funeral service
they have no confidence in, they dont
believe will help them in any way, are
eliminating the one window, the one sacred
carving out of time and space, the one
perfect opportunity to express their loss and
their sadness and be surrounded by others
who can share their feelings and support
their efforts to find healthy ways to cope?
Because, no matter how hard they try,
that moment will never come again. They
can put Mom on the mantle and say that
they will have a memorial service when the
family gets together for holidays. But then
its the holidays, and who wants to stop and
do a death thing?
So, maybe well do it next summer
when we all get together at the lake. But
everyones busy, families are already
juggling so many activities, and its just
never the right time. So those stories, those
memories, that grief go unspoken and
unshared.
What about all of those unclaimed
remains sitting in a locked closet at your
firm? These are not people who did not care
about their loved ones. They are people
who were not given the time, guidance
and permission to figure out how to accept
and engage in the grief process. So they
decided to not think about it, look at it or
acknowledge it.
Just think about the number of our
friends, neighbors, family members,
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It means talking to families about the importance of a gathering, a tribute, a funeral.

It means that you are at your best professional moments when a family says
We dont want and you are able to help paint the picture of why
this thing that they want to avoid is actually the very best thing they could do.
clients, colleagues and acquaintances who
are walking around with weeds growing
between the cracks in their hearts but are at
a loss about how to deal with something that
is simultaneously overwhelming and empty.
Another drink? A prescription? A needle?
An affair? A stack of collectables that just
keeps growing? A dark cloud of depression?
A suicide to end the pain?
Grief ignored is not grief dissolved. Grief
ignored is grief inevitable.
So what does it take to provide a safe
space for people to experience grief in a
healing and hopeful way? It takes brave
funeral directors/arrangers/counselors who
are willing to be the guides for their families
and help them understand the consequences
of their choices.
You are the learned consultant in the
garden store who is advising customers
which products are the best to rid their lawn
of weeds. If a guy in an orange apron can be
an expert, so can you.
It means talking to families about the
importance of a gathering, a tribute, a funeral.
It means that you are at your best professional
moments when a family says We dont want
and you are able to help paint the picture
of why this thing that they want to avoid is
actually the very best thing they could do.
And then you have to deliver. It does
you no good to encourage and facilitate the
planning of a service and then, when they
show up, deliver something impersonal,
unremarkable, boring or even insulting. You
sold them the best weed killer on the market
and yet the weeds grew even faster! They are
not happy. They will not choose this again.
Thats where celebrants can make such a
difference. We can all agree that the majority
of families who say cremate, no service
fit into that growing group of nones who
are not members of a faith or do not resonate
with a denominational approach.
Weve said this more times than I can
count, but people make choices about service
based upon what theyve seen in the past. If
they have only attended religious, templated,
liturgical or evangelical funerals, and they
know that doesnt fit them, then what choice
do they have?
26
ICCFA Magazine
A service that serves the family
A brief example. The man grew up on a

farm in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl
and the Depression. He served his country
as a Marine in WWII and then came home
to the farm. He also had a career selling and
flying Lear jets.
He was a fierce and angry guy; alcohol
and abuse were the order of the day. His
three children hated and feared him and
were relieved when their mother finally
divorced him when he tried to sexually
assault one of the daughters. He married
five more times and continued to try to find
happiness in a bottle.
The children, of course, were pretty
distant from their dad as they grew up. But
as the years passed, they stayed in touch
and closer than you would imagine. The
son even farmed with his father. It was very
much a complex and confusing relationship
for each of them.
Then he died. The children disliked each
other almost as much as they disliked their
dad, but they managed to stay civil in the
arrangement room. They were the perfect
candidates for cremation, no service.
They didnt want to have a funeral for this
man who had caused so much pain in their
lives.
The funeral director talked to them about
the military honors that he deserved to have,
and said that his farmer buddies would want
to have a chance to say goodbye to their
friend. And then she told them that this was
their opportunity to find some resolution
for their own feelings about their dad. She
offered them a celebrant to work with them,
and they agreed that this was the only safe
way to proceed.
The three kids refused to come together
for a family meeting, so I met with each one
separately. The oldest daughter, the one who
had borne the brunt of the abuse and anger,
said on the phone, I dont have anything to
say about my father. I told her, Everyone
has a story, and yours is important to share.
All three of them expressed their hurt
and rage, while still finding some happy
moments and shared experiences of peace
with this man. They all said, We have no
idea how you are going to pull this off.

Honestly, I wasnt sure myself.
Another director at the funeral home
who knew the story said, Why are they
even having a funeral if they hated him so
much? Why indeed? Because they needed
a way to shine the light on the hurt places
and find a way to claim a new story for their
lives.
We often talk in training about the
power of finding a theme for the service.
Sometimes that theme is obvious, sometimes
it comes out of nowhere and saves you. I kept
thinking about this man of the earth who also
loved to fly and finally came upon the theme
of the four elementsearth, air, fire, water.
I was able to fit his life into each of these
elements and was able to tell truths that were
honest but gracious.
We talked about the earth:
Mason was born into hard times. Born
just 16 days after Black Tuesday in 1929
when the stock market crashed, to the
farming family of Ralph and Iva; every day
was a challenge to survive. Farming life
in Piedmont was a 365-day commitment of
mind-numbing physical labor, praying for
rain, praying for the rain to stop, praying
for the sun to shine or praying for prices
not to fall.
Nothing was fun or easy. The first World
War was still a wounded fresh memory from
10 years before; the second World War was
simmering on the horizon. They were
hard times. The earth was their gift, their
livelihood, their slave master.
We talked about the air:
Mason was not simply earthbound. The
joys of the sky also captivated him. He left
the farm to attend OSU for a semester, and
while he was there, he bought a plane and
flew it home and landed it in the pasture.
The freedom of flying, the soaring of the
spirit called to this earthbound boy. Which
meant that it was only natural that he joined
the Air Force. World War II had just drawn
to a close, and the advances in air flight
provided a perfect opportunity for a young
man who wanted to fly.
And then we talked about fire:
There were many aspects to Masons
character that were challenging, puzzling,
infuriating and difficult. But no one knows
the fires that burn within another heart. No
one knows what deep losses and disappoint
ments were manifested in behavior that
couldnt accept or sustain love of himself or
others. No one understands what anguish
was being extinguished at the bottom of a
glass. No one can grasp how hard times can
burn and scar a soul
And water:
Of course water is lifeblood to a farmer
and is a constant conversation and concern.
Rain, no rain, fair winds, clear skies would
determine the fate of any farmer. Water for
the cattle, water for the wheat, water to
keep life going.
Some of the best times that the family
spent were on the water, those opportunities
to go to Fort Cobb Lake, camp and ski
their weekends away. This was a place
to be care-free and enjoy the fun of their
childhood.
There were also tears. Tears of joy for
precious family times. Tears of anguish
and hurt when life was difficult and fearful.
Tears of loss. Tears of anger. In this hard

life, Mason struggled to find a way to live
in balance and it was an overwhelming
task for him to find the path to sustainable
happiness.
And now, there are tears of sadness,
regret and forgiveness. Tears to find a way
to put things in perspective. Tears to wash
away years of distress. Tears to pave the
way to understanding and resolution. Tears
for a man who always searched for the
peace he missed, the peace he needed.
Each person here will view this long
and eventful life from the perspective of
your own experience. For some, he was
a wonderful friend, mentor and example.
For others he was remote and capable of
creating fear. For everyone, there is no
doubt that Mason left an impression, a
legacy, a large path in the field that will
remain.
The journey of grief is unpredictable
and unknowable. But sometimes one has
to grieve that which you never had, that
which you wish you had. Grieving those
few special moments of love and happiness,
Triple H Company
clinging to those positive memories

and special times while grieving that
relationship that you wished could have
been different, easier, healthier.
At the end of the service, the family
came to the casket to say goodbye. Each
child whispered words to this man who had
had such an impact on their lives. Words
of forgiveness, words of regret, words of
resolution. The older daughter walked
up and hugged me and said, You are a
magical genius. That was perfect.
I wish I were a magical genius. But
really, the only thing I kept in front of me as
I tried to find the right words was how do I
help these people find voice for their grief,
how do I give them permission to be angry
and to release that anger into resolution,
how do I honor their pain and lay a smooth
pathway that very few weeds can find their
way through?
This is our calling. This is the power of
gathering. This is the most important work
anyone can do.
Grief ignored is not grief dissolved.
Grief ignored is grief inevitable.
r
Triple H
Company
P.O. Box 5790

Ventura, CA 93005-0790
USA
r (805) 650-6944 (800) 252-3444
Manufacture
Fax (805) 650-6444
Cemetery, Crematory and Mausoleum Supply Since 1950
www.triplehcompany.com
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27
by David Shipper and

Gary OSullivan, CCFE
PRENEED SALES SUCCESS
Are you ready for the future?

Are you sure your funeral home or cemetery has a future?
There is a way to deal with the inexorable rise in cremation
and its impact on revenues: Increase your market share.
Creating growth with preneed sales
Change & comfort are incompatible

Shipper and OSullivan are coauthors of THE
SYSTEM, the professions only complete preneed
selling online training program, and LeadTrak, the
industrys leading CRM. THE SYSTEM University
program of online training for sales counselors and
managers is offered exclusively by the ICCFA at
www.iccfa.com.
go@garyosullivan.com
OSullivan is president of Gary
OSullivan Co., Winter Garden,
Florida, a consulting firm specializing in the cemetery and funeral
profession. He works with clients
in the areas of leadership and
management development, service and sales
processes and corporate culture.
www.garyosullivan.com
twitter.com/GOgaryosullivan
facebook.com/garyosullivancompany
linkedin.com/in/garyosullivancompany
His experience began at 18 years of age

selling cemetery property door-to-door and
includes leading a national sales organization and then forming his own consulting and
speaking company in 2001.
In 2014, OSullivan received the first ever
Lasting Impact Award from the ICCFA Educational Foundation, in recognition of the significant educational contribution he has made to
the profession. In 2009, the ICCFA presented
OSullivan with an honorary doctorate for his
20 years of consecutive participation in ICCFA
University, where he is dean of the J. Asher
Neel College of Sales & Management.
dss@djshipper.com
Shipper is a third-generation
funeral home and cemetery owner
and the co-creator of The System, the industrys only complete
selling system for cemeteries and
funeral homes.
He has been involved with the ICCFA since

1978 and has served in all officer positions,
including president in 2000-2001. In 2014, he
was inducted into the ICCFA Hall of Fame.
28
ICCFA Magazine
Editors note: This article is the first

in a series by David Shipper and Gary
OSullivan, CCFE, about planning and
executing a successful preneed sales
program.
he business of funeral homes

and cemeteries appears to be
changing at a very rapid rate. As
with other changes that slowly creep up
on us, its only the realization of change
that takes a long time. The seeds of
change have been sown years before the
change springs up, as if from nowhere,
and attacks us.
Cremation rates have been going
up for decades. In fact, theyve been
noticeably climbing for 50 years. Yet we
act as if this change swept in on us last
year like a hurricane.
There is a split in the marketplace
between those who want elaborate
services (mostly greatest generation) and
those who dont (younger baby boomers,
and that is the real change. And it has
been going on for a long time.
The desire for personalization on the
part of some baby boomers masked the
fact that a whole other group of families
wasnt seeing the value in what we do.
But its the seeming increase in the
pace of change thats gotten everyone so
upset.
We can no longer raise prices,
build huge facilities and operate our
businesses for the half of the population
that wants them.
In 1935, there were about 1.3 million
deaths in the U.S. At the time, nearly
100 percent of those people were buried
in our cemeteries. This year, there will
be about 2.6 million deaths, yet the total
number of burials will still be about 1.3
million.
How can cemeteries that were built to

serve the entire population survive half
of their business being gone?
How can funeral homes built and
staffed for the entire population survive
on the number of people who still have
full service plans?
No business can survive this kind of
drastically altered landscape without
making appropriate changes.
All of us just want to serve more
families, but its hard to see any way
forward without becoming more like
every other business in town. Serving
more families just means you want
more market share, even if you find the
words market share irritating.
To gain market share, youll need to
decide how you are going to achieve
this growth without making changes that
might make you uncomfortable. The
answer is that you cant grow without
doing things that you are not now doing.
Some of those things are going to make
you uncomfortable, but only at first.
As years go by and you serve more
families, youll feel a lot better about the
changes.
A theoretical case study
To better explain how this will

happen, well use a funeral home as an
example. The principle is the same for
cemeteriesafter all, its just math.
Imagine you are the owner of a
100-call funeral home. You give to all
the neighborhood groups, you have
blood drives and Easter egg hunts.
You advertise on television, you have
a billboard and you appear every
week on the obituary page of the local
newspaper. In addition to all that, you
show up at 7:30 every Friday for a
Chamber of Commerce breakfast and,
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The Value of a Committal Service Burial & Cremation
An Educated Selection: Burial Vaults
Cremation Education
preneed sales success
In order to raise that call volume, you have two choices: Increase your advertising
and community marketing, which may or may not increase calls, or start selling
100 preneed funeral plans per year, which definitely will increase your calls over time.
when you dont have an evening visitation,
you go to whatever event is going on in the
community.
You cant predict next years call
volume because the funeral business is so
unpredictable. No services for two weeks
and then you get three in a row, which
means your carefully crafted schedule is
out the window.
On the preneed side, you are pretty
happy with the 20-30 families who walk in
and ask to buy their funeral ahead of time.
You feel you are doing everything you
can to build your business and care for
your families. But despite all your efforts,
your average revenue per call is dropping
because, for almost everyone, cremation
averages are lower than burial averages.
Not only that, but a competitor recently
came to town offering low-priced direct
cremation services, and the city cemetery
is so underpriced!
In the face of these headwinds, you
realize the need to somehow increase
revenue. So you review your current
advertising schedule with the cable
television station and the newspaper.
You up your commitment to these folks
and stretch your time to accommodate a
few more events where you hope to meet
some new families as well as visit with
some of the families youve served in the
past.
After all, whats the alternative?
The alternative
Lets look at things a bit differently. Lets

say that you want to buy a 100-call funeral
home. The seller asks a price that implies
future growth in call volume and revenue.
The lender will make the loan, but only
if you can show that you can grow the
business.
Would you have a hard time demon
strating how this business will grow
over the next 10 years? The fact is, most
of us couldnt prove that an increase in
advertising or attendance at community
events would result in a direct gain in calls
and revenue.
One thing that does work is stepping up
your preneed sales efforts to a point that
allows you to grow your business and take
30
ICCFA Magazine
control of your future.

Lets assume that you could sell one
preneed funeral for each funeral service
you perform. Since were talking about a
100-call funeral home, that would mean
selling 100 preneed funeral plans per year.
Lets do the math. Assuming you are
currently performing 100 calls and selling
about 30 preneed funerals, your history
indicates that, barring changes in how
you operate, call volume will continue to
remain flat.
In order to raise that call volume, you
have two choices: Increase your advertising
and community marketing, which may
or may not increase calls, or start selling
100 preneed funeral plans per year, which
definitely will increase your calls over time.
The average contract holder will use
his or her funeral plan within 10 years.
Therefore, the additional 70 contracts sold
per year will mean that within approxi
mately 10 years you will be performing
170 calls. This growth, while not explosive,
is significant, and will help you start
building your client base and securing a
stronger future for your business.
The example above examines a case
where a 100-call funeral home is able to
sell 100 preneed funerals.
In our example, this would be a oneto-one preneed to at-need ratio. For every
funeral you perform, you are selling
a funeral. In many markets, it may be
possible to sell two or even three funerals
for each one you perform.
With the exception of population
restraints, the only limit on the number
of preneed sales you are able to make
is your desire to execute a disciplined,
professionally organized preneed program.
Sounds good so far?
Many of you are saying, not really.
A lot of us would be very concerned about
the impact a preneed sales program would
have on our reputation if not executed
properly. Some may feel they would be
inconveniencing people in the community
by contacting them about the option to
preplan. Some might be concerned about a
sales program generating complaints even
if its implemented in the most professional
and ethical way.
But dont forget, as professional and

caring as you are, day in and day out, you
still get complaints. Its just part of doing
business.
The reality is that when you contact lots
of people and try to sell them something,
you will get some complaints. You will
have to deal with more issues. But drop
ping revenue might no longer be one of
them.
Your carefully guarded Yelp score of 5
will probably go down a little. If you can
accept that, you are on your way to a much
larger business.
And lets put complaints in perspective.
First of all, no business runs perfectly.
If your intent is to create a professional
preneed program, executed in an ethical
and caring way, when you do get concerns
or complaints you learn to manage them in
an appropriate manner.
When your program is executed
professionally and ethically, the majority
of complaints you get are simply because
someone was contacted. Some people will
get upset about receiving a sales call no
matter how courteous the approach.
Believing in the benefits of preneed
funeral and cemetery purchasesof saving
the family money, avoiding emotional
overspending and securing piece of mind
for the purchaser and their familyis
key to being able to deal with the few
complaints you might get.
A well designed and managed preneed
program can have a positive impact on
your business and give you more control
over its future.
As with any with any aspect of your
business, it will offer both opportunity and
challenges. However, most funeral home
and cemetery managers have discovered
that the challenges are well worth the
rewards.
In the next article in this series, we
will go from the why to the what and
from the how to the when. We will share
with you the founding principals of
building and maintaining a successful
sales organization, while also integrating
your preneed sales effort into your
organization.
r
Your Real Source.

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PO Box 5159 Youngstown, Ohio 44514 800-321-7479 Fax 800-321-9040
info@nomispublications.com www.nomispublications.com
by William H. Bill Williams

Jr., LFD
MANAGEMENT/FINANCIAL

Bill.Williams@fsitrust.com
Williams is president
and CEO of Funeral Services Inc. and serves on
the FSI Board of Directors as vice chairman. He
joined FSI in 2001 as vice
president. He was named
president in 2003. Under
his leadership, FSI has expanded to offer
services in 19 states across the country.
Williams has experience in every aspect
of the funeral service profession, including ownership and management of funeral
homes and cemeteries. He began his
career in the death-care industry when
he became a licensed funeral director in
1980. He is a graduate of Gupton-Jones
College of Mortuary Science in Atlanta,
Georgia.
www.FSITrust.com
Funeral Services Inc., Tallahassee,

Florida, is a trust administrator and recordkeeping company with 35 years experience in the death-care industry, serving
funeral homes, cemeteries, associations
and financial institutions.
More from thisis author

Williams will present Perpetual solutions
for perpetual care cemeteries (p. 106).
Whether youre running a football team

or a funeral or cemetery trust,
if you want to be successful,
you need to select
the right players and then
make sure they work well together.
Building a winning team for

handling your preneed trust
ports fans, its that time of year

again. Only a few football teams
have compiled a roster dominant
enough to remain alive in the hunt for their
ultimate goal: a Super Bowl ring.
The teams still standing possess the
talent, awareness and synergy needed to
face upcoming challenges. The players
understand each others roles andmore
often than notwill find a way to come
out on top.
While your preneed trust team wont
strap on pads and a helmet to fight for
Super Bowl jewelry, managing your
trust and winning football games share a
common dynamic: They arent easy.
For success in the preneed field, you
need a knowledgeable team with industry
experience that understands the constant
regulatory changes and business demands.
When compiling your team of profes
sionals, make sure everyone understands
his or her respective role in building a
successful preneed trust. To help you
get started, lets take a look at all of the
players you need before kicking off.
The owner: The funeral home

or cemetery operator
Welcome to the team! As the funeral

home or cemetery operator, you serve as
32
ICCFA Magazine
the owner of the team. The success of

the trust starts with you establishing the
overarching vision for your preneed or
endowment care program.
As the owner, you wont always see the
day-to-day operations of the trust, so make
sure to ask your team questions whenever
necessary so you understand all of the Xs
and Os going on around you.
The coach: Your trustee
Consider this party the coach of your

trust team, helping you develop an
investment strategy and overseeing the
investment manager to ensure compliance
with those strategies and any regulations.
With the trustee holding fiduciary
responsibility for the entire trust and
distributing trust assets when needed, its
important to find a trustee you see eye-toeye with on the trusts goals.
Every good team has leadership at the
top who provides strong and cohesive
direction that sets the group up for
positive, long-term results. In addition,
the trustee prepares and files all required
regulatory reports as well as federal and
state trust tax returns.
If you hire a new coach, they will
work with the prior trustee to transfer trust
assets and secure any regulatory approvals
MANAGEMENT/FINANCIAL
for that transfer.
When identifying the right fit,
your trustee should either be a state or
nationally chartered trust company or a
bank with trust powers. To avoid personal
liability, the trustee should never be a
group of individuals.
and investment manager, the performance

analyst is in effect your teams statistician.
This party analyzes the trusts investments,
calculating and reporting its rates of return.
Football professionals use analytic data
to determine future strategies, and you
should adopt the same approach.
The quarterback:
Your investment manager
The referee: Your trust

administrator and recordkeeper
The investment manager serves as the

quarterback of your preneed trust team.
They will help set and implement the
trusts investment game plan, and their
performance directly dictates its success.
You should adopt the same mindset
a football team does when selecting a
quarterback and find someone who will
follow the strategy set by the coach or
trustee and who can keep a cool head when
the environment turns volatile.
The statistician:
Your performance analyst
Completely independent of both the trustee
Mother
of
Pearl
This independent party serves as the

referee of your preneed trust. The trust
administrator and recordkeeper helps
ensure you play within the rules, staying in
compliance with state regulations.
As you can imagine, the referee
makes the trustees job a lot easier,
processing and reporting trust transactions
to you, as well as managing distributions
for individual preneed contracts and
endowment care withdrawals.
As any football coach could tell you,
fostering a good relationship with the
referees will only set you up for more
success.
Teamwork
Once youve identified a collection of

talented players to help manage and
grow your trust, whats next? Make sure
your team members work together.
No matter how skillful the individuals
youve recruited, your trusts performance
depends on their ability to operate as a
unified team. Too many football teams
assemble a first-rate group of athletes who
never deliver satisfactory results on the field.
As the owner of your preneed trust,
you should ensure this disconnect doesnt
occur with your team before getting
started. With preneed trusts having so
many moving parts, strong communication
and relationships among your players is
critical to your success.
Building a winning team for your trust
requires more than putting in place a few
people to manage it. From top to bottom,
you need a strong, tight-knit team that
buys into the owners vision and will come
together to tackle any obstacles along the
way.
r
LoveUrns.com | 888-910-7860
January 2017
33
by ICCFA Magazine
Managing Editor Susan Loving
sloving@iccfa.com
ICCFA Magazine subject spotlight
C R E M AT I O N / S E R V I C E T O FA M I L I E S
What does it mean to embrace the future of funeral service?

For Kyle Incardona at Hillier Funeral Home, it means
not only using the label funeral, cremation & bereavement
specialists, but also making those words meaningful.
And it means fully meeting the needs of cremation families.
Kyle@hillierfh.com
Kyle Incardona has been managing
partner/funeral director at Hillier Funeral

Home, Bryan, Texas, since 2007. He
previously ran two funeral homes, a
cemetery and a flower shop.
He studied psychology and sociology

at Niagara University, Niagara Falls, New
York. He attended the Dallas Institute of
Funeral Services and Texas Wesleyan
University, where he studied business
management. He is a Certified Funeral
Celebrant.
Hillier Funeral Home was established

in 1918. The 12,000-square-foot location
in Bryan was opened in 1998. In 2008,
HIllier became the first funeral home in the
county to offer full concierge service and
green funerals. In 2009, it was the first
to offer complimentary child care during
gatherings at the funeral home. In 2015, it
became the first to offer celebrant services
and also opened its second location, in
College Station.
www.hillierfuneralhome.com
Hillier is a part of Carriage Services,

Houston, Texas.
www.carriageservices.com
34
ICCFA Magazine
Looking through the viewing window in Hillier Cremation Chapel toward the cremator, topped with the firms sign, which emphasizes the ways it serves families.
How Hillier Cremation Chapel

helps families say goodbye
yle Incardona literally wrote the

book on how to stage a funeral.
And he knows funerals, having
attended way too many long before he
became a funeral director. The Art of
Staging, which he put together, shows
families what he and his staff can help
them do to remember their loved ones. Its
full of photos and life stories designed to
inspire family members who might not
know what they want until someone shows
them whats possible.
So when he decided Hillier Funeral Home
needed to have its own crematory, he went by
the bookhis book. He envisioned a place
that would make families want to gather to
say goodbye to their loved ones.
The result is a cremation chapel that,
like many built in the past few years,
includes a window so that family members
who so desire can see the casket go into
the cremator, which is color-coordinated
with the dcor of the chapel.
Incardona put together The Art of Staging to show families concrete and varied examples of life stories and memorial
displays. The book provides ideas and
inspiration. (See selected photos from
the book on page 36.)
The attention to detail engages the

senses as soon as the family enters the
building to the sounds of music specially
Above, Hillier Funeral Homes Bryan, Texas, location. Below, Hillier Cremation Chapel, set up for a veterans funeral. The cremator, seen through the window, was customized by Matthews so that it would fit in with the chapels dcor.
Left, Hilliers urn ark set up for use.

Lighting is carefully managed to help
set the mood.
We do everything with the

utmost care and respect.
I wanted to make sure
that the attention to detail
didnt stop at the cremation
chapel. I wanted everything
to be comfortable, all the way
through to the cremator.
Kyle Incardona
January 2017
35
From The Art of Staging, funeral displays for (clockwise,

from upper left): a 100-year-old woman who was the only
living original member of her church; a family man who
loved the outdoors; a 5-year-old princess-in-training; and a
39-year-old with a dry sense of humor.
chosen for them. An aroma with special

meaning (grandmas favorite cookies,
perhaps) fills the air. And, of course, there
are displays of memorabilia to be looked
over and touched. The Hillier experience
is designed to engage all of the senses
whenever possible.
ICCFA Magazine talked to Incardona
about the new cremation facility, Hilliers
approach to serving cremation families and
how a boy from Buffalo who attended too
many funerals at a young age ended up as
a first-generation funeral director in Texas.
Why did you decide to add your own
crematory?
There were a couple of different reasons.
One, the cremation rate in our area had
gone up significantly.
Also, the biggest problem I see is that
funeral homes are treating cremation
families differently than they treat burial
families. And I believe thats wrong.
The one way for me to change that was
to put a cremator in our building and create
a cremation chapel. Now, burial is treated
the same as cremation. The families are
treated in the exact same way, with the
same care and respect.
36
ICCFA Magazine
And more people now want to celebrate

life than ever before. With our cremation
chapel, were able to do that for families.
Its really exciting to give them this
opportunity.
How hard it was to get permission to
install the cremator? Did you have any
problems with neighbors objecting?
No. As you probably know, there is less
pollution from a crematory than there
is from someone having a fire in their
fireplace on a cold night. But you do have
to educate people. You have to notify the
neighborhood, explain it to them, show
them whats going on.
Its all about education. The first thing
I did was go to the ICCFA and do as much
research as I possibly could. I took their
cremation training and brought back that
information. I wanted to make sure that
we would be providing what cremation
families want, and that we would be doing
it in an environmentally friendly way.
Those were our two biggest goals: We
wanted to be good stewards to the families
in our care, and also to our environment.
How long did it take from deciding to
build to getting it done?
The whole process was about nine months.
But I started doing research about two

and a half years ago. There are so many
good companies out there that build good
quality machines. I wanted one that was
environmentally friendly and that the
company would put a beautiful faade on.
That faade is one of the most striking
things about your cremation area.
We do everything with the utmost care
and respect. I wanted to make sure that
the attention to detail didnt stop at the
cremation chapel. I wanted everything to
be comfortable, all the way through to the
cremator.
Ive seen a lot of viewing rooms where the
windows look onto a cremator area thats
very clean and professional looking.
Yes, but very industrial. I did not want
that industrial look. We do so well on
our burial side. At the cemetery, we have
beautiful tents and fresh green grass. We
have fans, music, water, cold towels.
But what are we doing for our cremation
families? They deserve more than the
industrial look. They know whats going
to happen in that machine, but I wanted to
make it as peaceful as possible.
Death is a traumatic experience. It
doesnt matter if a family chooses burial
C R E M AT I O N /
S E R V I C E T O FA M I L I E S
or cremation; its traumatic. What we want
to do is take the burden off the familys
shoulders, take them out of their tornado,
and just allow them to grieve and say
goodbye. Because you never heal after
death. You readjust to a life with that loved
one out of your life.
In the local newspaper coverage of
your cremation chapel, you mentioned
that there are some religious traditions
where the family is required to start the
cremation. Do you have any ethnic or
religious groups in your area that have a
special affinity for cremation?
We do. Bryan-College Station is a college
area; we have Texas A&M here. So we
have people from all over the U.S. and the
world living here because of the university.
Its very common for us in one day to help
a Catholic family, a Jewish family, a Greek
Orthodox family, a Baptist family. Its
not uncommon to deal with families from
several different religious traditions in a
single day.
Our area is so wonderfuleveryone
gets along. To me its the best place in
the world to live. We chose to live here
and raise our kids here because of this
wonderful community.
We also have more and more people
retiring here who, when they pass
away, want to be buried in their family
cemeteries in other areas of the country.
This allows them to have a small goodbye
here as well as whatever services will
be held wherever they are going for
permanent memorialization.
Weve also learned that cremation
for babies is becoming more and more
popular, including for stillborn children.
With stillborns, its very, very difficult,
because the mom and dad and the
immediate family grieve so differently
than their friends and extended family.
What were doing is having the
immediate family and the minister or
celebrant have a service in the cremation
chapel before or after the cremation. This
is something that wasnt possible before
and we didnt expect the impact that it
would have on these families.
That is an important service. People are
becoming more vocal about stillbirths and
miscarriages and the effect they have on
the parents.
Yes. Ive been a funeral director my entire
career; Ive worked for independents and
January 2017
37
With stillborns, its very difficult, because the mom and dad and the immediate family
grieve so differently than their friends and extended family. Were having the immediate family
and the minister or celebrant have a service in the cremation chapel. This is something that
wasnt possible before, and we didnt expect the impact that it would have on these families.
Hilliers website includes videos so that families can tour their locations and hear Incardona talk about their cremation chapel.
corporations. The one constant is that

families want servicethats the bottom
line. You have to be there for them.
Im excited to see our death-care
profession starting to understand that more
and more. I really believe we need to treat
our places like five-star hotels or fivestar restaurants, because we are in fact a
service industry, period.
A local newspaper article I read said
that when you started building the new
cremation chapel, your cremation rate
was about 30 percent, and now its about
42 percent, which is a huge increase in
less than a year. Is that because you have
this facility, so youre attracting more
cremation families?
I totally believe so. We are the leaders in
our area to put service with cremation.
There are various direct disposers of
cremation, but they dont understand
service and they dont understanding how
to get families healing the right way.
We are absolutely in the forefront of
doing that, and thats why these families
are choosing us at such a rapid rate.
How large is the cremation chapel?
The cremation chapel holds up to 49
people. The actual retort room is also
pretty big. When I started going around the
state to look at different crematories, I saw
that a lot of people were deciding to put
them in funeral homes, which I think is a
great idea, but they kind of missed the ball.
They were putting in, say, a 10 by 12
room with a pane of glass, giving it a cute
flower name, and only allowing you to
see your loved one in the industrial retort
behind the glass.
38
ICCFA Magazine
Adding a crematory so the familys

loved ones will be in your care the entire
time is great. But these places missed the
ball when it came to the aspect of how to
help a family heal. We wanted to make
sure that was in the forefront.
How does the family feel when they
come in your facility? Make sure your
cremation chapel is not just not a back
room of your place. Make sure multiple
families can be there with their loved ones.
Make sure theres music; make sure the
lighting is correct.
We treated our cremation chapel as an
extension of the funeral home.
Is the new chapel attached to the existing
funeral home?
Its actually in the building; we did not
build out at all. We transformed a garage
and storage area into a chapel.
When the trend started of funeral homes
adding reception rooms, Id hear they
found the space by taking out their
merchandise selection room. Now Im
hearing, We redid the garage.
In the death-care industry we used to
spend so much time cleaning our vehicles
and making sure there wasnt a speck of
dust on them. But you can take them to a
car wash and have them cleaned quickly
and affordably.
Did you bring in a designer for the
cremation chapel?
No; Glenn Duhon Jr., the other funeral
director, and I did it. Glenn has a masters
degree in architecture, and unlike me, he
has not been a funeral director his entire
career. Hes been in banking, architecture.
So he comes at things from a different

view, but when we work together, the
result is great.
On your website, you talk about using
all five senses to create an experience
for families. How does that factor into
what you offer families at the cremation
facility?
Its the same for traditional burial and
cremation families. Its sound, when you
walk in the door and hear your favorite
music playing. Its smell, with the aroma
of cookies baking because you told us than
whenever you visited Grandma she always
baked cookies. Or, if your loved one was
an outdoorsy person, well make sure the
scent of leather is in the air. Its setting the
mood with the lighting, with candles.
We hit all five senses so when you
walk in, bam. So the first thing that pops
into your mind is Mom, Dad, Grandma
whomever youre there to remember.
The memories start flooding in, and you
remember all of the good times with your
loved one.
My first memory of going into a funeral
home was for my grandmothers funeral.
It was in someplace dark, maybe a
basement. I was very young at the time,
but it did not make a good impression,
did not make me want to go to any more
funerals.
No, and I think one of the reasons why
more and more people are choosing
cremation over traditional burial is
because they dont want what they have
experienced.
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people is the viewing room?

Yes. I talked to multiple funeral directors
and cremation leaders, and one of the
things they told meand Ive found it
to be 100 percent true so faris that not
many people want to see the cremation
take place.
But they do want to know that it is their
loved one who is there; they want to say
goodbye to their loved one in their special
way; and then they want to see their loved
one taken to the next room. It gives them
peace of mind and allows them to say
goodbye.
Thats what were doing, and were
seeing healthier families. In the short
amount of time weve been doing this,
families are healing at a better rate than
they were before. Its absolutely amazing.
How do you determine that?
We follow up with our families.
At our funeral home, we focus on
the living. We make the deceased look
as wonderful as possible for the living.
When the families come here, we try to
use all five senses to help them grieve. We
follow up afterward and ask about their
experience. The response were getting
is, Youve allowed us to say goodbye;
youve allowed us to grieve the way we
want to.
And when I run into people later,
theyre smiling. They talking about their
loved ones. Theyre talking about their
40
ICCFA Magazine
experience and how they got everything

they wanted.
Weve made the change from focusing
on the deceased to focusing on the living,
and thats what I believe the death-care
industry should do.
You say most of them dont want to see
the cremation. Do you screen the window
once the casket has gone into the room
where the cremator is, or to people leave?
People leave. Its the same as when you
have a burial and not many people want to
be at the gravesite for the lowering of the
casket. Its the same principle.
I can see why theres a huge difference
between sending your loved one off to a
third-party crematory versus being here.
Its like youve seen your loved one all the
way through the process.
Its more than that. One of the other things
Im looking at is how many direct burials
do we have in a yearone, maybe two
versus how many direct cremations. In my
opinion, the reason we as an industry have
so many direct cremations is that were not
giving families what they need. Were not

asking them, What do you need to grieve?
What do you need to say goodbye?
When you stop and you ask the family
that question, it opens up the process
to a healing experience. Thats what
weve noticed in the short time of having
our everything on our property. We are
opening the door for families to grieve
the way they want to. And every family is
different; no two are the same.
Whats your procedure for returning the
remains to the family?
We schedule a time for the family to come
in. If the family didnt want to say their
goodbyes to their loved one, or werent
available at the time of the cremation, we
allow them to do that with the clergy or
celebrant when they come in to receive the
remains.
We place their loved one in the urn ark,
so its in a place of respect. We ask the
family what music theyd like to hear and
have it playing when they come in. We
have a photo of their loved one and a lit
candle placed by the urn.
Its important to make sure everythings
in place for this, just like for a funeral
service. We should never, ever give
cremated remains to the family over a desk
like we did 20 years ago. We just didnt
think back then.
We set everything up. Everything has a
purpose; everything has a meaning. If the
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family says, You know what? Im just

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thats OK. I created a two-minute service
designed to help families reflect on their
loved one. Heres your mom; this is your
dad. This is not just a box were handing
over. This is your loved one.
Several times one family member
has come in by themselves. They are
so emotional. They ask if they can take
pictures, and of course we allow them to
take pictures. Or they ask if they can come
back with the rest of their family. And of
course we allow them to come back with
the rest of their family
This tells me families do not want direct
cremation. They just dont know what they
want. They want to say goodbye in their
own special way.
Do you have any problem with unclaimed
remains?
No. And its because of how we treat them.
Its, This is Mom, This is Dad This is
Mr. Jones. This is just not a disposition.
Its not a disposal. And thats what
really makes us different from the direct
disposers. Its night and day difference.
We get families from every walk of life,
every race, every religion. Theyre coming
to us more and more because of how were
treating them. Were seeing to their needs.
How many cremations per year did you
handle in the past?
We handled about 120 to 160 a year.
How are you projecting that to change?
Just in the couple of weeks that weve
been open, our business has almost tripled.
Its going to be interesting.
And people obviously are coming to
you for the service, not because theyre
looking for a cheap disposer.
Right. And we tell them right off the bat.
January 2017
41
One of the things I say, only half joking, is I truly believe that in four or five years our chapels
are going to look like the sets of Today or Good Morning America, because thats what
people want to see. We dont want to turn it into a circus, but we have to keep open minds as
we work to give people the ability to acknowledge their loved ones lives the way they see fit.
Hillier offers a full military service and a flag retirement ceremony for veterans.
Our cremations are very affordable. But

our goal is not to get rid of a deceased
human body, its to help the family heal.
So you have a choice of what you wish to
do.
Do you have a selection room,
or is merchandise selection done
electronically?
Both. Ive realized that when it comes to
casket selections, our families want to see
and touch the caskets. When it comes to
urns, families want to take a book home
and think about it and come back in and
make their selection. With urns, there are
so many options its not feasible to have
them all displayed in a room anyway
theres just no way.
Weve got a few special urns on display.
Ive got some hand-made bronze urns,
urns especially turned in wood, a few
simple urns used for scattering. But I like
using our printed materials. Everyone is
different. I encourage people to pick just
the right thing for their loved one.
In the past, there are a number of reasons
why funeral directors kind of discouraged
cremation. Some of them honestly
thought it was disrespectful, but there
was also the fear that it would hurt their
bottom line.
And funeral directors are still concerned
42
ICCFA Magazine
about cremation hurting revenue.

The day and age of the funeral home
is changing. It is 100 percent true that
the revenue for cremation is less than
for traditional burial, based off of
merchandise.
But Im a firm believer that at the
end of the day, no one really remembers
what casket Mom or Dad was in. They
remember the service they received. I
believe we need to focus more and more
on the service. People can go online and
find discounted caskets. But you cant do
that with service.
I really believe that is whats going to
make the difference in funeral homes in
the next 10 years. Were going to have
funeral homes like ours that truly believe
in service and truly want to help people
heal, and then were going to have funeral
homes that do direct disposalhigh
volume, no service. I believe thats how
youre going to see this industry start
splitting apart.
Some of the photos of your cremation
chapel show people. Were those actors?
Those were community leaders who
helped us with those photos that so that
families can understand how they can
say goodbye here. Because showing is
different from telling. Thats why we
include videos of our locations on our

website. You can talk all day long about
what you have, but people are visualthey
want to see it.
I absolutely agree. They seem to be doing
a military funeral, with the flag-draped
casket. Is that to help you advertise the
full military service that you offer?
Exactly. I saw that that was missing in cre
mation services for military people. There
was no opportunity to include military
honors. What we would do is obtain the
flag and then, when the family picked up
the cremated remains, wed also give them
the flag.
Theyre entitled to more. Why are
we treating them differently from burial
families? So in my chapel, I kept a big
door that we can open up to the outside
so that proper military honors can be
presented. The family is right there and
sees everything.
I believe in respecting the flag at all
costs. Were also having a flag retirement
ceremony with each veterans service. We
work with our local VFW and a couple of
flag companies that send us their tattered
flags. We do the ceremony and then we
give the family their clean, pressed flag.
It seems Hillier has had a lot of firsts:
first cremation chapel in the county, first
to offer full concierge service and green
funerals; first to offer complimentary
child care during gatherings; first to offer
celebrants. It sounds like since youve
been there, youve been focused on
change.
Yes. Hillier Funeral Home has been around
for 100 years; I joined Hillier 10 years
ago. My wife and I were looking, thinking
about opening up a funeral home, and
were approached by Carriage Services. We
came down here and fell in love with the
community.
Carriage believes in a decentralized
model. They allow us to do what we see
as working for our community. Theyve
allowed me to do all these really neat
things, and totally supported us in what
were doing.
C R E M AT I O N /
My background is in psychology
and business. When I was in college,
a lot of my friends were in hotel and
restaurant management. Seeing the way
they do things is really eye-opening. That
hospitality element is something the deathcare industry is missing, and its what
were bringing to the death-care market
in this part of Texas. Its been remarkably
well received.
And were helping families heal, which
is, at the end of the day, what we want
them to do. Thats our calling; thats why
Im doing this.
How did you come into funeral service?
Through family?
No. My dads a steelworker and my moms
a nurse. I grew up in Buffalo, New York.
When I was 12, I got cancer for the first
time. There were about 17 of us who went
into treatment at the same time. Only two
of us survived. So at a very young age, I
went to funeral homes a lot.
I also come from a small family, and
my grandmother passed away the same
day my mom had a heart attack. I was
running back and forth from the funeral
home to the hospital making arrangements,
because back then, funeral directors never
went to the hospitals. They just didnt do
that.
At one point, the funeral director looked
at me and said, Youd be great for this
profession. I thought he was crazy. I
thought, There aint no way on Gods
green earth I want to do that.
But that funeral director and I became
friends, and then I started working for him.
When I was 16 years old, I escorted people
from the outside of the funeral home to the
inside. Eventually I went from the parking
lot to the outside door, to the inside door,
to answering the phone, to helping outI
just started climbing the ladder. And I saw
the difference he made in peoples lives.
Wow. Thats a fascinating journey. Id
say your background serves you well.
What Ive heard a lot is that sometimes
if youre a fourth-generation funeral
director and youve always lived in the
same town, as the nations population
becomes more and more transient, you
dont have the same life experience as
many of the people youre serving.
That is a hundred percent true. Be proud
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43
awesome. But make sure you stay
wish.
in touch with your community
We have more than 80
and never stop learning. And
cemeteries in our county. When a
the most important thing is, go
family has not chosen a cemetery,
outside the death-care industry to
we take them to see some. We
learn. Bring in information from
show them the options. Do you
the hospitality industry. Bring it
want to be by the road? Do you
from Build-A-Bear. Bring it from
want to be by the trees? Do you
all kinds of wonderful companies
want to be by the water?
outside our profession.
Its important that a funeral
One of the things I say, only
director doesnt view the end
half joking, is I truly believe that
of the funeral as the end. Thats
in four or five years our chapels
not the end of your service to
are going to look like the sets
the family. Your end is five or
of Today or Good Morning
six years later when you see
America, because thats what
that family in the grocery store
people want to see. We dont
and they thank you and theyve
want to turn it into a circus, but
healed properly. Thats your end
we have to keep open minds as
point.
we work to give people the ability
Our staff also goes to the
to acknowledge their loved ones
reception, makes sure every
lives the way they see fit.
things set up, the pictures are
there, everything is given back
Tell me about The Art of
to the family afterward. Our job
Staging, the book I noticed on
does not end at the cremation or
the table in one of the photos of
the cemetery. We have reception
the chapel.
facilities at both of our locations.
That is actually a book I created.
On your webside, under Who
It shows our services. We do
We Are, you have a bunch of
banners for funeral services. We
people listed as ambassadors.
do uplights. When we do our
Correct. Those are the people
stationery, we start with a blank
who work here part-time. I
pagenothing is preprinted. We
dont just consider them partdont do obituaries; we do life
time people. They are truly
stories.
my
ambassadors. They are the
I noticed that on your website,
ones
in the visitation room
you dont have cremation listed
greeting
people. I dont believe
on your home page. But then,
in
standing
by the front door; I
you dont have funeral listed,
believe
in
walking
around. I want
either. You have tributes, life
them
talking
to
people:
Youre
celebration, what we do.
here for Mrs. Smith. How did you
Everything is service-driven.
know her?
Without service, the family
When young people come
cannot heal. Its all about service.
into the funeral home chewing
I also notice that under
gum and wearing sunglasses, my
What We Do, you include
From Hilliers website, their explanation of services, which
ambassadors advise them about
information about celebrants,
has celebrant services and hospice right at the top, and
the etiquette of a funeral home.
hospice, honoring life, designing includes permanent memorialization.
Because they dont know.
your funeral and permanent
We hand-pick our ambassadors. This
back to whenever they want to.
memorialization, which is not always
is no exaggeration: Every month I get 12
If you dont say goodbye the right
something funeral homes talk about. Do
to 14 people who would love to join our
way, you dont make peace with the fact
you have a cemetery?
team, so I can hand-pick people. And we
that your loved one is gone and you dont
No, but again, it goes back to serving
have so many ambassadors because when
start the healing process, you will never,
the family. Families who permanently
we sit down with a family and we talk
ever heal the right way. I truly believe
memorialize their loved ones cremated
permanent memorialization does that. With about their loved one, if someone was
remains are healthier than families who
into baseball, Ive got people who are into
all the different options cemeteries offer
scatter, because theyve got a place to go
these days, families can do it however they baseball. I bring them to the visitation. If
44
ICCFA Magazine
An urn ark surrounded by photos and floral tributes at Hillier Funeral Home.
someone was involved in a certain church,

Ive got people who are involved with that
church who can come to the visitation. Its
all about making the family feel more at
home.
I see you have men and women, young
and old and middle-aged. And you have at
least one with a Hispanic background.
Yes. He lost his wife, and he used another
funeral home in town. It was during the
holiday season, and that funeral home
forced him to do his own paperwork to
send his wife back to Mexico, which
involves going back and forth to Austin and
which, in my opinion, should not have been
his responsibility.
I met him at a Dios de los Muertos
celebration. He came to a visitation and
started asking me questions, and after
learning about our service, he asked to join
the team.
He is an amazing gentleman, and he
knows how he was treated versus how we
treat families. Each one of my ambassadors
has a story.
I like that the photos of the staff members
on your website show them smiling.
Once again, were a service industry. I want
my people to be friendly. I dont want my
people to wear black suits at the front door.
If the deceaseds favorite color was yellow,
by gosh, theyre going to wear yellow ties
and yellow shirts.
46
ICCFA Magazine
If the deceased was a big Texas A&M

fan, well decorate the whole funeral home
in A&M colors. There is no part of the
funeral home that looks the same when
we stage it for a service. Some people
say, Bring in a few personalized items.
We tell our families, Bring up to three
truckloads.
Why limit their celebration of their
loved ones life to a box? How in the world
do you tell the family of someone who
lived to be 85 theyre limited to a table.
Heres your table of memories. No; you
decorate the whole funeral home, you
travel through that persons whole life.
Am I correct in thinking that the College
Station location opened in 2015?
Yes; we opened it up about mid-year.
Between that and the cremation chapel,
which opened in 2016, it seems like youre
growing pretty quickly.
Yes; the area is growing at a rapid rate. We
also started offering celebrant services in
2015. So its been non-stop.
Do families use celebrant services very
much?
We conduct a celebrant service at least
once a week. We find it most appealing,
believe it or not, to Lutherans and
Methodists and Catholics.
Some religious traditions dont allow
a lot of opportunity for personalization
of funeral rites, but well hold a celebrant

service the night of the visitation, or of
the rosary. People can share memories
about the deceased and we show photos
and videos. This all helps people heal, and
weve gotten a wonderful response to it.
Do you find more cremation rather than
traditional burial families choosing to use
celebrants?
Its mixed. One of the things I would
love to see is an end to treating cremation
families and burial families differently. It
should just be the family, and the form of
disposition shouldnt matter. I think thats
a wedge weve created in our industry,
because were so used to pigeonholing
everything. We just look at the familys
needs to determine if they need a celebrant.
And heres a funny thing. We have been
called to Arkansas, Oklahoma and South
Texas to do celebrant services for families.
We getting asked at least once a month
to do a personalized celebrant service at
another funeral home. They have a funeral
director, but they want us to handle the
service. Thats unbelievable to me.
Believe it or not, I was the first celebrant
in Texas. Glenn was the second. I have
a dear friend who got certified. And now
weve got more and more celebrants.
In the past 10 or 15 years, all the places
that used to be So-and-So Funeral
Home are now So-and-so Funeral and
Cremation. On your website, it says Hillier
Funeral, Cremation and Bereavement
Specialists.
Our official name is still Hillier Funeral
Home. But we added the cremation,
funeral and bereavement specialists
because that is what we specialize in. I
made that change about four years ago. Our
crematory is Hillier Cremation Specialists.
I looked at what other funeral homes
have done about cremation, and I think
theyve missed an opportunity. Your
names going to be on all the paperwork;
your names going to be with the urn.
And do they really want to see Smith
Crematory? Or do they want to feel a
little bit better about the name: Smith
Cremation Specialists?
I believe every funeral director is good,
but not enough have the think outside the
box mindset.
I truly believe that if we refocus our
attention from merchandise to service,
r
everything else will fall into place.
by ICCFA Magazine columnist

Todd W. Van Beck, CFuE
vanbeck@
guptoncollege.edu;
toddvanbeck@
gmail.com
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Van Beck is one
of the most soughtafter speakers and

educators in funeral
service.
He is the director
of continuing education for John A. Gupton
College, Nashville, Tennessee.
www.guptoncollege.edu
Van Beck is dean of ICCFA Universitys

College of Funeral Home Management
and received the ICCFA Educational
Foundations first ever Lasting Impact
Award in 2014.
Like Todd Van Beck

on Facebook today!

Van Becks book
Reverence for the Dead:

The Unavoidable Link,
addresses in detail the
ethical standards of caring for the dead and the
ethical consequences of
not doing so.
www.amazon.com
Van Becks new book
The Story of Cremation, walks the reader

through the history of
cremation, its historical
uses to its use today. It
concludes with a discussion of the downsides of
cremation.
www.amazon.com
Read Van Becks spirited defense of
funeral service and funeral professionals in

answer to an article bashing them (7 Lies
Your Funeral Home Director Might Tell You).
Read his blog posts at the ICCFA Caf.
48
ICCFA Magazine
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Some problems when youre dealing with a funeral or cemetery

service are unavoidable; you simply cant control everything.
But some are. Make sure youre taking steps to avoid the problems
you can, and that youre not creating any for yourself.
The keys to service:

Avoidable problems
hroughout my career I have worked

hard to eliminate problems. Sounds
utterly ridiculous, doesnt it? A life
without problems. What a utopian fantasy!
However, in my early years in funeral
service I was brainwashed: It was
drummed into my thick head over and
over again that the worse crime on the face
of the earth was making a mistake on a
funeral. Problems in funerals were, in the
philosophy of the veteran funeral directors
who provided me with my university
life training, intolerable, and if a problem
did arise, it was grounds for severe
consequences.
There was only one glaring problem
with this carved-in-stone attitude: In the
real world, problems abound in funerals.
In fact, if truth be told, in looking
back at my career I dont know if I ever
conducted a funeral where everything
went precisely the way I planned it out.
Probably if I didnt have to deal with
other human beingsit it was just me and
the decedentthen possibly everything
would be to my liking with no unexpected
difficulties.
But most often, I had to open the doors
of the funeral home, cemetery, church or
temple and let people in. And when people
showed up, the problems began.
Let me give you an example of the
type of problems people create. Have you
ever given pallbearers instructions? Have
you ever asked a group of pallbearers to
please face the hearse?
I concluded years ago that I would have
a greater chance of success changing the
financial structure of China than to get all
the pallbearers to understand what face
the hearse means, let alone get them all to
behave the way I wanted them to.
Dealing with recalcitrant or simply

confused pallbearers is what I call an
unavoidable mistake. It is an unavoidable
problem; it seems beyond anyones ability
to correct the pallbearers lack of listening
ability.
Another example: The familys personal
car rear-ends the funeral coach. I had this
happen. The family had decided to drive
their own car, which was following the
hearse.
I braked and, looking into the side
mirror, I had that horrible feeling of
knowing I was going to be hit and being
unable to do anything to prevent the
collision that was about to occur. That
was another instance of an unavoidable
problem.
The family member driving the car
hit the hearse so hard, smashing the back
door to such an extent, that we couldnt
get the decedent out to complete the burial
service. We had to drive to the auto body
shop to get the back door taken off.
You can just imagine how thrilled
the chaps who worked in the auto body
shop were, first when they saw me drive
up in the hearse, and second when they
discovered that yes, indeed, there was a
dead person in the back. That door came
off in record time.
Avoidable problems
With all this said, I would like to suggest

that there are also avoidable problems,
which with a little awareness and attention
can be within the ability of the funeral
professional to prevent.
One area that receives little, if any,
attention but which I believe is worthy of
exploring, involves external conditions
in the funeral home or cemetery
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Phone calls, knocks on the door, well-meaning people who want just a word
with you, assistants who must have you sign this document at once
lest the Gross National Product collapse, may well destroy in seconds
what you and the client family have been trying hard to build.
interruptions and interference.
I feel rather strongly about these two
issues. The funeral conference interview
is a demanding experience for all partici
pants. Focus, privacy and protection of this
experience are critical.
An example: I worked in the manage
ment of a funeral home where a particular
funeral arranger simply lacked certain
skills. This person was not weak in
manners, nor in information-taking. Her
weaknesses were primarily centered
in her annoying addiction to creating
interruptions herself and tolerating
interference from others.
I sat in on several conferences that this
funeral director was responsible for and in
one three-hour session this person jumped
up and left and room, returned, and then
jumped up againnow, get this20 times!
On top of this annoying behavior, this
funeral director had instructed the outer
lobby receptionist to alert her to any and all
phone calls, even if they were calls which
had nothing to do with the matters presently
at hand.
Not surprisingly, this funeral director
received so many negative family
surveys that in time her employment was
terminated.
I had scores of conversations with this
person; I wrote her up countless times. In
the end, nothing changed. The pitiful part of
this was that changing her approach to the
arrangement interview, ending this pattern
of creating interruptions and encouraging
interference, would have been so easy, and
would have been 100 percent supported by
management.
Why then, do you think this funeral
director not only tolerated such intrusions,
but actually participated in them and
encouraged them? Why would any adult,
mature funeral professional behave in such
a manner?
I concluded that this funeral director was
so insecure, so fragile, so needy, that she
actually interpreted jumping up and down,
leaving the office, returning and repeating
this process over and over again during
arrangement conferences, plus accepting
phone calls, not as annoying interference
50
ICCFA Magazine
and interruptions but as proof that she was

the center of the universe.
And who should be the center of atten
tion during an arrangement conference? The
client family.
The funeral/cemetery interview
demands, among other things, that the
serving person concentrate as completely
as possible on the present situation, thus
establishing rapport and building trust.
Jumping up and down, leaving the room
and accepting messages that have nothing
to do with the needs of the clients will never
create an atmosphere of rapport and trust.
Never.
Outside interruptions, even rare ones,
no matter their perceived legitimacy, can
only hinder the important goals of building
trust and establishing rapport. I have long
thought that the typical funeral/cemetery
professional has a window of time of about
10 minutes to establish trust and respect.
Friends, this is not very long.
Priests, rabbis and ministers have years
to accomplish this. Hospice nurses have
weeks and months. Funeral professionals
have a very limited amount of time to
establish trust and respect.
It is to our professions credit that,
I believe, most funeral directors and
cemeterians make sure that interruptions
and interferences are either eliminated
altogether or kept at an essential minimum,
allowed only in the instance of an imminent
disaster.
Phone calls, knocks on the door, wellmeaning people who want just a word
with you, assistants who must have you
sign this document at once lest the Gross
National Product collapse, may well destroy
in seconds what you and the client family
have been trying hard to build.
In my humble opinion, one of the key
characteristics of the funeral or cemetery
interview is that it is sacred, akin to the
sacred relationship between a person and
his or her physician, attorney or religious
advisor. The funeral or cemetery interview
is also extremely personal and deserves and
needs respect for both confidentiality and
privacy.
I have actually seen some gutsy and
creative funeral professionals make a

practice of putting a Do Not Disturb sign
or something similar on the doorand
they mean it. Though this practice might
be helpful, I feel it could also possibly
have the opposite effect and frighten and/or
intimidate the client family waiting outside.
At the very least, it could make them feel
more anxious than they already are.
Another totally avoidable problem
involving interruptions occurs when
the funeral or cemetery professional is
themselves so disorganized, discom
bobulated or rattled that the interview with
the family is conducted unprofessionally,
cut off and then restarted numerous times
because of the incompetency of the funeral/
cemetery counselor.
Licensed or not, someone who is a
bumbling incompetent and behaves this
way usually has endless excuses when
confronted about their counterproductive
approach to their work.
These unfortunate people try valiantly to
spin their incompetency into magnanimous,
altruistic behavior. They claim they were,
with a good heart, checking and rechecking
to make sure everything was ship shape.
Checking on the newspapers, checking on
the vault, checking on the flowers, checking
on the death certificate, checking, checking,
checking and then more checking.
To be sure, there are times when we must
leave the room, but common sense tells us
that more than a handful, never mind 20
times in a funeral/cemetery interview, is way
too many interruptions of this sacred time.
Funeral/cemetery professionals who are
well prepared, focused on performing their
jobs well, who have their client families
absolute best interests at heart, who are
secure and grounded in who they are as
human beings and who have successfully
established trust and respect with the client
family do not behave in such a manner.
Disorganized, disjointed, discombobu
lated, rattled or frazzled funeral/cemetery
interviews are never, ever the fault of the
client family. They are always the fault of
the funeral professional interviewing
the client family. The good news is, the
situation is totally avoidable.
r
by Daniel M. Isard,
MSFS
MANAGEMENT
Combination funeral-cemetery operations can be beneficial

not only for consumers but also for owners.
But dont make the mistake of thinking that cemeteries
and funeral homes should be managed the same way.
1.800.426.0165
danisard@f4sight.com
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Isard is president of
The Foresight Companies

LLC, a Phoenix-based
business and management consulting firm specializing in mergers and
acquisitions, valuations,
accounting, financing and
customer surveys.
He is the author of several books, and the host

of The Dan Isard Show.
http://funeralradio.com
More from
this author
Educational information,
including copies of this

article, can be found at
www.f4sight.com
You can follow Isard on

Twitter at @f4sight and
like his Facebook page.
Editors note: The

Cemetery Impossible
column is written by the
staff of The Foresight
Companies. If you have
a question you want
to be featured in this
column, please send it to
danisard@f4sight.com.
Dan Isard or a member
of his staff will call you to
get more information and
a recommendation will be
provided via this column,
helping not only you but
also others who are facing
similar challenges.
52
ICCFA Magazine
Cemetery Impossible
Why isnt my combo generating advance sales?
Dear Cemetery Impossible,

a well-run cemetery,
I own four funeral homes and two
there is typically
cemeteries. The cemeteries are each
$2 of advance sales
in the same town as one of my funeral
revenue for every $1
homes. In those towns, I have made
of at-need revenue.
the funeral home manager the cemetery manager.
The funeral profession typically has about 40
Every cemeterian I speak to tells me that having this
cents of advance sales revenue for each $1 of at-need
combo is great, but I get very few advance sales
revenue. In addition, the funeral advance sales are
at the cemeteries. Most of my cemetery sales are atusually driven by consumers embarking on an elder
need. What am I doing wrong?
care spend-down program.

Sincerely, Confused Combo
There are no receivables in at-need situations at
cemeteries. Cemetery advance sales have receivDear Confused Combo,
ables, but they are typically 100 percent secured. The
In the eyes of the public, a funeral business and a
funeral business typically has at-need receivables
cemetery are aligned. They both deal with providing
equal to 15 percent of annual revenueor more, and
solutions when a death occurs. One large brokerage
those are typically unsecured.
firm in the 1980s even gave an all-inclusive name to
As you can see when you examine their at-need
the two businesses, referring to it as the death-care
to preneed sales ratios, revenue recognition and
profession.
long-term service methods, these two businesses
While the public and Wall Street think funeral
have nothing in common. You no longer need to
homes and cemeteries are related, in reality they are
wonder why your funeral director is not making your
related in the same way giraffes and hamsters are.
cemetery profitable.
Giraffes and hamsters are both animals, but they
We have seen the benefit of the combination
have very different needs. Funeral and cemetery
operation in small and midsized towns. It is poworganizations are total opposites in terms of their
erful in large cities as well. It is powerful because the
business plans, the professionals who own and
cemetery draws people to use the funeral home. The
(should) manage them and their practical applications average age of someone who buys cemetery property
within society.
is 65 to 70. The average age of someone buying a fuThe cemetery business is an advance-sales
neral prearrangement is 72 to 78.
business with strong recordkeeping, a high need for
It is clear to me that the cemetery is the first draw.
property care and a cycle of service measured in
You can secure the relationship best when you lead
generations. The funeral business is a patient business with the cemetery, not the funeral home.
with little emphasis on advance sales and a cycle of
I strongly recommend that you have two different
service measured in days.
managersone manager for the funeral home and
Even the licensure is different. A cemetery as a
one for the cemetery. Have the cemetery manager
business requires no license for the operators, unless
work on new sales. Have the funeral manager work
state law requires a property sales license. The funeral on at-need cases and the occasional advance sale.
business is licensed as a business, and in addition,
When the funeral home has an at-need arrange
each professional working with families must have
ment scheduled with a family who has not yet chosen
some form of license and, in most cases, continuing
a cemetery, the cemetery manager should be invited to
education (Colorado excluded, of course).
sit in on the funeral arrangement. The two businesses
The people who are attracted to the cemetery
should enhance their level of service for the benefit of
profession are usually more advance-sales oriented. In the arranging consumer.
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by Shannon DeCamp
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ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
DeCamp is client
services manager
for TechneTrain Inc.,
Milford, Ohio.
1.800.852.8314
www.technetrainonline.com
She researches OSHA safety regulations and initiatives in order to help businesses stay in compliance and develops
products to help businesses conduct
safety training.
TechneTrain has a full line of training
programs and reference materials to help
you keep your cemetery, funeral home
or crematory in compliance with OSHA
Regulations. These products are available from the ICCFA at discounted prices.
Contact the ICCFA for more information at
1.800.645.7700.
For further information regarding
OSHA Compliance requirements for
the cemetery and funeral industry, visit
www.technetrainonline.com, or contact
TechneTrain Inc. at 1.800.852.8314.
MANAGEMENT/SAFETY
Are your employees trained and equipped in compliance

with the new OSHA regulations covering silica dust?
If not, stop that landscaping and monument work, read this and
make sure your employees and your organization are protected.
What OSHAs new regulations

for silica mean for cemeteries
n June 23, 2016, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administrations
new rule to improve protections
for more than 2 million workers exposed
to respirable silica dust went into effect.
This new regulation will curb lung cancer,
silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease and kidney disease in Americas
workers by limiting their exposure to
respirable crystalline silica.
If your cemetery does any landscaping
work that involves concrete, pavers, natural
stone, soil, sand, brick, block or mortar, this
new regulation affects you.
Why do we need new

silica standards?
OSHAs permissible
exposure limits for silica
were more than 40 years
old and based on research
that did not reflect current
understanding of health
effects and preventative
measures.
Strong evidence shows that the old
exposure limits did not adequately protect
worker health.
The technology for most employers
to provide adequate protection is widely
available and affordable.
OSHA has detailed specific procedures
to be followed for each task that can protect
workers from silica dust.
Why is silica dangerous?
Breathing silica dust leaves microscopic

shards imbedded in the lungs. As the
lungs try to heal themselves, they form
scar tissue over the shards. This tissue
decreases lung capacity.
Inhaling silica dust has been shown
to cause various lung diseases, including
cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD) and silicosis, a disabling,

irreversible and potentially fatal disease.
The presence of silica in the lungs can
also weaken the bodys ability to fight
infections, so infectious illnesses such as
pulmonary tuberculosis can develop. Silica
also has been linked to kidney disease and
other adverse health effects.
Why is silica a concern

for workers in cemeteries?
Many landscaping materials contain high

amounts of silica. Materials that contain
silica are not hazardous
unless they are disturbed
in a way that generates
dust. Specifically, tasks that
involve cutting, crushing,
mixing or etching any
silica-containing material
can release hazardous levels
of very small, crystalline
silica dust particles into the
air that workers can inhale
if not properly protected.
How do I know if my workers

are affected?
Your crew members may be breathing in

silica dust and not even know it. Silica
dust particles are too small to see and it
takes only minute quantities of airborne
silica dust to create a health hazard.
It can take 20 years or longer for the
chronic form of silicosis to develop, and
for symptoms to present themselves.
Silicosis is a progressive disease, so
removing a worker from the job does not
stop its progression.
As silicosis progresses, symptoms
may include severe cough, chest pain,
weight loss, fever, weakness, night sweats,
shortness of breath, respiratory failure and/
or death.

54
ICCFA Magazine
to page 55
management / safety
from page 54
Which work operations

pose hazards?
Many tasks performed by cemetery

personnel may generate crystalline silica
dust:
Loading, hauling and dumping rock
or sand.
Engraving on tombstones.
Chipping, hammering, drilling,
etching, sawing and grinding concrete,
mortar, masonry or pavers.
Demolition of concrete or masonry
structures.
Abrasive blasting using sand as the
abrasive, or where the blasted surface
contains silica, such as concrete.
Dry sweeping or pressurized blowing
of concrete or dust.
Using excavation equipment.
How does the new silica rule

protect workers?
The final rule will improve worker

protection by:
Reducing the permissible exposure
limit (PEL) for crystalline silica to 50 g/
m of air, averaged over an eight-hour
shift. This level is roughly 50 percent of
the previous PEL for general industry, and
roughly 20 percent of the previous PEL for
construction.
Requiring employers to limit worker
exposure to safe levels.
Requiring employers to offer medical
examinations to workers exposed to
crystalline silica at or above the action
level for 30 or more days per year.
What does the new rule

require of employers?
First, employers must determine whether

workers are exposed. Remember that
silica dust may be generated by the worker
or another employee or subcontractor
working in the area.
When an employee is exposed,
employers must use engineering controls
and safe work practices to limit worker
exposure. These include water processes,
ventilation, isolation of tasks, enclosed
cabs on excavators and use of HEPA
vacuums to clean up dust and debris.
They also must perform air monitoring
to determine the amount of exposure
that still exists after these measures are
implemented. When controls are not
January 2017
55
management / safety
Get the Point silica employee training program available
n 2016, OSHA established a new

regulation for respirable crystalline
silica, with stringent requirements for
protecting the 2.3 million workers who
are exposed to this hazard at work.
Many landscaping materials contain
high amounts of silica. Cemetery workers
who cut, crush, pour, mix, etch, engrave,
transport, or drill any silica-containing
material can be exposed to hazardous
levels of very small, crystalline silica
dust particles and are at risk of severe,
lifelong health consequences.
enough to limit exposure to safe levels,

employers must:
First apply these measures to reduce
exposure as much as possible.
Limit/regulate access to high exposure
areas. Only those required by work duties to
be there should be in an area where silica dust
is present.
Provide respirators that are specifically
approved for protection against silica, and
develop a full respiratory protection program.
Whenever respirators are required, the
employer must have a respiratory protection
program that meets the requirements of
OSHAs Respiratory Protection Standard
(29 CFR 1910.134). This program must
include proper respirator selection, fit testing,
medical evaluations and training. While some
disposable respirators are adequate, industrial
hygienists prefer half masks with particulate
filters or cartridges.
Remember that its the employers
responsibility to ensure workers exposed to
silica dust are supplied with these masks, that
theyre using them as instructed and that the
masks are performing as they should.
Provide a full written exposure control
plan.
Provide training on the hazards of
silica dust, the engineering controls and safe
work practices that protect them and how
employees must protect themselves.
Make medical exams available to
workers who are exposed.
Maintain records for air monitoring,
objective data, medical examinations,
employee training and any injuries or
illnesses related to exposure to silica in the
workplace.
56
ICCFA Magazine
TechneTrains Get the Point

program instructs employees on:
The health hazards associated with
silica
Job tasks that present risk of exposure
Effective solutions to eliminate
exposure
How to protect themselves
Related documents and checklists

Student quiz and answer key to ensure
the information was understood
Certificate of Completion to document
your training efforts
An instruction guide that lists any
additional steps you must take to be in
full compliance with OSHA regulations
The program includes:

An employee training DVD
Instructor notes
Student handout
A copy of the OSHA standard
This product is available from the

ICCFA at a discounted price. Contact
TechneTrain Inc. at 1.800.852.8314, or
the ICCFA at 1.800.645.7700 for more
information.
r
employers can follow to be in compliance.

If employers follow those specifications,
they can be sure that they are providing their
workers with the required level of protection.
These same controls apply to general
industry if workers perform the tasks listed in
this table. Employers may provide alternative
methods of protection as long as they make
sure that their methods effectively reduce
their workers exposure to silica dust.
An X-ray showing lungs scarred by

silicosis.
When must employers comply?
The final rule is written as two standards, one

for construction and one for general industry
and maritime operations. The rule provides
flexibility to help employersespecially
small businessesprotect workers from
silica exposure, with staggered compliance
dates to ensure sufficient time to meet the
requirements.
Employers covered by the construction
standard have until June 23, 2017, to comply
with most requirements.
Employers covered by the general
industry and maritime standards have
until June 23, 2018, to comply with most
requirements.
Which engineering controls

protect workers in cemeteries?
The new regulation for construction provides

greater certainty and ease of compliance
by including a table of specified controls
Which safe work practices

should be used in cemeteries?
Use wet sweeping or HEPA-filtered

vacuuming to clean up dust as soon as
possible. Do not use compressed air or dry
sweep.
Replace water and air filters as needed to
control dust.
Adjust water flow as necessary for each
piece of equipment to control dust, following
manufacturers recommendations for water
flow rates.
Prewash stone slabs prior to cutting or
engraving.
Implement regular and thorough
housekeeping procedures for water slurry and
settled dust.
Provide HEPA-filtered vacuums for
cleaning workers clothes as well as water for
hand, face and hair cleaning.
It is important to keep in mind that, as
with all new regulations, silica will be a
focus area for OSHA. It is best to get a head
start on compliance immediately, not only to
protect your business, but, most importantly,
to protect your most important assetyour
employees.
r
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by Gail Rubin, CT, CC

Gail@
AGoodGoodbye.com
505.265.7215
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Rubin works with
organizations to connect
with and sell to baby
boomers and seniors
concerned about end-of-life issues. Shes
a pioneering death educator who uses
humor and funny films to teach about
serious subjects.
Whats it like attending ICCFA University?

Its the ultimate summer school for funeral, cemetery and
cremation professionals. Its a combination of concentrated study
with experts in the profession and networking that bonds students
and makes them want to return to Memphis and keep learning.
She is the author of
several books on end-oflife planning. Her latest is

Kicking the Bucket List:
100 Downsizing and
Organizing Things to Do
Before You Die (Rio Grande
Books). Download a free
50-point executors checklist from the book
at www.AGoodGoodbye.com.
Rubin also wrote the
award-winning book A Good

Goodbye: Funeral Planning
for Those Who Dont Plan to
Die and Hail and Farewell:
Cremation Ceremonies,
Templates and Tips. In
addition, she educates
through radio and TV,
including A Good Goodbye
podcasts on FuneralRadio.
com, a TV interview series
discussing end-of-life issues,
and Mortality Minute radio
spots and YouTube videos.
Rubin attended ICCFA University thanks

to a scholarship from Regions Bank.

The next session of ICCFA
University will be at the University of Memphis Fogelman

Executive Center July 17-22,
2017. Scholarship information is available
at www.iccfa.com or by calling the office at
1.800.645.7700. Full class information will be
available online in the spring.
Rubin blogged about some of what
she learned about religious and cultural

funeral traditions at ICCFA Universitys
College of International Studies. Check out
her posts at The Family Plot Blog: www.
AGoodGoodbye.com/Funeral-Traditions
58
ICCFA Magazine
Graduates stand in front of the students crowded into the auditorium for graduation ceremonies at the end of ICCFAU 2016.
Report from Memphis: Learning

& networking at ICCFA University
s you exit the baggage claim area

of the Memphis airport in late July,
the heat and humidity hit you like
a sauna. Welcome to your first exposure to
ICCFA University. Thank goodness for air
conditioning.
At this annual five-day summer learn
ing experience, funeral and cemetery
professionals converge from around the
United States and other countries to expand
their expertise, network with fellow attendees
and advance their careers.
The University of Memphis Fogelman
Executive Center provides the appropriate
collegiate setting for ICCFA University.
The ICCFAs colleges cover everything a
professional needs to know: 21st Century
Services (with funeral celebrant training);
Land Management & Grounds Operations;
Leadership, Management & Administration;
Sales & Marketing; Funeral Home
Management; Cremation Services; and
International Studies. There are also CEO and

masters options.
In the College of International Studies,
which I attended in 2016, a rich combination
of experiential learning was presented by
industry professionals experienced in specific
cultural and religious funeral traditions. In
addition to learning about cultural sensitivi
ties, we learned details that can improve
business for a funeral home or cemetery.
For example, in the session on ChineseAmerican funeral traditions, Bob Yount,
general manager of Green Street Mortuary
in San Franciscos Chinatown, presented an
important lesson about a ritual that shows
respect to the family before the start of an
arrangement conference. He taught a simple
ceremony that, in 90 seconds, makes a huge
positive impression on the family.
Hierarchy is very important to the Chi
nese, and the highest official of a business is
known as the lobahn in Cantonese. Any time
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decorated tiger mascot statues found around
the University of Memphis campus were all
Pokmon Pokestops.
Just like at a regular college, there was
an athletic evening involving everyone who
wanted either to play or watch, followed by
pizza and beer.
Participants engaged in casual networking
over games of corn hole and volleyball,
thankfully held inside an air-conditioned
gymnasium. The dress code of shorts and
T-shirts revealed a few funeral directors have
very interesting tattoos under their proper
suits.
There was also plenty of time to network
with fellow students and professors over
meals at the Fogelman Executive Center and
in the hospitality room. Those who wished
could venture downtown in the evenings to
Gail Rubin and other attendees listen to ICCFAU professor Poul Lemasters, Esq.,
enjoy barbeque, beer and music on Beale
ICCFAs cremation programs coordinator and cremation legal counsel, a. talk about Street.
the fun corn hole game theyre about to play, or b. scare the heck out of everyone
Scholarships help make it possible
with stories of corn hole games hes seen go terribly wrong because of the lack of
for a number of students to attend. The
adherance to corn hole best practices.
number of scholarships available has grown
exponentially during the past decade.
a manager or person of authority walks into
Chinese-American family is a great gesture
Many scholarship participants came
the room, thats important.
of respect, showing you understand the
from municipalities seeking to improve
When family members come in to make
importance placed on hierarchy in their
their local government-owned and -operated
arrangements, they are escorted into a
culture. Your stock shoots up immensely
cemeteries, as ICCFAU offers a concentrated
conference room and seated.
with them, Yount said.
Within the first two minutes,
That gesture is everything. training program not available elsewhere. But
scholarships are not limited to any type of
Yount will knock on the
Jim Hammond, dean of
organization, as I can testify, having received
door and walk in bearing a
the College of International
one this year myself.
wooden tray holding bottled
Studies, explained how
As at any university, our time ended with a
water, individually wrapped
this ritual can work for any
sweets and a flower. He
business. This gesture helps graduation ceremony. It was a proud moment,
seeing those who have attended four years,
carefully places the tray in a
distinguish you from the
prearranged spot on the table.
funeral home down the street. experiencing a different college each time,
The arranger introduces
As an owner or manager, you get their ICCFA University diplomas.
We gathered in the auditorium to watch
him as the lobahn. The
are not that busy that you
the procession of graduates, the chancellor,
family stands up. He bows,
cant take 90 seconds to go
deans and other dignitaries; the presentation
they bow, and he makes a
in and express your respect.
of diplomas; and the speech by this years
gesture for them to be seated
It makes an enormous
Professor Bob Yount talked
valedictorian (chosen by fellow students,
(otherwise, they would
difference.
about Chiniese-American
since the courses are not graded).
remain standing).
funeral traditions and how
Whether graduates or first-time
He then says, Jo Sahn
Networking
to honor and impress those
attendees, students leave Memphis full
(good day). My name is Bob families who come to your Though students spend their
of information, inspiration and the email
Yount, and I am the general funeral home or cemetery. days in their chosen college,
addresses and phone numbers of colleagues
manager here at Green Street
there is time during breaks
Mortuary. I would like to offer you our
and in the evening to mingle with students in they can reach out to for advice and
encouragement as they go back to their jobs
condolences on the loss of your [relative].
other colleges.
at funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories or
We here at Green Street are committed
Pokmon Go had just debuted in July of
related businesses.
to honoring your [relative]. You are very
2016, and it was a hot topic of discussion,
Put it on your calendar now: ICCFAU
fortunate and lucky to have [name] working
especially among the students in the College
with you. [He/She] is a most experienced,
of Land Management & Grounds Operations. 2017 will be in Memphis July 20-26. Check
www.iccfa.com for scholarship applications,
compassionate counselor. If at any time I may Game players were invading cemeteries
and check with your state or regional
be of personal assistance to you, all you need to find animated characters on their
association as well, as several of them also
smartphones.
to do is ask.
r
offer ICCFAU scholarships.
It turned out that the many wildlyWalking in with the tray to greet a
60
ICCFA Magazine
by Steven Waldman
steve@lifeposts.com
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Waldman, is a
journalist and founder

of LifePosts, which
offers a new approach
to online memorialization. He is married to
a funeral director, Amy
Cunningham.
www.lifeposts.com
David Brooks has written about

the need for us focus more
on eulogy virtues instead of
resume virtues. By that he
means that at funerals people
tend to talk about character
traits such as honesty, love
of family and selflessness.
The current death notice, by
contrast, emphasizes jobs, titles
and work achievements. A new
approach to remembrance may
get us to focus earlier and more
regularly on the eulogy virtues.
TECHNOLOGY
Technology will likely enable our descendents

to know way more about us than we know about our ancestors.
What will we want them to see?
The remembrance
revolution has arrived
he comedian Louis CK has observed:

Out of all the people that ever were,
almost all of them are dead.
Not only that, of the roughly 108 billion
people who have ever lived, almost all of
them are forgotten. We dont even know their
names, let alone what they looked like, what
they did for a living or what made them laugh
or cry.
That has been the reality of human history
so farand it is about to change. We are
entering a remembrance revolution that will
make it possible that 500 years from now, our
distant descendants will know who we were,
what we sounded like and what we cared
about.
We know little about our distant ancestors
in part because the communications
technology back then was expensive and
difficult to use. If you think its hard to
summarize someones life story in a tweet, try
carving it on a tombstone.
Still, in some cultures they did try to
preserve bits of information about the
departed. Ancient Greeks provided epitaphs
about a wide range of people, occasionally
even hiring poets to help, according to Cut
These Words into My Stone by Richard P
Martin (translation by Michael Wolfe). Some
of these focused (cheekily) on the mode of
death:
The musician Terpis met his end
Singing at banquets in Sparta.
No sword slew him, no flying rock.
As he sang, a fig in a food fight
Passed his lips and choked him.
Death never fails to find a way.
The Bible, of course, devotes considerable
space to recording the identities of major
figures, but most did not get the Moses-inall-his-glory treatment. And unto Enoch
was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and
62
ICCFA Magazine
Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael

begat Lamech. Not a particularly vivid
portrait of poor Mehujael.
The arrival of mass media gave birth
to a new notion: that ordinary people
should sometimes have their stories
told and preserved. The first issue of the
first newspaper in AmericaPublick
Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestick,
in 1690 in Bostondescribed a man who
committed suicide because having newly
buried his Wife, The Devil took advantage
of the Melancholy which he thereupon fell
into.
But there were severe limitations, of
course. Most papers only covered white men,
and usually a small subset even of that group.
Today, newspapers have cut back on staffwritten obituaries and pushed readers toward
paid death notices, which usually remain
short, colorless and, well, lifeless.
The digital revolution
Advances in digital storage and process are

about to change everything. Its not that we
can now expand our 300-word death notice
into a three-billion-word article (though we
could). Rather, we can now add video and
hundreds of photos.
Five hundred years from now, our
decendents can have a vivid sense of what
we looked like, how we talked and what
kinds of tricks we could get our dogs to do.
Many new apps and services have hit
the market in recent years that enable us to
store vast amounts of data (i.e. photos and
videos) in the cloud.
That solved one problem but created
another: The cloud has become the new
attic, where all our stuff is stored and
forgotten. So a new wave of applications
has arrived to help people turn the millions
of images and thoughts into curated stories.
Technology doesnt only allow for more
TECHNOLOGY
space, it allows for better collaboration.
Many of us have had the experience of
going to a funeral of someone we know
quite well and yet coming away learning
something new.In addition to the crowdsourcing of news, we can now have friendsourcing of memory.
Now, there is a flaw in this theory. While
the internet can store things really well, so
far it has not been as good at preserving
them.
Bits and bytes can scoff at parchment
and stone for storing such small amounts
of information. But chiseling your bio on a
tombstone in 1995 was probably a better bet
than putting it on a GeoCities website.
Even so, people are hard at work on this
problem. The Internet Archive is a nonprofit
group dedicated to preserving information
in formats that can be accessed in the future.
Whats more, over time, the continued
decreasing cost of data storage will allow
for much redundancy. Not foolproof, but the
odds of survival will get better.
Going from a world in which almost all
people are forgotten to one in which almost
all can be remembered raises many questions.

What will your distant descendants make
of you? Will they have nostalgia parties in
which they ironically wear spandex? Will
they be inspired to improve their own lives
or see our lives as cautionary tales? (Papa,
listen, hes talking about that thing they
used to have call snow!)
Perhaps future generations will have
a stronger sense of ancestral connection,
the feeling that they are all part of a larger
lineage and narrative. This could give a
typical life a different kind of meaning.
Organized religions may have to adapt to
an emergent folk-wisdom that immortality
comes both from a spiritual hereafter and
the persistence of human biography.
Knowing that stories may be preserved
could also affect todays storytellers.
Alfred Nobel reportedly decided to create
the Nobel Peace Prize after reading an
obituary about himself that was accidently
published, describing him as a merchant
of death. Theres an old aphorism that we
should live so the preacher wont have to
lie about us at the funeral.
David Brooks has written about the

need for us focus more on eulogy virtues
instead of resume virtues. By that he
means that at funerals people tend to talk
about character traits such as honesty, love
of family and selflessness. The current
death notice, by contrast, emphasizes
jobs, titles and work achievements.
A new approach to remembrance may
get us to focus earlier and more regularly on
the eulogy virtues.
Or perhaps well just lie. (John Gotti,
a successful small businessman, disrupted
the garbage carting industry.) Future
historians could label this The Great Epoch
of the BSers.
Its difficult to know how this will play
out, but its almost certainly going to affect
the way future generationsand probably
current onesview their lives and roles in
history.
Five hundred years from now, it will
still be the case that almost all of the people
who ever lived are dead, but it will probably
not be the case that almost all of them are
forgotten.
r
January 2017
63
Supply Line
Requiems app, available for the

iPhone and Android phones.
FrontRunner has released two-way

integration between Facebook and a
funeral homes online obituary pages.
READERS: To find the products and services you need online, go to www.iccfa.com
and select directory to find:
Supply Link Search
Engine, the fastest way
to find the products and
services you need at your
funeral home, cemetery or
crematory.
SUPPLIERS: Send your press releases
about your new products and services,
and about awards, personnel changes and
other news to sloving@iccfa.com
for inclusion in Supply Line. Large files that
will not go through the ICCFA server can be
sent to slovingiccfa@yahoo.com.
64
ICCFA Magazine
n Requiem, Birmingham, Michigan,

has released an app for automating
communications related to a loved ones
death. To the user, Requiem is a free and
simple app to notify important relations
when a loved one passes away. Requiem
founder and CEO Mark Alhermizi said.
But beneath the surface, its a powerful
communications platform that connects
funeral homes, families, and community
to the flow of information that is generated
before, during and after funeral services.
Requiem users automatically receive
notifications when a friend or loved one in
their circle or address book passes away. It
replaces obituaries with notifications sent to
address book contacts. Users can participate
in a memorial to share condolences and
memories. The app is available for both
iPhones and Android phones.
todd@richardswilbert.com; 540.761.5717;
www.requiemapp.com
n FRONTRUNNER PROFESSIONAL,
Kingston, Ontario, has released the industrys first two-way integration between
Facebook and a funeral homes online
obituary pages. This new integration
shares real-time data. Visitors can leave a
condolence message on the funeral homes
website or a comment on the shared Facebook tribute page and the connector takes
care of sharing the messages between the
two platforms. This new integration does
not compromise user security or a funeral
homes reputation. Though the feature automatically links the two channels, funeral
homes are still able to use the filter option
that, if turned on, allows the funeral home
or families to monitor the content that can
be seen on the online memorial.
FrontRunner has also announced a
new division dedicated to helping funeral
suppliers and local businesses better use
technology and marketing, just as theyve
done for funeral homes for more than 20
years. SiteMagic, powered by FrontRunner
Professional, will work closely with funeral
suppliers and local businesses to improve
their online presence and marketing.
www.sitemagic.com
1.866.748.3625; www.FrontRunner360.com
n amplivox, Northbrook, Illinois, has
designed a collection of height-adjustable
options for furniture to help meet ADA
requirements. Pieces include an ADAcompliant lecturn and a mobile sentry
workstation that adjusts for seated use. The
company also has a line of steel, weatherproof lecterns and podiums for use outside.
www.ampli.com
n Starmark
Cremation
products, Richmond, Indiana, has
added a fourth size
to its Sure-Lock
urn product line.
Like the other sizes
in the Sure-Lock
Starmarks Lockline, the new offerSafe urn.
ing features the patented Sure-Lock lid latch, which holds tight
during shipping. The brand new extra-small
white Sure-Lock urn holds approximately
36 cubic inches.
Customers have asked us to create this
new extra small size for two distinctly different uses, said company President Gerald
Davis. The first is for use in transporting
a small amount of cremated remains on a
temporary basis prior to the purchase of a
permanent keepsake urn. The second is for
use in pet cremations that involve extremely
small animals.
Every Sure-Lock urn will fit inside a
standard white cardboard urn mailer also
available from Starmark. Sure-Lock urns
come with small plastic bags and ties for
placement of cremated remains inside the
urn. 1.888.366.7335; www.starmarkfp.com
n passages international,
Albuquerque, New
Mexico, has introduced new Poppy
scattering tubes.
The tubes are available in adult and
mini sizes. In Western Europe, the red
poppy is a symbol
of remembrance and
hope. This tradition
started in World
Passages Poppy
War I, when fields
scattering tube.
of poppies survived
through bombing and infantry fighting to
shine red and show beauty through horrendous times. Now, the Poppy is worn to
remember those who have died, especially
those who have died in combat.
1.888.480.6400;
sales@passagesinternationalcom;
www.PassagesInternational.com
North Orange County Community College District
Mortuary Science Instructor

(Clinical Coordinator)
(Full Time, Tenure Track)
Job Description: Teach scheduled college-level lecture and laboratory classes

in the Mortuary Science program in a manner consistent with the departments
standards, accreditation standards, and with the content cited in the approved
course outline and plan of instruction. This includes, but are not limited to,
clinical practicum management, funeral directing, and decedent care.
Minimum Qualifications: Masters degree or equivalent foreign degree AND
a Bachelors degree in the discipline or closely related discipline AND six (6)
years of professional experience directly related to the assignment which
must include a minimum of two years of clinical decedent care as a California
licensed embalmer.
Desired Start Date: 08/24/2017
Close Date: 02/24/2017
Months of Employment: 10 Months/Year (This position will require intercession
overload assignments for clinical coordination)
To apply, visit: http://apptrkr.com/925106
January 2017
65
S U P P LY L I N E
Astral CEO Charlie Shaw, right, with

Account Representative of the Year
Emanuel Thomas II.
Left, Keith Adkins, honored by Astral

for most new accounts. Right, Phil
Cox, honored for most promotional
caskets sold.
Memorial Arts QR option to link its columbarium niches to an online memorial

that can be viewed on a smartphone.
n Astral INDUSTRIES, Lynn, Indiana, recently recognized their top account

representatives. Emanuel Thomas II, Los
Angeles, California, Business Center, was
named Account Representative of the Year.
Keith Adkins, Williamsburg, Kentucky,
Business Center, was honored for Most
New Accounts. Phil Cox, Hudson, Ohio,
Business Center, was given the award for
Most Promotional Caskets Sold.
1.800.278.7252; sales@astralindustries.com
www.astralindustries.com
n ColdSpring, Cold Spring, Minnesota, has acquired the equipment
and other assets of Stone Panels Inc., a
Texas-based producer of StoneLite, interior and exterior building cladding. Stone
Panels International will continue operating as a separate entity, with the StoneLite
brand as its flagship offering. StoneLite is
a system of natural stone panels comprised
of a thin stone veneer and an aluminum
honeycomb backing sandwiched between
impervious, high-strength, fiber-reinforced
epoxy skin. It features numerous types of
natural stone, including granite, marble,
limestone, slate and sandstone.
www.coldspringgranite.com
n Memorial arts, San Pierre, Indiana, now offers new technology options
for their columbaria. The BeautifulWood
columbarium features motion-activated
lighting, concealed locking and glass- or
wood-front niches. Memorial Arts Studios
financing program eliminates the need for
capital outlay from the cemetery; instead,
the company receives proceeds as columbarium niches are sold.
Both live cemetery and QR technologies are now available for the columbarium.
Live cemetery allows for remote viewing
of the loved ones memorial site via a smart
device using a secure, real-time camera.
QRtechnologies uses a QR plaque that is
available in bronze, wood or as a decal.
Scanning the plaque with a smart device
allows the user to view a personalized website featuring a beautiful remembrance for a
loved one. 219.230.9850;
janet@memorialartsstudio.com;
www.memorial-direct.com
n new Memorials Direct, Gig

Harbor, Washington has cut its lead time
from three days to 24 hours on its fingerprint and other engraved jewelry. This
improved lead time applies to the full spectrum of jewelry styles, including cremains66
ICCFA Magazine
holding and non-cremains holding, stainless

steel, gold plated and sterling silver.
1.877.995.8767;
service@newmemorialsdirect.com;
www.newmemorialsdirect.com
n Duncan stuart
todd, Boulder, Colorado,
has named Ron J. deGroot as director of sales.
He has more than 30 years
of experience consulting
with national laboratories,
universities and hospitals.
deGroot
720.583.1886;
info@duncanstuarttodd.com;
www.duncanstuarttodd.com
n Cooperative Funeral fund, Madison,

Connecticut, has hired
Antonio Gallo to lead the
management of the California region. He has more
than 20 years of experience
across multiple industries,
Gallo
including business management, financial planning and specialty
operations. 1.800.336.1102;
www.CooperativeFuneralFund.com
n Quinn Eagan, founder

and president of Preneed funeral program, Metairie, Louisiana, has been named one of
New Orleans CityBusiness
2016 Money Makers. Eagan has worked in the funerEagan
al profession for more than
30 years. The award recognizes financial
professionals whose work has set the pace
for their company. This years honorees
were chosen based on their involvement in
both their industry and community as well
as their achievement and innovation.
www.preneed.net
n Sauder funeral
products, Archibold,
Ohio, has hired Jeff Hicks
as sales manager to oversee
product sales, marketing and distribution. He
has more than 20 years of
manufacturing and sales
Hicks
experience, including nearly
a decade with Service Corporation International. 1.866.419.3010;
www.sauderfuneralproducts.com
S U P P LY L I N E
Mylestoned DeathScape is organized into service buckets, chronological from left to right (in the order consumers would
experience the service). Technology runs across the bottom, as it is generally applicable to all phases of death care. The end
product, including market size estimates for some of the service buckets, was developed through analysis of information published by the publicly traded companies, as well as aggregation of publicly available research and industry resources.
n mylestoned, Boston, Massachusetts, has released the DeathScape, a

comprehensive overview of the deathcare industry. The DeathScape highlights the major corporations that lead the
industry, like Service Corp International,
Carriage and Hillenbrand; technology
providers such as Consolidated Funeral
Services and Tukios; consumer platforms
such as Legacy.com and Everplans; and
suppliers such as Dodge and Messenger.
For those unfamiliar with the industry, it
provides a view into how the death-care
industry works, from end-of-life services,
such as hospice and palliative services, to
at-need funeral and cremation services,
and aftercare, which focuses on grief support and memorialization.
The death-care industry is a $26
billion-plus behemoth, that often flies
below the radar. Its massive, and provides
an invaluable service to every single human on the planet, and its transforming
with the rise of social media and change
in secular views about death, Mylestoned
CEO Dave Balter said. To that end, we
thought it would be useful to provide a
68
ICCFA Magazine
glimpse into the organizations that define

the industry. hello@mylestoned.com;
www.mylestoned.com/deathscape
n The Casket & Funeral Supply

Association of America, Lake
Bluff, Illinois, has announced its 20162017 board of directors. Gerald Jerry
Burchett, national sales
manager casket divisionIVC area services for PPG
Industries, Brazil, Indiana,
is president. Additional
officers are Vice President
Rodney Robinson, Southern
Craft Mfg., Loretto, TennesBurchett
see; Treasurer Christopher
Boots, C.J. Boots Casket Co., Anderson,
Indiana; and Immediate Past President
Peter Galletly, Tiedemann-Bevs Industries,
Richmond, Indiana.
Newly-elected directors serving threeyear terms are: Kim Graham, Nomis Publications, Youngstown, Ohio; Craig Warner,
Paragon Casket, Richmond, Indiana;
and Scott Jones Jr., Service Casket Co.,
Columbus, Georgia. They join returning
directors Jeanette Hiemstra, Keith M. Merrick Co., Sibley, Iowa; Bill Jones, Matthews Aurora Funeral Solutions, Lorain,
Ohio; Jason Mims, Cherokee Casket Co.,
Griffin, Georgia; Pat Duckers, Artco Casket Co., Lenexa, Kansas; Justin Thacker,
Thacker Casket Mfg., Clinton, Maryland;
and Dan Sauder, Sauder Funeral Products,
Archbold, Ohio.
847.295.6630; www.cfsaa.org
n Bass-Mollett publishers,
Greenville, Illinois, a provider of printed
funeral stationery, has acquired Elegante
Brass Co., Brooklyn, New York, which
provides cremation urns. We have been
growing our business organically for the
past several years, said John Flowers,
chairman and CEO of Bass-Mollett. The
Elegante acquisition was highly attractive
because it fit nicely into our growth strategy
and immediately generates added value for
the director. Elegantes Robert DeLauro
will continue to run the operation out of
the Brooklyn facility, and Saul Goldstein
will remain as product designer and import
consultant.www.bass-mollett.com
Allowing You To Confidently
Caring for every need,

every day.
Experts in:
Domestic Shipping
International Shipping
Cremation
Removal & Embalming
Flight Arrangements
Manage Your Preneed &

Cemetery Care Program
800.321.0185
PRENEED & CEMETERY CARE

FUND MANAGEMENT
CooperativeFuneralFund.com
natlmortuaryshipping.com
800-336-1102
Information contained herein should not be treated as investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. This
advertisement does not offer or promise to offer tax advice, and as such investors should be advised to consult their own tax
advisers regarding the tax consequences of their investment activities. Investment return and principal will fluctuate, so that a clients
initial investment may increase or decrease. Any investment is speculative and involves a high degree of risk, including the risk of
principal loss.
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
9'-819/64"
2'-321/32"
113/8"
4' 1'-7"
MODULE 3
MODULE 4
2'-111/2"
7'-4"
MODULE 1
MODULE 2
January 2017
69
S U P P LY L I N E
match the donations made for the Foundations Fund 45. Legacy had promised
to match donations dollar for dollar up to
$22,500. www.legacy.com
n eternity gardens, Gresham,

Oregon, is building a comprehensive online
listing of cremation, memorial and scattering gardens for cremated human remains.
Founder and CEO Darrell Hill has more than
two decades of marketing and brand strategy
experience. The current focus on innovation,
particularly green innovation, in the death
profession was truly inspiring to me, Hill
said of his decision to launch the company.
Inspired by companies like Coeio (maker
of the mushroom suit) and the Urban Death
Project (conducting research into full-body
composting), Eternity Gardens is creating an
online national platform to allow consumers
to find a final resting place in sync with their
values and life experiences. The company
will also offer cemeteries and other cremation
garden sites the opportunity to expand their
marketing reach nationwide to increasingly
mobile U.S. consumers.
darrell@eternitygardens.com; 312.259.4125;
www.eternitygardens.com
The battle cross sculpture UPD Urns completed for the U.S. Navy on the base in
Coronado, California.
n UPD Urns, Sterling, Virginia, has

unveiled a new custom-made bronze battle
cross sculpture for the U.S. Navy. The
sculpture has been set at a shoreline memorial on Naval Base Coronado in Coronado,
California. It was an honor to work on a memorial for US soldiers, said UPD CEO Tyler
Fraser. It meant a lot to us here at UPD Urns.
Three-D scanning is making a big impact on
the cost of a custom sculpture and also giving
us the tools to produce highly accurate replica
pieces.
Sitting in front of a tall granite monument, the battle cross is a memorial to four
fallen Navy Explosive Ordinance Disposal
soldiers: EOD1 Sean Carson, Lt. Christopher
Mosko, EOD1 Chad Regelin and A02 (EOD)
Nicholas Wilson. Three-D scanning and
printing technology was used to create an accurate replica of the actual battle cross. Sean
Carsons gear, including the boots and helmet
he wore when he died, are on display in the
foyer of the EOD facility in Coronado. UPD
n ASD, Media, Pennsylvania, has created
a suicide prevention call support system
to support distressed clients. ASD operators can now press an emergency button on
their keyboard to immediately alert a suicide
hotline in the funeral homes local area when
they are speaking to someone in crisis. The
call can be made to the hotline without the
ASD call specialist interrupting the caller
70
ICCFA Magazine
Urns used a 3D scanner to create a digital

model of the battle cross; which was used as
the mold for the bronze casting. LS1 (SW)
Magaly Marion and EOD1 Dustin Marion
worked with Tyler and UPD Urns to arrange
the memorials production. 1.800.590.4133;
email@updurns.com; www.updurns.com
n Legacy.COM, Evanston, Illinois, has

partnered with AdPerfect to streamline
funeral directors placing print obituaries in newspapers. AdPerfect provides
self-service advertising solutions. The
partnership integrates AdPerfects technology platform with Legacy.coms Tributes
platform. It allows funeral homes to leverage the content they input into their online
memorials to purchase corresponding print
placements in one or more newspapers
across the U.S. and Canada with as little
as a single click. The integrated platform
includes support for over 6,000 newspapers
in North America.
The company also met the goal to
or placing him or her on hold. The hotline

operator will hear a recording alerting them
that a distressed and possibly suicidal person
is on the line speaking to an ASD call specialist. This alert will instruct the hotline operator
to press any key to be three-way connected
into the call.
Although this is a rare situation, these
calls have occurred at ASD. Call specialists
n Funeral Directors Life INsurance

Co., Abilene, Texas, has
hired Karl Scharman as
market center manager for
Northern Illinois. Scharman
is a fourth-gneration funeral
service professional with
Scharman 30 years of experience as a
funeral director and operations manager in
suburban Chicago.
FDLIC also was recently recognized
by FORTUNE magazine as one of the top
25 companies to work for in the U.S. on
its 2016 Best Small & Medium Workplaces
list. FDLIC was ranked #21 out of hundreds
of companies analyzed across the nation,
based on an anonymous rating system that
have been deeply affected and troubled by

conversations they have had with those who
stated they were contemplating suicide. Now,
ASDs staff does not have to shoulder this
burden alone and have greater peace of mind
knowing they have standby support 24/7
from experienced suicide hotline operators.
Kevin@myasd.com; 1.800.868.9950;
www.myasd.com
r
allows employees to honestly evaluate

the company on workplace environment,
communication, degree of support (both
personal and professional) and authenticity
within the workplace.
The company also recently was named
one of the 2017 Best Companies to Work
for in Texas. The awards program is a
project of Texas Monthy, the Texas Association of Business, Texas SHRM and Best
Companies Group. Companies from across
the state entered the two-part survey process
to determine the best companies to work for
in Texas. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated companys workplace
policies, systems, philosophies, practices
and demographics. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the
employee experience. The combined scores
determined the top companies and the final
rankings. www.funeraldirectorslife.com
sPecializing in
S U P P LY L I N E
Design
ProDucts
Ventilation
720.583.1886
Visit our idea gallery | duncanstuarttodd.com
n Funeral Directors Life

INsurance Co., Abilene, Texas, and
passare, San Francisco, California
have released the funeral industrys only
automated integration between a preneed
company and an at-need funeral administration system. As new preneed policies
are issued, clients of Funeral Directors Life
and Passare will automatically have preneed
cases added to their Passare collaboration
and case management platform. Preneed
case data includes vital statistics such as
name, gender, date of birth, family and
friends and contact information. A link back
to Funeral Directors Lifes Online Access
platform will also appear in each preneed
case added in Passares system. This link
provides access to information related to
the preneed contract. In addition, Funeral
Directors Lifes client funeral homes who
are Passare subscribers can receive an
auto-import of all historical active preneed
funeral cases into Passare.
www.funeraldirectorslife.com
925.968.9495; www.passare.com
n Unity FInancial Life Insurance Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, collected

donations for the Southern Louisiana
flood victims. The donations were collected
in conjuction with the companys annual
United Way Pledge Drive. Unity Financial
Life gathered 2,723 items, which included
non-perishable food, personal care products,
cleaning supplies, paper products, baby and
infant supplies and first-aid items.
1.877.523.3231; www.uflife.com
January 2017
71
S U P P LY L I N E
n Glass remembrance, Columbus, Ohio, has added a 14k gold option
in its Glass Pearl line of pendants. The
solid gold option is available in the Melody,
Harmony, Rhythm, Symphony and Tempo
styles. The gold setting holds molten glass
mixed with cremated remains. The glass
pearl can be made in a variety of colors.
740.877.0967;
sales@glassremembrance.com;
www.glassremembrance.com
Glass Remembrances gold pendants.
Frigid Fluids display at Funexpo in

Lyon, France.
Three of more than 90 Homesteaders volunteers helping out Habitat for

Humanity. From left, Executive Vice
President-Human Resources Judy
Ralston-Hansen, Vice President- Field
Sales Dan Lodermeier and Executive
Assistant Tonja Greufe.
72
ICCFA Magazine
n FRIGID FLUID, Northlake, Illinois,

is expanding into international markets.
The company has its first local distributor in
France, and representatives from Frenchspeaking areas of Sub-Saharan Africa have
expressed interest in the companys products. www.FrigidFluidCo.com
n Homesteaders, Des Moines,

Iowa, has released a new mobile app. It
enables funeral professionals to manage
their preneed policies from their smartphones and tablets. It is available on both
Android and Apple devices and offers
preneed professionals a quick view of
their preneed program status, including in
force and endangered policies as well as
recent claims. Mobile phone users can take
advantage of native functionality, such as
in-app calling, messaging, emailing and
GPS navigation.
Also, Homesteaders
Senior VP-Planning and
Development Kim Medici
Shelquist has joined the Funeral Service Foundations
Board of Trustees. She is
one of 21 representatives of
the funeral profession to sit
Medici
on the board.
Shelquist
Homesteaders also recently partnered with Greater Des Moines
Habitat for Humanity. In less than a day,
more than 90 Homesteaderrs volunteers
constructed all the interior and exterior walls
for a Habitat home scheduled for construction
early this year. We wanted to do something
for our community as part of our 110th anniversary celebration, so we asked our employees to volunteer a few hours to help with the
build, said Homesteaders ExecutiveVP-Human Resources Judy Ralston-Hansen. We
had such an overwhelming responseand
so many excited volunteersthat we ended
up partnering with Habitat to build a bigger
house. 1.800.477.3633;
www.homesteaderslife.com
Memories By Designs new photo album

companion to its tribute videos.
n memories by design, Spokane,

Washington, has introduced the Loving
Memories photo album as a companion
keepsake to its tribute videos. Available
in executive blue suede, the 8- by 11-inch
landscape style is perfect for any coffee
table. The standard-sized album holds as
many as 40 restored photos, each with its
own page and white space for adding personal notes and dates. Larger albums with
more photos are available upon request.
The albums inside cover page includes
the funeral homes name or logo for easy
branding, with a complementary scenery
image that reflects the tribute video along
with an order number for families who want
more copies. Each album includes a CD
containing the restored digital photos for
easy printing and sharing. 1.800.223.3050;
bruce.felt@memoriesbydesign.com;
www.memoriesbydesign.com
n intrix Technology inc.,

Roseville, California, and ionic Services, Cincinnati, Ohio, have completed
the integration between Intix payment
portal and Ionics accounting system.
The result is a stremlined payments and
accounting solution for the funeral home
industry. The new integrated system provides funeral homes the ability to reduce the
number of steps necessary to handle credit
card processing, accounts receivable and
other back office operations, saving time
and money, eliminating errors and reducing
fraud exposure. It also ensures the accuracy
of financial records and makes them available in real time. Intrix innovative payment
gateway offers a full tokenization solution
for processing payments and storing sensitive payment data. Intrix is a credit card
processor, while Ionics suite of accounting
services is designed specifically for funeral
homes and cemeteries and includes management reporting capabilities, an accounting interface and multi-firm/site functions.
www.intrix.com;
www.ionicservices.com
IN THE DEATHCARE INDUSTRY
IN THE DEATHCARE INDUSTRY

Optimized.
Dedicated and focused, Bills
knowledge and experience of the
death care industry provides you
with value added services, enabling
you to focus on what truly matters
in such challenging times.
Bill Newman, CPA

Partner
TAP INTO the dynamic online supplier network of the ICCFA with the
ICCFA Supply Link. Powered by MultiView, the ICCFA Supply Link is
the premier search tool for your industry. All the products and services
you need, all within the supplier network of the associaton you trust.
withum.com
Start your search at our homepage www.iccfa.com.
January 2017
73
S U P P LY L I N E
Vault Co., Decatur, Illinois; Knauer Industries
LLC, Joliet, Illinois; Peoria Wilbert Vault
Co. Inc., Metamora, Illinois; Quincy Wilbert
Vault Co., Quincy, Illinois; Sterling Vault Co.,
Sterling, Illinois; and Schultz Wilbert Vault
Co., Streator, Illinois.
Also, Akron Concrete Products Inc.,
Akron, Indiana; Richmond Wilbert Vault,
Richmond, Indiana; Burlington Wilbert Vault
Works Inc., Burlington, Iowa; Clinton Wilbert Vaults Inc., Clinton, Iowa; Wilbert Burial
Vault Co., Fort Dodge, Iowa; Roland-Wilbert
Vault Co. Inc., Marion, Iowa; Mason City
Wilbert Vault Co., Mason City, Iowa; Sioux
City Wilbert Vault Co., Sioux City, Iowa;
Waterloo Wilbert Vault Co., Waterloo, Iowa;
Wilbert Funeral Services, Kinsley, Kansas;
Wilbert Funeral Services, Parsons, Kansas;
Wilbert Funeral Services, Wamego, Kansas; and Wilbert Funeral Services, Wichita,
Kansas.
Angel Aires battery-operated, reusable urn releases cremated remains into the air.
Also, Richards-Wilbert Inc., Hagerstown,
Maryland; May Wilbert Vault Corp., Port
n angel Aire, Caldwell, Idaho, has
raised or lowered with a remote control.
Huron, Michigan; Wilbert Burial Vault Co.,
introduced a battery-operated, reusable
727.643.7242;
Traverse City, Michigan; Brown-Wilbert
scattering urn that disperses cremated
sales@evatech.net; www.evatech.net
Inc., St. Cloud, Minnesotta; Wilbert Funeral
remains into the air like a cloud. The urn
n Homesteaders, Des Moines, Iowa,
Services, Grandview, Missouri; Wilbert
releases all of the cremains in approximately
and Disrupt media, Zanesville, Ohio,
Funeral Services, Moberly, Missouri; Wilbert
two to three minutes as the family watches
has have announced a partnership to offer
Funeral Services, St. Joseph, Missouri; St.
the remains float away, leaving no carbon
a suite of social media service packages for
Louis Wilbert Vault Co., St. Louis, Missouri;
footprint. Once cleaned and charged, the urn
funeral homes that partner with both comWilbert Funeral Services, Springfield, Misis ready to use again. The funeral home pays
panies. The new offerings provide additional
souri; Josten Wilbert Vault Co., North Platte,
a license fee for two urns, a pedestal, a tray,
social media services for firms that actively
Nebraska; Yates Wilbert Vault Co., Chartravel carriers, operating manual, wind tester
write preneed business with Homesteaders
lotte, North Carolina; Arnold Wilbert Corp.,
and cleaning kit. The urns operating manual and choose DISRUPT Media to coordinate
includes instructions on how to reprocess the their social media strategy and content. Three Goldsboro, North Carolina; Oldcastle-Adams
Products Inc., Greensboro, North Carolina;
remains to the proper consistency. The urn
monthly social media package options are
Baxter Burial Vault Service, Cincinnati, Ohio;
weighs about 20 pounds and is waxed inside
available for Homesteaders funeral home
Longstreth-Wilbert, Galion, Ohio; and Ohio
to enable the remains to flow out easily. The
customers to purchase through DISRUPT
Vault Works Inc., Valley View, Ohio.
urns are available in cherry, navy, oak, pearl
Media. The plans were designed to help firms
Also, Wilbert Funeral Services, Lawand a nature pattern. www.angelaire.com
set obtainable goals, create and publish meanton, Oklahoma; Wilbert Funeral Services,
n Evatech, Tampa, Florida, has a 36ingful content and monitor results.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Wilbert Funeral
inch plow attachment for its hybrid goat
1.800.477.3633; www.homesteaderslife.com
Services, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Wilbert Funeral
robot 22T model 2016. The robot can handle 740.617.0599; www.FUNERALSocial.com
Services, Girard, Pennsylvania; Columbia
tasks where it is too risky or uncomfortable
n Regions Trust, Birmingham, AlaWilbert Vault Co., Cayce, South Carolina;
for people to tackle them. The hybrid robots
bama, has pledged a gift of $100,000 to the Wilbert Burial Vault Co., Greenville, South
can handle steep slopes. The plow can be
Funeral Service Foundation.
Carolina; Charleston Wilbert Vault Co.,
www.regions.com
Summerville, South Carolina; Lawrenceburg
Burial Vault Co., Lawrenceburg, Tennessee;
n Wilbert Funeral Services,
Broadview, Illinois, honored 56 licensees as Memphis Burial Vault Co., Memphis, Ten2016 Ultimate Service Providers. The recip- nessee; Wilbert Funeral Services, Harlingen,
ients were: Wilbert Funeral Services, Lavaca, Texas; Wilbert Vaults of Houston LLP, Houston, Texas; Wilbert Funeral Services, San
Arizona; Elm Cap Industries, West HartAntonio, Texas; Richards-Wilbert Inc./Roaford, Connecticut; Gulf Coast Wilbert, Inc.,
noke Valley, Salem, Virginia; Carr Concrete,
Crestview, Florida; Master Grave Service
Inc., Bogart, Georgia; Northern Illinois Vault Waverly, West Virginia; and Alberta Wilbert
Co. Inc., Belvidere, Illinois; Kelley Vault Co. Sales Ltd., Edmonton, Alberta.
Evatechs goat robot with plow attachr
Inc., Danville, Illinois; Decatur Wilbert Burial 1.888.WILBERT; www.wilbert.com
ment.
74
ICCFA Magazine
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January 2017
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Update
Send in news about your cemetery, funeral home, crematory or association to sloving@iccfa.com. If you publish a newsletter,
please email a copy to sloving@iccfa.com or mail to: Susan Loving, ICCFA, 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20164.
Above left, John Raisbeck being flown over the field where his father died during WWII while training at a British Flyers
Training School in Oklahoma. The flyover was arranged by Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery Office Manager Nancy Bro.
Above right, bagpipers lead in the color guard for the annual G.A.R. Cemetery British Flyers Remembrance Ceremony.
G.A.R. Cemetery remembers British cadets who trained

in Oklahoma, helps one cadets son lay questions to rest
by Nancy Bro
office manager, G.A.R. Cemetery, Miami,

Oklahoma, nbro@miamiokla.net
rand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.)
Cemetery, owned and operated by the
city of Miami, Oklahoma, has been the final
resting place for many soldiers since its first
burial in 1892, including both Union and
Confederate soldiers and 15 World War II
British cadets.
During WWII, Miami hosted one of only
six British Flyers Training Schools (BFTS)
in the United States. There were more than
2,000 British cadets and 172 American cadets
who trained to receive their RAF Wings in
Miami. Many went on to war, some lost their
lives fighting for our freedom and some lived
and went on to have families. Fifteen of the
cadets lost their lives while training at Miami
BFTS #3 and are interred at G.A.R.
We have never forgotten them. Each year,
we hold our British Flyers Remembrance
Ceremony. In 2015, our guest of honor was
Col. Gail Halvorsen, a.k.a. The Berlin
Candy Bomber (www.wigglywings.weebly.
com). He was one of the 172 Americans who
trained here and went on to do great things.
The guest of honor in 2016 was different.
John Raisbeck, son of one of our cadets, A.C.
76
ICCFA Magazine
Guest of honor John Raisbeck speaks at the 2016 British Flyers Remembrance
Ceremony at G.A.R. Cemetery in Miami, Oklahoma.
2 Kenneth Raisbeck, who died June 26, 1944,

at the age of 26, was the first direct descendant of one of our cadets to join us for our
ceremony. Why was this so unusual? Because
most of our cadets were very young when
they diedone was 17! So the chances of
any of them having descendents was slim.
Kenneth Raisbeck was chosen to train for
the RAF and left England just weeks before

his son John was born. He lost his life in a
flying accident just weeks before he was to
return to England for combat duty. John never
met his father, and often wondered what had
happened on that fatal day. He traveled to the
United States in 1995 for the 50th anniversary
of V-E Day and was able to visit his fathers
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Update
John Raisbeck looks over the Kansas field where his fathers plane crashed. The inset photo is believed to be of that crash.
grave, but he left with virtually no answers

to the questions that nagged at him: Where is
my fathers crash site? What caused him to
crash? Are there any photographs? Are any
eyewitnesses still living?
When I received word from John that he
was coming back to the U.S. and would be

attending our annual ceremony, I of course
asked him to be our guest of honor. And then
I began my research.
Since Kenneth had crashed just south of
Oswego, Kansas, the first thing I did was con-
tact Philip Blair, historian with the Oswego

Historical Society and Museum. Blair took
the bull by the horns and was able to locate
the very soybean field where the fatal crash
had taken place. John was eager to visit the
site, so the needed arrangements were made.
Above, Nancy Bro lays roses at the graves of the 15 British cadets interred at
G.A.R. Cemetery in Miami, Oklahoma. Right, John Raisbeck at his fathers grave.
78
ICCFA Magazine
Update
While John was in Miami, I also made arrangements for him to visit the local NEO
A&M College library, as well as The Dobson
Museum, which has an archive of BFTS #3
memorabilia and documents. At the Dobson,
we found what we believe to be photographs
of his fathers crashed AT-6 Harvard.
This was much more information than
hed been able to gather previously in the 72
years since his fathers death, but there was
one more thing to come.
Blair actually located a woman who, when
she was 5 years old, lived just across the
railroad tracks from the field where the crash
happened,. He made the arrangements for
John to meet her.
I arranged to have John flown over his
fathers crash site and gravesite in an AT-6
Harvard, the same type of plane his father had
been flying. It was a very moving experience
for him, one he said he would never forget.
John Raisbeck left the United States with
so many of his questions answered, and we at
G.A.R. are very proud to have been a part of
his journey.
r
Clockwise, from upper left:

Historian Philip Blair, who located the
field where Kenneth Raisbeck crashed,
with John Raisbeck.
Veterans stand at attention at the British
Flyers Remembrance Ceremony.
The note on the wreath from Johns
mother, Kenneth Raisbecks widow.
Derek Ferrell of the Royal British Legion
speaks at the ceremony.
January 2017
79
Update
Breaking
ground for the
new cremation
garden, from
left: Rose Hill
Board President J. Roger
Finn, Washington County
Commissioner John
Barr, Rose
Hill Executive
Director Colleen Rafferty,
Maryland
Gov. Larry
Hogan and
Hagerstown
Mayor David
Gysberts.
Rose Hill Cemetery celebrates 150th anniversary,

plans for the future with a new cremation garden
ose Hill Cemetery, Hagerstown, Maryland,

celebrated its 150th anniversary on October
13, 2016. The event was attended by more than
250 area residents and local dignitaries.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan was the keynote
speaker. Calling Rose Hill Cemetery sacred
and hallowed ground, Gov. Hogan reviewed
more than a century of history as he addressed
the crowd.
The celebration also chronicled the
cemeterys 150-year history with timelines
depicting the highlights of the cemeterys
history. Antique cars and lawn care equipment
were on display as well. Local historian Stephen
Bockmiller told the crowd, You are literally
participating in history as you sit here today.
As part of the ceremony, local officials and
the governor joined Board of Trustees President
Roger Finn and Executive Director Colleen
Rafferty as they formally broke ground for Rose
Hills latest project, a cremation garden.
The garden will be accented with water
features, walkways and verdant landscaping.
Rose Hill Cemetery, a nonprofit organization,
was founded in 1866. The rural garden style
cemetery was designed by Baltimore architect
John Wilkinson Esq. Its 102 acres make it
Western Marylands largest public cemetery. r
80
ICCFA Magazine
Rose Hills board with Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (center), from left: John R.
Hershey III, Wayne Becker, Board President J. Roger Finn, Gerald W. Spessard,
Executive Director Colleen Rafferty, James M. Snyder, Gov. Hogan, Susan Itell,
Alison Peterancz, J. Randall Finn, Philip L. Rohrer, Secretary Robert W. Startzman and Vice President John H. Urner. (Additional photos on page 81.)
Update
Above left, Rose Hill Cemetery Executive Director Colleen Rafferty holds the plans for the cemeterys new cremation garden
as Board President J. Roger Finn speaks. Above right, a cake replicating the pavillion that will be the focal point in Rose Hills
new cremation garden celebrated how the cemetery is looking to the future while celebrating its past.
Above left, part of the crowd at Rose Hill Cemeterys 150th anniversary celebration. Above right, a sign noting the anniversary
celebration. Behind it is the cemetery caretakers house, built in 1907.
Left, a timeline of some of the
notable events during Rose
Hills 150 years was displayed,
starting with the first meeting
of the Hagerstown Cemetery
Co. on November 10, 1865,
presided over by Gov. William
Thomas Hamilton. Some other
notable dates: July 19, 1913,
automobiles are allowed access to cemetery roads for the
first time; June 10, 1889, the
cemetery bought a new horsedrawn lawn mower; and May
2, 1917, Rose HIll bought its
first gas-powered mower.
January 2017
81
Update
Members of the William Heston Family including Michigan Memorial Park President Kelly Dwyer; Alexandra Dwyer; Henri Dwyer; Dan Dwyer, CEO of Michigan Memorial Funeral Home; Quinn Dwyer; Barbara Heston, former president of Michigan Memorial Park; Brittany Stevenson; Dorothy Trayes; Michael Stevenson; Heidi Umin, vice president of Michigan Memorial Park; Nolan
Anson; Rock Langton; Cindy Fusinski; Megan Langton; Ryan Langton; Tom Fusinski; Janice Langton; and Ted Palicz.
Michigan Memorial celebrates 90th anniversary

M
ichigan Memorial Park, Flat Rock,

who helmed the business from 1971 until 2008,
Michigan, recently celebrated its 90th
when she sold it to her daughters, Kelly and Heidi.
anniversary by dedicating a new feature honoring
Accomplishments include steady and continued
founder Judge William Willie M. Heston.
expansion and on-going maintenance, the construcHeston established the 300+ acre cemetery
tion of the famed Shrine of Remembrance mausoin 1926. Today, it is one of the states largest
leum, the growth of preneed arrangements and the
independent cemeteries and is still owned and
companys many charitable contributions to the
operated by the Heston family. Six generations of
communities we serve.
the family were represented at the ceremony.
We look forward to at least two more generaKelly Dwyer, president of MMP and greattions of Hestons continuing the tradition and honorgranddaughter of Heston, along with her sister
ing our commitments to families we have served
MMP Vice President Heidi Umin and their mother
and will serve in the future, said Kelly Dwyer.
Barbara Heston, unveiled the granite obelisk,
Heston was originally a football player and
which includes a bronze plaque detailing Hestons
coach. He played halfback at San Jose State
achievements as well as a bronze football
University and the University of Michigan, and
mounted on a smaller pedestal.
became head football coach for Drake University
Dan Dwyer, owner of the adjacent Michigan
in 1905 and North Carolina College of AgriculMemorial Funeral Home and Kellys husband,
ture and Mechanic Arts, now North Carolina State
shed light on the early days of the cemetery. It
University, in 1906.
was 1926. Calvin Coolidge was president of the
He was elected to the College Football Hall of
United States, Chuck Berry was born and Harry
Fame in 1954, and was also selected by the Football
Houdini was performing. Flat Rock was considWriters Association of America as the halfback for
ered to be the middle of the middle of nowhere.
its all-time team for the first 50 years of the sport.
That year, Willie inspired a group of investors
Knute Rockne named Heston as the greatest back
with his vision for a cemetery in Huron Townof all time, and International News Service sports
ship and the group purchased the property for
The granite and bronze memo- editor Frank G. Menke proclaimed Heston the
rial to University of Michigan
$200,000about $3 million in todays dollars.
greatest halfback that America ever produced.
They also invested $140,000 (or $2 million today) football player and Judge
Heston received his law degree from the UniWilliam Heston, founder of
in an irrigation system, so the property became
versity of Michigan in 1904, and in 1908 estabMichigan Memorial Park.
known as The Land of 1,000 Rainbows. On
lished a law practice in Detroit. He served as an
October 16, 1928, the first burial took place, and
assistant prosecuting attorney for Wayne County
77,171 burials or interments have occurred as of October 18, 2016. from 1911 to 1916, and became a judge on the Detroit Recorders
MMP continued to grow under the leadership of Willies son,
criminal court bench from 1916 through 1923. Heston died on his
r
John Heston, and more recently his granddaughter Barbara Heston,
85th birthday in 1963.
82
ICCFA Magazine
Update
New funeral service program at Texas college

n The first semester of the new funeral
service program is officially underway at
Northeast Texas Community
College, Mount Pleasant, Texas.
About 10 students are currently enrolled in
the program, which has been submitted for
accreditation from the American Board of
Funeral Service Education. There are currently four institutions in the
state with that accreditation.
Texas is so large that
there is a real need for
more funeral directors
and embalmers here in the
state, said program Director
Rebecca Robidas Gardner, a
licensed funeral director and
Gardner
embalmer. She signed on as
director after teaching in the mortuary science program at San Antonio College.
Gardner hopes to eventually expand the
program and add a cadaver lab on campus
for use by both the funeral service program
and other health science programs, including nursing. Gardner hopes this lab might
also do embalming for families in the area
who might have financial hardships.
With the economy in this area, I really
hope that by offering another program
such as the funeral service program, were
able to stimulate a little bit of growth and
job development for the students who have
chosen this profession, Gardner said.
Gardner also hopes to tailor NTCCs
program for the region and teach students
the rural side of the funeral industry.
The first
class
at the
Northeast
Texas
Community College
funeral
service
program.
Generally, the metropolitan areas have

higher staff volumes because they have
higher volumes of business. Here in the
rural communities, these are much smaller
operating funeral homes, so the staff isnt
quite as big, said Gardner. But there are
things such as county calls, or car accidents that rural funeral directors are obligated to do that they most likely wouldnt
do in a metropolitan area where theres a
medical examiner.
Students who complete the program
will leave with an associates degree in
funeral service. Students in the program
begin their journey with an orientation,
which includes a short internship.
They are required to go to local funeral
homes and spend eight internship days,
said Gardner. They really find out if this
is what they want to do with that hands-on

experience.
In the first semester, the program also
includes funeral service practices, mortuary management, general psychology and
business and technical writing. Gardner
said the practices course covers funeral
rites for different cultures.
Later semesters will cover everything
from anatomy to accounting, public speaking and computers.
Following accreditation, the program
will offer a 10-month certificate program
for students who wish to become funeral
directors without the embalming aspect.
Certificate students would focus on the
business management side of the funeral
industry, including merchandising, acr
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January 2017
83
Update
Above right, Green-Wood Cemetery President Richard J. Moylan, CCE, making a presentation to the Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe. Above left, Green-Wood Cemetery in winter.
n Richard J. Moylan, CCE, president

of Green-Wood Cemetery,
Brooklyn, New York, was among 17
international speakers, including
academics, researchers, historians,
architects and artists, at the Association
of Significant Cemeteries in Europe
conference held in Dublin, Ireland. Since
2001, ASCE has worked to preserve and
promote cemeteries as part of Europes
cultural heritage. The theme of this years
meeting was Conflict, Memorialisation
& Reconciliation. The Glasnevin Trust,
Cemetery and Museum, the largest provider of funeral services in Ireland, served
as conference host.
In his 30-minute presentation, Moylan,
the only American chosen as a presenter,
examined Green-Woods evolution from
one of Americas first rural cemeteries
n DeJohn Funeral Home &
Celebration center, Wickliffe,
Ohio, held its first flag retirement and
remembrance ceremony in November
2016. Flags were collected at all of the
companys locations and were cremated at
the on-site crematory of the DeJohn-Flynn-Mylott Funeral Home in Willoughby
Hills. Local VFW posts provided a color
guard and a 21-gun salute, and the Pledge
of Allegiance was led by a local Boy Scout
troop. We felt it was important to plan
a flag retirement ceremony in our com84
ICCFA Magazine
in 1838 to its place today as a significant

center of culture and education in New
York City. Central to the conference
theme of memorialization, Moylan also
discussed Green-Wood initiatives, such as
the Annual Battle of Brooklyn Ceremony
and the Civil War Project, which commemorate Green-Woods role in significant events in American history.
Green-Wood has a deep responsibility
to remember and honor the commitment
and courage of those who sacrificed their
lives to make our nation what it is today,
Moylan said. Our efforts help keep their
legacy alive for generations of Americans
to come.
In his discussion of rural cemeteries of North America, Moylan noted the
importance they place on preserving and
maintaining the integrity of landscape and
munity around Veterans Day to honor and
recognize current and retired military men
and women for their service, said CEO
Ross DeJohn Jr., a US Army veteran.
n Gunderson Funeral home

and cremation services, Fort
Dodge, Iowa, has sponsored A Time for
Angels, a December remembrance service dedicated to those who lost a loved
one, since 1998. The service is held at St.
Olaf Luthern Church. During the service,
the names of those being remembered
are read and their families are presented
horticulture. Highlighted in his remarks

were Mount Auburn, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Laurel Hill, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania; Forest Hills, Jamaica Plain,
Massachusetts; Woodlawn, Bronx, New
York; Spring Grove, Cincinnati, Ohio;
Forest Lawn, Buffalo, New York; Mountain View, Oakland, California; Allegheny, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Swan Point,
Providence, Rhode Island; Cypress Lawn,
Colma, California; Mount Royal, Quebec;
and Bellefontaine, St. Louis, Missouri.
Noting that the ASCE conference was
hosted by Glasnevin, founded by the
great 19th-century Irish nationalist Daniel
OConnell, and that the event coincided
with the 100th anniversary of Irelands
Easter Rising, Moylan also took the
opportunity to discuss the eminent Irish
residents of Green-Wood.
r
with an angel ornament to take home as a
keepsake. The service has grown to more
than 1,000 angels provided to the families
of those remembered. Each year a new
angel is specifically designed for the event.
Invitations are sent to the families Gunderson has served in the past year. However, it
is an event open to the community, as well.
n The connecticut cemetery

association has selected the following officers and directors for 20162017: President Dale J. Fiore, Evergreen
Cemetery and Crematory, New Haven;
Update
Vice President Jeff Pelletier, Evergreen
Cemetery, Watertown; Secretary Edward
Jones, Pine Grove Cemetery, Ansonia;
Treasurer Martha Smart, Pine Grove Cemetery, Ansonia; directors Jones; Mary Anne
Hawthorne, Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford; Torrence Downes, Cypress Cemetery,
Old Saybrook; Ken Bombaci, Centerbrook Cemetery, Essex; Maureen Owen,
Newtown Village Cemetery, Newtown;
Immediate Past President Craig Fleming,
Pine Grove Cemetery, Waterbury.
Supplier liaisons are Jeff Hardy, KMI
Columbarium and Hardy Doric Vault Co.,
Chelmsford, Massachusetts; and Kerry
Ann Mullen, Mullen Construction, New
Milford.
n Congressional Cemetery,
Washington, D.C., has added a Little
Free Library. Congressionals library is
made of wood and located near the chapel.
Congressional is famous for its dogwalking program (people pay an annual
fee for the right to walk their dogs in the
cemetery), and according to President Paul
Williams, the cemeterys library always

contains a number of books about dogs, as
well as ones relating to death and cemeteries. The Little Free Library is quite
popular, and books are always coming and
going, Williams said.
Little Free Library (www.littlefree
library.org) is a nonprofit organization
started in 2009 by Todd Bol of Hudson,
Wisconsin. He built a model of a one-room
schoolhouse as a tribute to his mother, a
teacher who loved to read.
Bol filled it with books and put it on
a post in his front yard with a sign saying free books. He started making more
little libraries and giving them away,
and eventually the project evolved and
expanded. Today, there are nearly 40,000
Little Free Library book exchanges around
the world. Cemeteries have recently
sttarted adding them. Most Holy Redeemer
Cemetery, Niskayuna, New York, and
Michigan Memorial Park, Flint Rock,
Michigan, both unveiled a Little Free
Library in 2016.
Congressional Cemeterys Little Free

Library thankfully does not feature copies of the Congressional Record but instead books about dogs (such as Mary
Olivers Dog Songs) and cemeteries,
as well as novels.
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January 2017
85
Update
Some of the presidential memorabilia

included in Forest Lawns The Presidents in Buffalo exhibition.
Visitors enjoy Forest Lawns The Presidents in Buffalo exhibition.
used during both of his inaugun Forest Lawnwn Cemration ceremonies, a childs cup
etery, Buffalo, New York,
produced to show support for
recently presented an exhibithe presidency of James Monroe
tion of historic artifacts and
(with his name incorrectly
memorabilia. The Presidents
spelled Munroe) and a candle
in Buffalo was presented by
holder from 1860 that promotes
Forest Lawn and the AssociaLincoln for president.
tion for a Buffalo Presidential
Forest Lawn presented a
Center. It included artifacts from
new tour, Hail to the Chief,
more than 30 U.S. presidents
in conjunction with the exhibiwho had personal ties to West- The cup promoting
tion. The tour was led by a
ern New York or visited the
(with his name incorguide portraying former first
area during their time in office, rectly spelled) James
Monroe, part of Forest lady Abigail Fillmore, who
including Millard Fillmore
(who is buried at Forest Lawn), Lawns The Presidents took visitors on a trolley tour of
in Buffalo exhibition.
the cemetery, highlighting felAbraham Lincoln, Theodore
low permanent residents with
Roosevelt, Grover Cleveland
ties to the White House or who held other
and William McKinley. Among the items on
r
display were a Bible owned by Cleveland and political positions.
n Greenwood Funeral homes and
cremation, Fort Worth,
Texas, has named Tim
Brown and Les Pinkerton
as managing directors
at its Mount Olivet and
Arlington chapels, reBrown
spectively. Both men are
longtime employees of Greenwood, the
areas largest independent funeral homes.
Brown started at Greenwood Funeral
86
ICCFA Magazine
Home in 1995 as a courier. He soon moved

into various office support positions before
entering the Dallas Institute of Funeral
Service. Subsequently he received his
funeral directors license, and in 2011
became Mount Olivets assistant managing
director. In 2014, he was named managing
director at the Arlington Chapel.
Pinkerton has more than 40 years of
service to families in the Greater Arlington, Mansfield and Grand Prairie community. He worked in funeral homes in
Oklahoma and Washington, D.C., before
A newspaper announcing the assassination of President McKinley, part

of Forest Lawns The Presidents in
Buffalo exhibition.
coming to Arlington. He has

been with Greenwood since
2002.
Greenwood Funeral
Homes and Cremation is
part of a community-focused
and locally-managed funeral
home and cemetery assoPinkerton
ciation, comprised of three
funeral homes, two cemeteries and florist
shops, two mausoleums and two crematories with locations in Fort Worth and
Arlington, Texas.
Update
n Foundation Partners Group, Orlando,
Florida, has promoted Erin
Whitaker to vice president
of business development.
She joins Justin Baxley
on the companys team to
actively target new acquisiWhitaker
tions. Whitaker, a third-generation funeral director, joined Foundation
a year ago as senior director of operations
integration.
Whitaker has a bachelors degree in
chemical engineering from Georgia Tech
University as well as an MBA in international business from the University of South
Carolina. She is certified as a black belt in
Six Sigma methodology and has achieved
the designation of Certified Funeral Service
Practitioner and Certified Preplanning Consultant. She is on the Cremation Association
of North America board.
n The catholic cemetery
conference, Hillside, Illinois, has
elected Stephen E. Bittner, CCCE, CCE,
2016-2018 president. He is president of
the Cincinnati Catholic Cemetery Society,

Ohio. Other officers are Vice President
Richard P. Peterson, CCCE, CCE; Treasurer the Rev. Msgr. William F. Baver,
Th.M., M.Div., KCSH, CCCE, director
of cemeteries for the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania; Secretary Roman F.
Szabelski, CCCE, executive director of
the Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Illinois; Immediate Past
President Andrew P. Schafer, KHS, CCCE,
executive director of the Archdiocese
of Newarks Catholic Cemeteries, New
Jersey; and Episcopal Moderator the Most
Rev. Gerald F. Kicanas, D.D. Directors at
large: Eastern U.S. and Eastern Canada,
the Rev. Ralph J. Argentino, M.A., M.Th.,
M.Ed., CCCE ; Midwestern U.S., Richard
Finn, CCCE; and Eastern U.S. and Eastern
Canada, Mary J. Frick, CCCE; Western U.S., Western Canada and Oceania,
Monica J. Williams, director of cemeteries
for the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
n The Old City Cemetery, Lynchburg, Virginia, held a wreath-making

workshop in December. The cemetery
The Logan Vault Handler
A wreath-making workshop at Old City

Cemetery, Lynchburg, VIrginia.
provided Christmas greens and hot cider,

while participants were urged to bring
clippers and gloves. Participants were able
to create traditional wreaths and a lighter
crescent wreath.
n The Calverton National
Cemetery, Calverton, New York, has
received the VA Sustainability Award
and the Presidential/White House
GreenGov Award. The veterans cemetery
performs more than 35 burials per day. It
is also the National Cemetery systems
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January 2017
87
Update
PIMS students show their support for Childrens Grief Awareness Day.
Dr. Joseph Marsaglia, PIMS dean of faculty and students, presents the National
Association of Colleges of Mortuary Science scholarship to Victoria Devore.
n The students of Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science,

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, showed their
support for Childrens Grief Awareness
Day. The annual event is held the third
Thursday in November to bring attention
to the fact that support can make all the
difference in the life of a grieving child.
Also, two PIMS students were
recently awarded a National Association of Colleges of Mortuary Science
(NACMS) scholarship. DeVon M. Fitts
of Decatur, Georgia, and Victoria M. Devore of West Salem, Ohio, were presented
$1,000 scholarship checks

from the NACMS. Fitts
holds a bachelors degree
in business in management
information systems and is
completing the PIMS online
program. He works with the
Donald Trimble Mortuary in
Fitts
Decatur. Devore is working toward her bachelors degree through
PIMS and is president of PIMS Student
Senate. Her mother is a PIMS alumna and
affiliated with the Matteson Funeral Home,
West Salem, Ohio.
Also, PIMS is offering a continuing

education event, PIMS Best Practices
101, March 17 at the college. The all-day
seminar, offered in association with Homeward Bound Shipping, will feature Matt
Smith. Topics will be Postmortem conditions and their embalming treatments and
What does it mean: A beautiful body ...
a beautiful funeral? Application for six
CE units has been made to Pennsylvania,
West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, New York
and the Academy of Professional Funeral
Service Practice.
r
largest user of electricity and water, and

has been working since 2010 to reduce its
usage of both.
identity of the facilities it acquires, but

modern systems and business practices
are implemented to improve performance
and address the need to adapt to the
personalization todays families expect.
The Journey Group, co-founded by Glenn
McMillen, has a management team with
over 100 years of combined acquisition
and operating experience.
n The International Conference of Funeral Service

Examining Boards Inc., Fayetteville, Arkansas, is introducing two new
learning formats at its 113th Annual
Meeting. The meeting, will be March 1-2,
2017, at the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront
Resort, Hilton Head, South Carolina. The
fishbowl will feature small round-table
discussions based on attendee-submitted
hot topics. The conference express will
feature five-minute presentations with
auto-advancing slides on an array of topics
r
from people in funeral service.
n The Signature Group, Houston, Texas, has acquired Ott & Lee
Funeral Homes from the Lee family.
Ott & Lee consists of four funeral homes
in the greater Jackson, Mississippi, area,
including Brandon, Morton, Forest and
Richland. During its 82-year history, Ott &
Lee has grown to become one of the largest and most respected independent funeral
home operations in the state. The Signature Group is a privately held company
co-founded by Jay D. Dodds, CFSP, and J.
Bradley Green.
n The The Journey Group,
New Orleans, Louisiana, has acquired
four Texas-based businesses between
Fort Worth and Corpus Christi. Cofounder and CEO Larry Merington said
the acquisitions are just the beginning.
The company maintains the local brand
88
ICCFA Magazine
n Service corporation international, Houston, Texas, has

donated $50,000 to the Funeral Service
Foundation. It was the third consecutive
year the company had made a gift in the
same amount.
n The R-H Santa Cruz Youth Foundation, created by Randy Krassow, owner of
Santa Cruz Memorial Park &
Funeral HOme, Santa Cruz, California, recently donated $5,000 to sponsor
an inclusive playground. The playground
will be designed to meet the needs of children of all abilities.
In memoriam
Sandra M. Ziegler
Sandra M. Ziegler, mother of Randy M.

Ziegler, president of Malinow and Silverman
Mortuary, Los Angeles, California, died November 9, 2016. Funeral services were held at
Mount Sinai Memorial Park.
r
January 2017
89
If youre a funeral industry supplier but not an IMSA member, you should
know what our members are getting that youre not: the best booth pricing
at the major tradeshows, hours of free one-on-one consultation from top
industry experts, business-boosting webinars, networking with other IMSA
members, and so much more. And the kicker is, our members pay only
$175 a year for the privilege. Is that unfair? It is, unless you join IMSA
too. Dont lose the upper hand. Join now at www.IMSA-Online.
I C C F A 2 0 1 7 C O n v e n t io io n & E x p o i n n a s h v i l l e
What do you need to know more about?

How to better appeal to cremation families? How to make your funeral home or cemetery
more profitable? How to cultivate a good relationship with local hospices?
How to improve family satisfaction? How to maximize your marketing dollars?
How to make better use of technology? How to manage a multi-generational workforce?
How to add pet services? How to better manage trust funds?
Whatever it is, youll find it at the ...
ICCFA ANNUAL CONVENTION & EXPO

Nashville, Tennessee, APRIL 5-8, 2017
Welcome from the 2017 Annual Convention co-chairs

Nctar L.
Ramrez
Batesville
Casket Co.
Mitch Rose,
CCFE, CCrE
The
Woodlawn
Cemetery
This year, at the ICCFA 2017 Annual

Convention & Exposition, the stage is set
for you.
During the keynote sessions, learn from
four professionals in the communications &
marketing industry as they talk change and
how to adapt through innovation in four crucial
areas: business, relationships, marketing and
personal success.
At the exposition, see fresh and upcoming
ideas where we can meet our clients needs
and take a step further by going beyond their
expectations to generate a lasting and valuable
impression.
Every year at the ICCFA Exposition, we see
how important this event is. We see everyone
who attends come away with mind-blowing
ways to meet and exceed a clients needs.
This year will not be any different. At this years
venue, the Music City Center in Nashville,

Tennessee, attendees not only will be taken
away by the incredible educational sessions
and services and products, but also by the new
convention center in which the event is taking
place.
Attendees will be surrounded by industry
colleagues who are eager to learn and try
new things. The stage is set for opportunity,
education and more.
The ICCFA 2017 Annual Convention & Exposi
tion will prove to be exciting, invigorating and
have a long-lasting impact on our industry. The
cemetery and funeral industry will continue to
and evolve in ways we look forward to seeing.
We hope you can join us for this event that
promises to set the stage for the future.
Convention Co-Chairs Nctar Ramrez
and Mitch Rose, CCFE, CCrE
January 2017
91
I C C F A 2 0 1 7 C O n v e n t io n & E x p o i n n a s h v i l l e
Special Events
First-Timers
Reception
The Expo Hall

Music City Center is Nashvilles convention center,
opened in 2013 and located in the heart of the
downtown. The exposition, keynote addresses
and breakout sessions will be held here. Wolf Hoffmann
Explore Nashville
Thursday, April 6,
5-6 p.m.
Will this be your
first time attending the ICCFA
Annual Convention & Exposition?
Come meet other members who are also new to the convention,
as well as ICCFA volunteers and leaders at this special reception
dedicated to welcoming you.
Admission to the reception is included with every full registration.
ICCFA Prayer Breakfast (tickets limited)
Friday, April 7, 7:30-8:30 a.m. Come join us for breakfast and fellowship at this years Prayer Breakfast. This years Prayer Breakfast is
courtesy of generous sponsorships. It is open to the first 60 individuals who show up to the breakfastfirst-come, first-served. Sorry,
spouses/guests may not attend.
PLPA Reception
Thursday, April 6, 5-6 p.m. Join pet loss professionals from around
the world as they meet to kick off a week full of festivities. Hors
doeuvres and drinks will be served.
Admission to the reception is included with every full registration.
3rd Annual Pet Memorial Service
Clockwise, from top: historic RCA studio B; Music

City Walk of Fame ( Wolf Hoffmann), Gaylord Opryland ( Bob Schatz), Nashvilles famed honky-tonks,
Jack Daniel distillery.
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ICCFA Magazine
Friday, April 7, 8:40-8:50 p.m.

Join us as we honor ICCFA members service pets and family pets
who have died in the past year. If you would like your pet to be included, instructions and a PDF form can be found at www.iccfa.com.
The deadline for submission is February 28.
ICCFA Educational Foundation Reception
(ticket required) Thursday, April 6, 6-7 p.m.
Join us for a reception to honor donors and scholarship

recipients, and to present the ICCFA Educational Foundation
Lasting Impact Award. Recipient Jan Scruggs founded the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, which built the iconic Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Wall) in Washington, D.C., and
has perhaps done more to promote the concept of memorialization than anyone else in the past 35 years.
Tickets: $50. Refreshments and hors doeuvres will be served.
All proceeds will benefit the foundation, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3)
charity that supports the associations educational programs.
ICCFA Annual Meeting of

Members
Saturday night
Thursday, April 6, 8-9:30 a.m. All ICCFA

members are encouraged to attend
the associations Annual Meeting
of Members. Vote for members
to represent you on the Board of
Directors, listen to officer reports on
the state of the ICCFA and fully engage
in the running of your association.
KIP Awards
Presentation
Friday, April 7,
8:50-9 a.m.
Winners of 2016 KIP
(Keeping It Personal) Awards will be honored during a
ceremony on the general session stage.
The KIP Awards recognize the best in
personalization. The awards were created
by the ICCFAs Personalization Committee to recognize outstanding examples
of personalization of services or products
in the death-care profession.
State Association Leadership

Luncheon (ticket required)
Saturday, April 8, 1-2:30 p.m.

Elected leaders, staff and rising stars
from state and regional associations
are invited to gather at this roundtable
luncheon to network and share the
issues affecting their members. A ticket
is required and can be purchased on
your registration form. Tickets: $60.
Closing Reception
Saturday, April 8, 6-7 p.m. Join us for an open bar before the Closing Dinner. The reception and the dinner will be held at the Omni Nashville, only a short walk away from the
Music City Center. Admission to the reception is included with every full registration.
ICCFA Memorial Service
Saturday, April 8, 7-8 p.m. Tribute and memorialization are at the heart of what we
do. Join us as we remember colleagues and loved ones of ICCFA members who have
passed away this past year. If you would like to remember a loved one who has died,
please send us a profile and photos for inclusion in the service. Instructions and a
PDF form can be found at www.iccfa.com/membership. The deadline for submission is
February 28.
Denim & Diamonds: Closing Dinner
Saturday, April 8, 8-11 p.m. Join us for a night of casual glamour at the denim and
diamonds-themed closing dinner. Come enjoy food and entertainment as we close
the 2017 ICCFA Annual Convention. The ICCFA presidential transfer from Michael Uselton, CCFE, to Scott Sells, CCFE, will take place during this event, as will the exchange
of gifts with colleagues from other international associations.
Tickets are included with full attendee and spouse/guest registrations. All others may
purchase a ticket on the registration form.
January 2017
93
General Session Keynote Speakers

How extraordinary
companies transcend
commodity and
defy comparison
Joe Calloway
Becoming a category
of one is based on
Calloways gamechanging best-seller
about what extraordinary
companies and top
performing individuals do to create,
sustain and grow success. Its not just
what you do, its how you think that
makes all the difference. Developing
and always growing a category of one
mindset can be the most powerful thing
you do in your business.
You wont be day-dreaming your way
through this interactive presentation.
Ideas will be flying around the room, and
youll be taking part in a dynamic session
that engages and motivates people to
take action on ideas that can change
everything. Becoming a category of
one is about going beyond being one of
the leaders in your category. Its about
being so good, creating such value for
the customer, that you create your own
categoryand youre the only one in it.
Calloway is a business performance
expert and author. He will discuss how
to separate yourself and your company
from your competition in a way that
truly sets you apart, and how to compete
and win in the real world marketplace of
today (and tomorrow), and not get stuck
in past success.
Take the stairs
Rory Vaden
An award-winning entrepreneur
and business leader, Rory
Vaden co-founded Southwes
tern Consulting, a multi-million
dollar global consulting practice
that helps clients in more than
14 countries drive educated decisions with
relevant data. Hes also the founder of The
Center for the Study of Self-Discipline.
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ICCFA Magazine
Crafting the customer experience for people

not like you: How to delight and engage the
customers your competitors dont understand
Kelly McDonald
Learn how companies, brands and products struggling to differentiate themselves
in a sea of sameness can foster long-term loyalty and brand preference with
exceptional and customized customer service.
A one-size fits all approach to customer service is no longer viable. Businesses competing
on service need to understand and cater to customers racial, ethnic, religious, generational,
lifestyle and geographic differences in order to meet or exceed customers service expectations.
This session will cover core customer groups, including women, the five generations
(matures, boomers, Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z), racial and ethnic segments, such as Hispanics,
Asians and African-Americans, as well as those who are defined by key lifestyle and life-stage
attributes. It will include consumer insights that will help you deliver a better business experience
for every customer.
You cannot control the economy, the stock market or the cost of goods and labor. But you
can control your organizations customer experience. Its an empowering thought. Customer
service is 100 percent in your control at all times, and its more important than ever in todays
competitive business environment.
And terrific customer service doesnt have to break the bank: its about understanding your
customers values and catering to their priorities.
Relationship revolution:
Building better connections in the digital age
Seth Mattison
In todays super-wired, highly digital society, humans still crave social
interaction and relationships. In business, creating strong relationships is
the key to achieving success, both individually and as an organization.
Whats the secret for cultivating successful relationships, particularly in
business? As more and more of our lives play out virtually, connections can
sometimes feel less than fulfilling
From Facebook to LinkedIn, Twitter to Foursquare, its important to
remember just how powerful it can be to reach beyond the fiber optics and
make that physical connection. By balancing the time and energy we spend in both the
physical and virtual space we can create deeper and more meaningful connections. In The
Relationship Revolution, Mattison will explore five key insights that will equip you for
building better, stronger, more authentic relationships in the new world of work.
Vaden speaks and consults on how to say

no to the things that dont matter, and yes to
the things that do. He is a regular contributor
for American Express Open Forum, Huffing
ton Post and The Tennessean. His articles
and insights average more than 4 million
views every month.
Vaden relates profound truths coupled with
humorous anecdotes that empower profession
als to conquer their fears and take immediate
action in all aspects of their lives. Vaden will

discuss maintaining a better work/life balance,
managing change, having more effective time
management and motivating people to do the
hard work necessary to achieve success in
life. His insights have been shared on Oprah
radio, Fox News, CNN, CNBC, CBS, in
Businessweek, Entrepreneur, Fast Company,
USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and in
SUCCESS Magazine.
Wednesday, April 5
To honor and respect
(JFDA program)
Rabbi Richard F. Address

Rabbi Address will discuss how the Fifth
Commandment relates to the changing nature of
saying goodbye to those we love.
He will look at what these words have meant from
tradition, the challenges of translating them to 21st century ethics
and technology, how our families are seeing these terms in their own
practices and why it still comes down to a search for what did this
life mean.
Address is founder and director of Jewish Sacred Aging. His work
concerns issues such as the changing contemporary Jewish family;
challenges to congregations relating to older adults and the aging of
the baby boom generation, their spiritual aging and the challenges of
intergenerational care-giving; concerns over self-destructive behaviors,
resiliency and the pressures on young people; and inclusiveness and
openness for people with disabilities and the impact of emerging
medical technology on the choices that confront todays Reform Jews.
How can cemeteries meet the digital

expectations of millennials?
Sean & Leona McAllister

Technology is moving faster than ever before. Digital used to
be the glossy front image of an organization, but now its deeply
integrated into a companys DNA. The customer experience is the
new competitive battleground. Are you struggling to set a digital
strategy for your business? Learn tips from experts in digital cemetery management on how you can
remove the barriers keeping you from maximizing the competitive advantage technology offers.
Sean and Leona McAllister are CEO and COO, respectively, of Plotbox. After completing
a degree in donstruction engineering and management, Sean started his own land surveying
and engineering business. Leona has a business studies degree. The mapping of a local parish
graveyard led them to the idea for the PlotBox software and digital mapping solution. They
have spent the last seven years working in the cemetery/cremation industry.
Engaging families & community partners by

providing comfort, information & support Jason Troyer
This presentation examines how cemetery, cremation and funeral professionals

can serve their families and communities by providing comforting information,
becoming ritual specialists and sponsoring educational opportunities. Dr.
Troyer will review multiple low-cost ways to promote engagement through
simple actions, easy-to-plan events and other methods. He will also review why
community engagement is much more powerful than traditional marketing methods.
Dr. Troyer earned his doctorate in counseling psychology and is an associate professor of
psychology at Maryville College, Maryville, Tennessee. He is a speaker and published author,
and has provided counseling for bereaved individuals and groups. He is also the founder
of Mount Hope Grief Services, which provides grief publications, training seminars and
consulting services. He is a member of the Association of Death Education and Counseling
and is certified in thanatology: death, dying and bereavement.
Leading a
life of legacy
Rabbi Daniel Cohen

This seminar will
focus on the funda
mental question
of how we will be
remembered, and provide a frame
work to help you reignite a life of
deeper fulfillment and impact. This
interactive session will outline the
road map for reverse engineering your
life and unlocking your aspirations,
and provide strategies for realizing
your dreams each and every day.
Cohen is with Congregation
Agudath Sholom, Stamford,
Connecticut. Whether as a mentor,
guide, cheerleader or motivator,
he possesses a unique blend of
authenticity, wisdom and spiritual
insight for contemporary society. As
a rabbi, he has shared hundreds of
life-affirming moments from birth to
death and can call on thousands of
years of Jewish wisdom. He is also a
husband and father of six daughters.
His experience, humor and humanity
provide him with a compelling
narrative to help others navigate life.
Breaking Bad II: Is your cemetery being used as a meth lab? Chris Cooke
Cooke will give you the basics of what to look for to protect your facilities, staff, patrons and contractors from illegal
drugs, as well as other illicit activities on your property. He will discuss crime prevention through environmental design, as
well as community policing techniques you can use to identify dangerous drug-related activities and tools to educate your
staff about what to look for to protect everyone associated with your facility.
Cooke has been superintendent of city cemeteries in Evansville, Indiana, since 2008 and is a member of the mayors No
Meth Task Force. He was 2013 ICCFA University valedictorian and is a graduate of ICCFA Universitys Masters Program.
He is a Certified Celebrant, vice chairman of the Indiana State Board of Cemetery and Funeral Services, on the Indiana Cemetery
Association Board and is the associations president-elect.
Expo Grand Opening: 4-7 p.m. (Open bar & heavy hors doeuvres)
January 2017
95
Thursday, April 6
Spend the morning
with keynote speakers
Joe Calloway & Seth Mattison
Calloway: How extraor

dinary companies tran
scend commodity and defy
comparison. Mattison:
Relationship revolution:
Building better connections in the digital age.
Free coffee service will be available in the Expo
Hall, where the keynoters will be on stage.
Free lunch
in the Expo Hall.
Spend the afternoon
checking out the booths
and enjoy IMSA Happy
Hour. (noon-5 p.m.)
Friday, April 7
Spend the morning with keynote speakers
Kelly McDonald and Rory Vaden
McDonald: Crafting the customer experience for people not like you: How to
delight & engage the customers you competitors dont understand Vaden: Take the
Stairs Free coffee service will be available in the Expo Hall, where the keynoters will be on stage.
Free lunch in the Expo Hall.

Your last chance to check out
the booths & talk to suppliers.
(11 a.m.-2 p.m.)
Government & legal
panel:
Stumped
by Trump?
Moderator Irwin
Shipper, CCE
Join Shipper
and the ICCFAs
own Capitol
Hill Gang as they share insight
on what the new administration
is planning and how you can
prepare for it. Our legal and tax
experts will fill you in on whats
happening and take questions
from the audience. News you can
use.
Mike Pepperman, Esq., ICCFA special counsel for labor relations and employment law, speaks
during last years government & legal panel. Listening are ICCFA Executive Director and General Counsel Bob Fells, Esq., Les Schneider, CPA, ICCFA counsel for tax-related issues; and
Irwin Shipper, CCE, chairman of the ICCFA Government and Legal Affairs Committee.
C he ck w w w.i cc fa . com for m ore d e t ai ls, i n form ati on ab out CE cre dit s, pro g r am up d ate s an d h otel opti ons.
96
ICCFA Magazine
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Friday, April 7, continued

Resilience after loss: The reflection effect Allison Gilbert
After O, the Oprah Magazine, published Allison Gilberts provocative essay, The Reflection Effect, a national conversation
began anew about opportunities for using loss as a driver of personal and professional growth. This session will focus on the
new science of nostalgia and its surprising capacity to make us happier and less lonely, to spark creativity and to strengthen our
connections not just to the past, but to family and friends in our present. Gilberts latest book, Passed and Present: Keeping
Memories of Loved Ones Alive, is a tool many deathcare professionals are already using to support their communities.
Gilbert is one of the most thought-provoking and influential writers on grief and resilience. She is offering the opportunity for
your organization to customize copies of her book to give the families you serve, a way to break away from the competition.
The new
value brand:
Dominating
market share,
creating
experiences
Erin Whitaker &

Justin Baxley
Consumers are seeking
the best experiences at the
greatest value, and some
providers are taking advantage of the
opportunity. The term value brand is
no longer synonymous with cremation
society or price-only provider. Todays
successful value providers use traditional
concepts with modern delivery methods
and low-overhead operating controls to
forcibly take market share. In addition,
some providers are discovering the
cemetery connection, particularly as it
relates to high-value options for families
choosing cremation. Attendees will learn
and understand the principles that are
working for the value brand pioneers and
receive practical insights on how to apply
those principles to existing businesses.
Whitaker, a third-generation funeral
director, brings a diverse and compre
hensive background to her role as vice
president of business development for
Foundation Partners Group (FPG).
Baxley, a second-generation funeral
director and embalmer, is senior vice
president of business development for
FPG. A musician, vocalist and former
owner of a sound and lighting provider,
he sees every funeral as a production,
an opportunity to create personal,
meaningful and intentional experiences.
Natural burial, the new generation

of funeral consumers Kate Kalanick & Ed Bixby
In the next quarter century, 80 million baby boomers will be dying.

During this session, you will learn about the environmental effects of this many
funerals, burials and cremations. You will also learn about the role the Green
Burial Council will play in educating the public about the green choices available
and making sure that when green choices are made they are adhered to.
Kalanick is a professional with over a decade of leadership experience and a
lifetime of interest in the health of our natural environment. Having had her own
experiences with end-of-life arranagements, she understands their importance.
Bixby has led presentations on natural burial for numerous organizations and
has provided educational training for both funeral directors and cemeterians. He
has been instrumental in revitalizing the Green Burial Council and furthering its mission.
Survey of 21st century cemetery technology Nick Timpe
Are you looking to technology to gain relevance in your community and

traction in your market? In this session, we will survey some of the best
operators in our industry, seeing what technology they are using, how it has
impacted their day-to-day business and what it has done to their bottom line.
No single software solution will be favored in this presentation; a variety of
industry solutions, home-grown software platforms, off-the-shelf generic
platforms and even some revolutionary paper-based systems will be evaluated.
Timpe is director of sales and marketing for webCemeteries.com, a company offering
custom technology solutions to cemeteries and funeral homes. He is a frequent industry
speaker and article contributor.
How to protect and grow your trust assets and

why you should turn off CNBC Paul Gottlieb, CFA
This session will present attendees with helpful methods they can use to set and
manage an appropriate and prudent asset allocation process for their funeral and
cemetery trust assets. We will discuss a variety of variables involved, including
but not limited to the following: time horizon (average estimated length of
underlying contracts), liquidity needs (distribution of gains vs. selling more
new contracts), tax liabilities and risk tolerance. The session will conclude with historical
data which support taking a longer-term view as well as some behavioral finance data about
how people are predisposed to making bad investment decisions.
Gottlieb joined Regions Bank in 2006 and is currently vice president, portfolio manager,
in the Houston, Texas, area. He is responsible for managing personal, charitable, funeral
and institutional assets for trust and investment management accounts.
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ICCFA Magazine
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January 2017
99

Crisis communication management:
What to do when your brand or profession becomes headline news
Jodi Clock, CPLP, and Poul Lemasters, Esq.

Its been said that any publicity is good publicity, but is that really true? Society views any profession dealing
with the end of life as honorable and sacred, so those caring for the deceased are held to high standards. But
what do you do when your business or profession becomes tainted by the actions of a colleague in your market
area? In this session you will learn how to address, diffuse and manage negative community perceptions head on.
Clock has worked in the end-of-life planning industry for more than 25 years with both family- and corporately-owned funeral
homes, advance funeral planning companies, casket manufacturers and insurance agencies. She currently writes and speaks about the
basics of Medicaid and asset protection and is a seasoned expert in end-of-life directives.
Lemasters began his career in death care more than 20 years ago as a funeral director and embalmer. He quickly recognized that the growing
risk and liability in death care along with the lack of support and resources for those in this profession made for a deadly combination, so he went
to law school. Today, he uses his unique background to provide resources and counsel to other death-care professionals.
Garnering publicity: The media and you Greg Kamp

There is a difference between marketing, advertising and publicity. This session
will focus on how to obtain publicity and maintain a strong presence in the news
and become the professional expert the media turns to.
Kamp is a marketing consultant with Holy Sepulchre Cemetery & Ascension
Garden in Rochester, New York. He has been working in the cemetery industry for
almost 10 years, including time on the ad agency side of the business. Kamp also was
a news producer for ABC News in New York, working with public relations professionals until he
became one when he made the switch from news to Edelman Worldwide Public Relations.
Planning for perpetuity:
Embedding sustainability within Laurel Hill Group
Gino Merendino, Jennifer Anderson and Clifford C. David Jr.
Among cemeteries and funeral homes in the US today, sustainability practices are
most often represented by individual efforts such as green burial, alkaline hydrolysis
and sourcing of sustainable caskets and urns. This session will engage attendees
in a case study of the development of a comprehensive, strategic and long-term
sustainability plan for Laurel Hill Group. The organizations plan development process
covered all aspects of Laurel Hills operations, service delivery and communications.
Areas discussed will include energy and waste, land conservation, employee wellness
and engagement, customer experience and safety and communication.
Merendino is chief gardener for Merendino Cemetery Care. He holds a bachelors
degree in business management from Rutgers University and is a Rutgers Cooperative
Extension Master Gardener. At Merendino, he is responsible for the mowing and
trimming of 2,500 acres of cemetery property weekly in New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Illinois, as well as the oursourcing of one out of every
600 burials in the U.S.
Anderson is co-founder and principal of Sustrana, a strategic sustainability
solutions company. She has over 20 years experience in business management and
strategic management consulting and has spoken at many conferences on sustainability, most
recently at the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council meeting in Washington, D.C.
David is sustainability program team leader for Laurel Hill Group. He has built his career
as an innovator, combining non-profit mission with for-profit financial incentives to transform
land management through conservation as a senior leader of a regional land trust and other
organizations. Cliff has been involved with the growth and development of West Laurel Hill
Cemetery for over 30 years.
Expand your
international
sales with a
little help from
Uncle Sam
William S. Lawton
The U.S. Commercial Service helps

U.S. companies plan, develop and
execute international sales strategies
necessary to succeed in todays global
marketplace. Developed by interna
tional trade specialists and economists,
it provides trusted market intelligence,
practical advice and business tools to
help you understand how to export,
connect with foreign buyers and
expand operations into new markets.
The U.S. Department of Commerces
International Trade Administration
collaborates with 19 U.S. government
agencies to help you navigate the maze
of government offices and get answers
to your questions, and to provide a
single source for tools, assistance,and
expert knowledge to help expand your
companys international sales.
Lawton is a senior trade specialist
at the Miami Export Assistance
Center and is a deputy team leader
on the U.S. Commercial Services
Health Care Team. He has more than
24 years in government service. He
has also worked extensively in the
private international sector, directing
marketing at both US and foreign firms.
100
ICCFA Magazine
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January 2017
101

The hospice perspective: How improved understanding
can help your firm better serve families
Kim Medici Shelquist; Jim Monahan, M.Ed., ACHE; and Glenda Stansbury, CC, CFSP
This panel presentation features members of the ICCFA Hospice Committee and will cover a wide
range of issues including why funeral professionals should engage with hospice caregivers and tips
on how they can reach out to hospices in their comm,unities. Core to this panel discussion will be the presentation of the findings of a
survey conducted with hospice caregivers in the Sarasota, Florida, area. The survey was structured to gain insight into caregivers attitudes
toward and understanding of funeral service. The panel will also introduce the ICCFA hospice relations kit and provide tips on how you
can use these tools to build meaningful relationships with local caregivers.
Medici Shelquist is senior vice president-planning and development for Homesteaders Life Co. Monahan is executive vice president of Tide
well Hospice. Stansbury is vice president of marketing for Insight Books and is dean of the ICCFA University College of 21st Century Services.
Legal and
property
interests in
burial places
Tanya D. Marsh
The American law of burial
places is complicated, confusing
and sometimes contradictory.
It imperfectly reflects modern
values and expectations, and often
provides little help to cemetery
owners and managers seeking to
resolve disputes between feuding
family members, or trying to
determine if cemetery lands can
be used for other purposes to raise
income. This session will demystify
the American law of burial places,
to explain the legal framework
of the law and to provide general
guidance for cemetery owners
and managers so they are better
prepared to confront these issues
when they arise.
Marsh is a professor at Wake
Forest University School of Law
in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
She is a licensed attorney in Indi
ana and a licensed funeral director
in California. She teaches courses
in property and real estate transac
tions, as well as the only course
in a U.S. law school on funeral
and cemetery law. She is author of
The Law of Human Remains and
co-author of Cemetery Law: The
Common Law of Burying Grounds
in the United States.
The millennial workforce: Recruiting

implications & career management
Mark Jorgsensen and Mike T. Jorgensen
Last year, millennials became the largest generation in the American

workforceby 2030 they will represent 75 percent of your workforce. Its
no secret boomer-generation managers are often frustrated, struggling to
understand how to attract, motivate and retain millennials. Serving families
during their times of greatest emotional need make this task seem even more daunting as values shift
toward an emerging millennial worldview. Drawing upon published research findings and firsthand
experience, they will begin by providing a context for understanding this millennial worldview. They
will then dicuss application, suggesting specific strategies for recruiting, onboarding and handling
performance management and career development/retention.
Mark Jorgensen is president of Global Recruiters of Cincinnati, a management search and
recruiting firm serving cemetery, cremation and funeral professionals nationwide. His familiarity with
the profession comes from eight years of owning and operating Global Recruiters and 13 years at
Forethought Financial Services/Hillenbrand Industries, where he served in a succession of sales and
marketing leadership roles, including vice president/general manager.
Mike T. Jorgensen earned his advanced degree at Covenant Theological Seminary (Presbyterian)
in St. Louis, Missouri, in December 2016 in preparation for pastoral ordination. Prior to seminary,
he served for more than five years in ministry to millennials as youth director at Madeira-Silverwood
Presbyterian Church in suburban Cincinnati.
How to create preneed opportunities for your funeral

home through your pet loss business Jodi Clock, CPLP
Owning a pet loss memorial center in addition to your human funeral home can
be a wonderful way to build mindshare. If you posture yourself correctly, you will
become the go-to resource for all-end-of life conversations, both human- and petrelated, within your community. Rather than spend hundreds of dollars on collateral
materials and newspaper advertising, you can reach your target market and achieve solid results
on the pet side on a shoestring and also get a return on investment back to the human side of
your business. Walk away from this session armed with recommendations on whom to partner
with and why, which type of events to host to attract a different audience to your funeral home,
how to attract media coverage and what steps to take to turn event attendees into preneed leads.
Clock has worked in the end-of-life planning industry for more than 25 years, including
family- and corporately-owned funeral homes, advance funeral planning companies, casket
manufacturers and insurance agencies. She writes and speaks about the basics of Medicaid
and asset protection and is an expert in end-of-life directives. She and her son own a cremation
business and she also owns and operates Clock Timeless Pets, a pet loss memorial center.
102
ICCFA Magazine
Saturday, April 8
iCremation: A legal look at the online world of cremation
Poul Lemasters, Esq.

Just point. Click. And cremate. What a great world we live in! Now we can cremate online! Hecktheres even an app for that!
Cremation has now become an even easier option for families. But is easier better? What are the risks in this new online cremation
world? This seminar starts with an overview of various online cremation options being offered by the death-care profession. After
understanding the options, Lemasters will point out the potential liabilities, as well as ways to avoid them. The end result is an online
plan for cremation that wont crash.
Lemasters began his career in death care more than 20 years ago as a funeral director and embalmer. He recognized that the growing risk and
liability in death care along with the lack of support and resources for those in this profession made for a deadly combination, so he decided to go
to law school. Today, he uses his background in death care and law to provide resources and counsel to other death-care professionals.
Something borrowed from the bridal world
Dale Amundsen, CC
Weve all heard families remark that the only times they get together are at
weddings and funerals. In days past, these events were often held at a house
of worship. Now, weddings are frequently in barns, ballrooms, breweries and
ballparks. Learn from Amundsen what brides can teach us about effective
marketing to funeral clients and how to adapt lessons from the bridal world to fit
memorial celebrations.
Amundsen is a celebrant, officiant and emcee. He holds two graduate degrees in ministry,
is the past head chaplain for the King County (Seattle) Sheriffs Department. He has spoken
at 2,500 weddings and 4,700 funeral events. He was twice voted Best Officiant in the Best of
Western Washington competition.
The rise of the micro-cemetery
Christopher Keller
Cemeteries are rapidly evolving, and they are migrating as well. More and more
organizations, both funeral and cemetery companies, as well as non-funeral/
cemetery companies, are actively getting into the cemetery and memorialization
business, but not in the traditional way. More small, unique, boutique
cemeteries are cropping up. Theyre in neighborhoods, church courtyards, on
university campusestheyre even being developed inside the bounds of larger cemeteries.
How do we respond? Is it a threat or an opportunity?
Keller is vice president, French Funerals-Cremations & Sunset Memorial Park, where
he is responsible for all new development. They are in the midst of a complete renovation of
their cemetery master plan, finding millions of dollars of addition property potential when just
seven years ago they thought they were nearly sold out.
Cremation arrangement
process Nctar Ramrez
So often those in funeral

service have a narrow view as
to what families really want
when they select cremation for
disposition. This presentation
is designed to give you an in-depth look
into the gap that currently exists between
what consumers want and what they are
being presented. We will talk about common
misconceptions regarding the cremation
consumer and how we can change our
presentations in a way that will result in
higher family satisfaction and sales.
Ramrez has been with Batesville
Casket for 14 years. She has been director
of market research, sales director for the
Metro Region (New York, New Jersey,
Connecticut), director of Options,
Batesvilles cremation business, and now
heads the customer training department.
She has worked closely with hundreds of
funeral homes across the U.S. and Canada,
helping them turn around their cremation
businesses through the development of full
system solutions, packaging and training.
Our why of being: Where the healing begins
John T. McQueen, CFSP

Everything at Anderson-McQueen Funeral Homes & Cremation Tribute, from facilities upkeep to First Care escorts, to the
arrangement conference and beyond, must flow through the companys why of being where the healing begins for families.
Since Anderson-McQueen has begun to truly emphasize this with its team and live it in daily actions, business has increased,
both in terms of profits and reputation. Living the why each and every day not only allows the company to give families
the best possible service, it also allows the company to pay larger quarterly bonuses to staff and continue to award cruises
each year to Employee of the Year (full time) and Associate of the Year (part time). Funeral homes that truly want to discover
and embrace their why will learn ways to implement it when they return home.
McQueen is president and CEO for Anderson-McQueen Funeral Homes & Cremation Tribute. He also serves as the president of
Sunnyside Cemetery and an affiliated firm, Affordable Memorials. He has also held numerous offices and board positions on both a
national and state level in a variety of industry-related organizations. He was also the founder and managing partner of FuneralReview.
Com, an online continuing education company for funeral service professionals.
C he c k w w w.i ccfa . com for m ore d e t ai ls, i n form ati on ab out CE cre dit s, pro g r am up d ate s an d h otel opti ons.
January 2017
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Saturday, April 8, continued

Just when you think you have arrived, someone is moving the destination
Douglas Gober Jr.

Samuel Adams said: We cannot make events. Our business is wisely to improve them. These words still ring true today. How
can funeral professionals wisely improve in light of all the events happening in the world today that are beyond our control? As
the rate of change continues to escalate, understanding client family needs and building a business to meet those needs will be
critical. Successful funeral professionals will find a way to take whatever comes their way, be it rising cremation rates, changing
demographics or shifting consumer preferences, and wisely improve them. Gober will evaluate merchandising, content, facilities and competition
and will look at each potential point of customer contact with your business and then delve into how each of these impacts existing and potential
customers. He will also tackle each area from the perspective of how to differentiate yourself in your marketplace.
Gober, president and owner of Gober Strategic Capital, began his funeral service career 36 years ago as a sales representative in the casket
industry. He has earned numerous national awards from various organizations within the death-care industry. In 2012, he joined Live Oak Bank,
and in 2014, he formed Gober Strategic Capital as a way to broaden the range of counsel and resources he could bring to death-care businesses.
Prudent management of
endowment care funds
Pat Severo
If you are involved in the
oversight of endowment care
funds, either in the cemetery
or funeral home space, you
will want to attend this session
on endowment care fund
management. Learn best practices for
formulating, implementing and maintaining
an investment policy statement. Severo will
share updates on capital markets (both stock
and bond markets) as well as feedback from
his cemetery relationships with regard to
investment strategies, especially in light of
record low interest rates.
Severo is managing director for RBC
Wealth Management. He has been a
financial advisor for over 30 years and has
served the death-care industry for the past
two decades. He is a frequent guest speaker
at regional and national conferences, and
often focuses on topics of fiduciary best
practices and investing endowed assets.
Litigation avoidance techniques
Steven H. Gurnee and John A. Mason

This session is designed to equip cemetery, crematory and
mortuary owners and their management personnel with specific
strategies and techniques to minimize, if not prevent altogether,
many of the liability risks that commonly occur in the profession.
You will learn effective ways to mitigate potential damage to
your location (both from a reputation and monetary standpoint) when such events do occur.
By sharing a few war stories based on actual cases they have handled over the years, Gurnee
and Mason will add a real-world context to the strategies and techniques they offer.
Gurnee has focused on civil trial work of all kinds, with a particular emphasis on
the defense of businesses and individuals, since his admission to the California Bar in
1975. He has a wide range of jury trial experience in high-exposure cases involving
professional negligence, employment, products liability, public entities, construction
defects, flood, fire and agricultural losses, aviation, real estate and general personal
injury matters. He is an expert in the field of funeral and cemetery law, and is frequently
called upon by owners of funeral homes, cemeteries and crematoria to provide advice
and to defend litigation involving a wide spectrum of issues.
Mason received a bachelors degree with high honors from the University of
California, Berkeley, and his Juris Doctor from University of the Pacific, McGeorge
School of Law. He has maintained a broad-based civil litigation practice which
focuses primarily on defending complex matters, including commercial disputes as
well as personal injury, product liability, professional negligence and wage and hour,
class action and unfair business practice claims. He also has extensive experience in
defending clients in litigation pertaining to the cemetery and funeral industry.
The impact of social media and technology on aftercare Dave Balter

The past decade has seen a dramatic shift in how people memorialize and remember their lost loved ones. Due to the rise of
social media and the access to technology, death has become a public event; families now grieve, remember and celebrate
through connected devices. From Facebook to Reddit to Instagram, and from group text chats to online forums, this session
will explore how sharing in public is the new aftercare, and how tapping into these channels will ensure you remain relevant
and provide incredible value to your families.
Balter is the founder and CEO of Mylestoned Inc, a company reframing death through the capture of dynamic, digital
memories. He shares his drive for technology with his local Boston community as an investor and advisor to dozens of startups,
including acting as venture partner in seed-stage investment firm Boston Seed Capital.
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ICCFA Magazine

Anatomy of a first call
Poul Lemasters, Esq., and Cole Imperi

Theres more to a first call than you might think. Everyone in death care knows what a first call is, right? If you think
its when your phone rings, you are missing the bigger picture. Keep in mind that in this age of digital communication,
a phone call may never even happen. So whats the right perspective to have on first calls? What is a first call? When do
first calls happen? Imperi and Lemasters will share the latest findings from Dead Ringers, the first death-care-only secret
shopping service. Explore first calls, from the web to the phone. Learn how to answer all types of first calls through reallife examples and statistics so fresh theyre still warm. Most importantly, take away some tips on how to make your first call the only call.
Lemasters began his career in death care more than 20 years ago as a funeral director and embalmer. He recognized that the growing risk and
liability in death care along with the lack of support and resources for those in this profession made for a deadly combination, so he decided to go
to law school. Today, he uses his background in death care and law to provide resources and counsel to other death-care professionals.
Imperi is owner and creative director of Doth and is an award-winning designer, death-care professional and generational marketing
specialist.. She is a Certified Crematory Operator. She serves on the Board of Overseers of Historic Linden Grove Cemetery and Arboretum, is a
teacher for the ICCFA Cremation Arranger Certification Program, and is associate producer of MORTAL, a feature-length documentary film. She
serves on the advisory board for the Art of Dying Institute and is an active hospice volunteer.
Turning a small-town cemetery

into a big-time asset: Part II Erin Whitaker
This session will provide ideas and examples for the small-town cemeterian as they
transition their cemetery from just being a place to inter the dead into a thriving,
profit-generating asset. Attendees will see how theory translates into action as we
look at cemeteries that have successfully implemented strategies to integrate new
products and services into their portfolios. We will evaluate their marketing strategies (products,
pricing, promotion and profitability) and the systems and people required to reach sales goals.
Whitaker, a third-generation funeral director, brings a diverse and comprehensive background
to her role as vice president of business development for Foundation Partners Group.
Perpetual solutions for perpetual care cemeteries
W.H. Bill Williams Jr.

How do perpetual-care cemetery owners continue to fund the ongoing
maintenance and upkeep for properties into the foreseeable and unforeseeable
future? There is a solution: unitrusts. This presentation will look at the financial
impact of the unitrust distribution method, how it works and how four states
have implemented the method for the benefit of perpetual-care cemeteries.
Williams is president and CEO of Funeral Services Inc., and vice chairman of the FSI
Board of Directors. He has experience in every aspect of the funeral service profession
including ownership and management of funeral homes and cemeteries.
Pet cremation
standards
Richard R. Hobart, DVM

Many pet aftercare organi
zations have hotly discussed
the need for pet cremation
standards, but have not successfully
been able to create and implement them.
This presentation will give a history
of the International Association of Pet
Cemeteries and Crematories struggles to
create a set of standards for all and will
cover some of the inner politics of pet
cremation; the legal, veterinary, human
aftercare and academic sources used to
develop these standards; and reasons for
some of the apparently controversial items.
Dr. Hobart and his partners started
a pet cremation business, Veterinary
Referral Cremation Services, in 1993. He
is the primary author of the International
Association of Pet Cemeteries and
Crematories Pet Cremation Standards.
Best of breed 2017: How to thrive in a fragmented funeral market
Paul Seyler
A fragmented death-care market is our new normal. While its way too soon to write an obituary for traditional funeral homes,
new competitors and even new formats are springing up like kudzu. This presentation maps out the new formats were seeing in
the market, and looks at some of the strategies and market forces behind them. It also maps out for funeral directors what it takes
to be Best of Breedto be a winner in the format you choose and thrive in our fragmented funeral market.
Seyler has headed Competitive Resources Inc. since 1993. His company is a marketing firm with core strengths in research,
strategy development, brand management, technology and training. Prior to forming Competitive Resources, he spent 10 years
in marketing, IT and strategic planning with firms in financial services and real estate. He also speaks regularly to industry groups across
North America on a broad range of marketing, strategy and innovation issues.
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ICCFA Magazine

The 10 biggest HR mistakes in funeral homes & cemeteries Stephanie Ramsey
Do you know what must be maintained in your employees files or how new Department of Labor standards affect your on-call
employees? Managing employees is a significant issue for funeral homes and cemeteries who not only face the normal employer
challenges but also deal with additional obstacles such as diminishing pools of qualified employees, work hours comparable to
that of nurses/doctors and families that are sensitive to employee turnover. This session will highlight the 10 most common HR
pitfalls in the funeral and cemetery professions and provide techniques to avoid or overcome them.
Ramsey is the HR director for The Foresight Companies LLC. She has managed small staffs and those with more than 200 employees and
with more than 25 supervisors directly reporting to her. She has run an 800-call regional combination business. In addition to speaking at
national conferences, she published articles on HR issues in multiple funeral industry publications.
Radioactive decedents: What is the risk?
Glenn M. Sturchio, PhD., & Daniel Allen Crutchfield Jr.

As a death-care professional, you know there are risks associated with
handling radioactively contaminated human remains. Dr. Sturchio and
Crutchfield will discuss current radiation therapy treatments that may present
a hazard to funeral home and crematory staff. Steps that staff can perform to
help identify, characterize and mitigate the potential risk from decedents who
received a radiation therapy treatment also will be discussed. The session
will conclude with a look into the potential psychological impact on family
members as they deal with burial and/or cremation issues related to the final
disposition of the radioactive remains of their loved one.
Dr. Sturchio is the radiation safety officer at the Mayo Clinic in Jackson
ville, Florida. He is an assistant professor in the Mayo College of Medicine.
He is a member of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement.
Crutchfield is a graduate student at the University of North Florida researching
psychological resilience, including significant emotional events. He holds two under
graduate degrees from UNF, one in business management and one in psychology.
Getting to yes with your veterinarian

and loving selling along the way
Ed Albertson
From getting to the decision-maker in a veterinarian clinic to the fine tech
niques of listening and understanding their needs, sales is a process. In this
motivational, exciting and robust presentation from Ed Albertson, sales guru
with Carew International, attendees will learn techniques to get decision-makers excited to
see you, and youll be prepared to handle resistance and objections from each prospect.
Albertson, a partner at Carew International,has been selling, designing and
delivering a variety of sales performance improvement experiences for a variety of
companies across multiple industries since 1986.
PLPA best practices hour
Understanding the delicate nature of communication is key to success for any service-based
business. From communicating within a companys own team to interacting with clients,
effective communication can be complicated, confusing and frustrating. In this session,
effective techniques will be reviewed, from verbal and non-verbal skills practiced in person
to those used in marketing and communication pieces. Attendees will have the opportunity
to share tough communication situations, and to role play the handling of these sessions for
an outcome beneficial to everyone involved.
Shaping the future

one relationship
at a time
Michael J. Watkins, CFSP

Funeral service professionals are
facing a two-fold challenge today
when it comes to promoting their businesses.
First, traditional methods of networking are not
enough. Second, many of the allied professionals
in their communities who are in the greatest
position to make a recommendation do not really
understand the services or value we provide, how
we care for both the dead and the living. Are we
truly committed to educating families about their
options?
The result is that all too often families
(especially those selecting cremation) are
coming to us with inaccurate information and are
making important decisions prematurely. These
challenges present us with opportunities; we can
influence and educate potential clients and allied
professionals while promoting our business at
the same time. Promoting your business today
means learning to be professionally assertive and
seeking opportunities to position yourself as the
go-to expert in your community. Rather than
simply making contacts, todays progressive
funeral professional must build relationships with
key allied professionals and families by asking
for the opportunity to educate. This session will
explore this phenomenon of how we promote our
business and ourselves through relationships.
Watkins is vice president, operations &
compliance, The Signature Group. He has been
involved in various capacities in both public
and private funeral and cemetery organizations
during his over 32 years in the industry. Prior to
joining Signature, he served as the senior vice
president of operations for the National Funeral
Directors Association.
January 2017
107
2017 AnnuAl ConvEnTion & ExPo REgisTRATion FoRm

April 58 Music city center nAshville, tennessee
www.iCCFAConvEnTion.Com
Full Name
Nickname for Badge
Spouse/Guest
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Address
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Is this your first time attending the ICCFA Annual Convention & Expo? Yes
Are you a graduate of ICCFA University? Yes
Indicate if you are a:
Are you a:
CCE
Owner
CCrE
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No
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CFuE
CCFE
CSE
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CCCE
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Check if you are a member of:
JFDA
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What level of authority do you hold for making purchasing decisions? Make
recommendations
Final Authority
None
If you have a disability that requres special accommodation, please check this box and attach a statement of your needs.
RegistRation and Payment

RegistRation Rates
Check
By 03.06.17
After 03.06.17
Amount Due
Full registration:
ICCFA Member
$525
$565
Full registration:
Non-Member
$675
$705
First-time Attendee
$399
$399
Spouse/Guest **
$225
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$625
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Supplier
$825
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Ticketed Events
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Educational Foundation Reception
$50 each
State Association Luncheon
$60 each
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$125 each
Total Due
* 3-digit number on back of card or 4-digit number on front of AmEx card

Registration and optional Events Cancellation Policy: Cancellations
must be received in writing via fax, email to kgray@iccfa.com or mail to
ICCFA no later than March 6, 2017 to receive a refund. Full registrations
are subject to a $100 cancellation fee per registration. Optional events are
subject to a $10 cancellation fee per ticket. No-shows will not receive a
refund. No refunds will be given after March 6, 2017.
* A Closing Dinner ticket is included in each full registration you purchase, including Spouse/Guest
** A Spouse/Guest must be someone who does NOT work in the industry
Pay the non-member rate and receive a complimentary year of ICCFA membership (a $245 value).
Please return this form with payment to: ICCFA 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100 Sterling, VA 20164 Fax 703.391.8416
108
ICCFA Magazine
I C C FA N E W S
Two-day cremation training with ICCFA & CANA
ising cremation rates demand more Certified Cremation Arrangers and Operators. To meet this need, ICCFA is offering several
two-day cremation certification programs across the United States in 2017. Starting in Orlando, Florida, on January 17-18, the
ICCFA will hold a joint program with the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) at the Baldwin Fairchild Funeral
Home.
The ICCFA Cremation Arranger Certification Program is taught by death
care professionals and is designed to arm you with new tools to create a better
arrangement for each family you serve. You will learn the history of cremation,
pertinent laws and regulations, how to identify your customer base and much
more. This program will teach you how to stress the value of services and offer
attractive options to boost revenue and, most importantly, increase customer satisfaction. CACP takes place on Tuesday, January 17, 8 a.m - 4 p.m.
Taught by industry experts, the CANA Crematory Operations Certification Program is designed to ensure you have the most current training for crematory operations. Combining classroom and online components, you
will receive extensive knowledge on technical, scientific and legal proactive prevention for
any future business problems. This training provides death-care professionals of all backgrounds and levels of experience a thorough knowledge of the practices and procedures
that will help reduce the risk of litigation. COCP takes place on Wednesday, January 18, 8
a.m. - 4 p.m.
If you are not able to make Januarys training, there are others dates you may attend:
February 28 - March 1, 2017 - Jeffersonville, Indiana
May 24 -25, 2017 - Broadview, Illinois
June 7 - 8, 2017 - Decatur, Georgia
July 11 - 12, 2017 - Dallas, Texas
July 18 - 19, 2017 - Cincinnati, Ohio
r
For more information on training, registration and dates, please visit www.iccfa.com/cremation.
ICCFA offering celebrant training in Nashville, TN
hen a family comes into your funeral home looking for a non-traditional funeral service, are you able to meet their needs?
With a record number of people not affiliating with a particular religion or church, being able to offer alternative services
will help you stand above your competition. Certified Celebrants are able to design services that are completely personal,
incorporating the unique stories and experiences that define a life.
Come learn from the professionals of the In-Sight Institute on April
3-5, 2017, in Nashville, Tennessee (just prior to the ICCFA Annual
Convention in Nashville), in this intense and participant-oriented training where you will have the chance to practice, discover resources and
build your skills in working with families and making public presentations.
For more information on training, hotel registration and the In-Sight Institute, please visit www.iccfa.com/celebrants.
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Get your 2017 music licensing before January 31
eed a 2017 music license or license renewal for your business? The ICCFA has you covered! Get yours now before January
31, 2017, to get the discount rate of $265 per property; its $278 per property after that date. We offer licensing with ASCAP,
BMI and SESAC. Music licensing is required for all copyrighted music and failure to obtain it can result in damages similar
to fines of up to $30,000 for each song infringement.
The ICCFA also offers 2017 webcasting licensing that allows for broadcasting of services via the internet throughout the world.
This may be purchased for $48 per property, but you must have a music license before purchasing a webcasting license.
For more information on how to purchase your licenses, please visit www.iccfa.com/music.
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January 2017
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I C C FA N E W S
Last call to attend the 2017 Wide World of Sales
ne of the biggest events of the new year is the 2017

Wide World of Sales conference in Phoenix, Arizona,
on January 11-13, 2017, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix.
Start your year off right with the sales event designed by deathcare professionals for death-care professionals! WWS will feature
three keynote topics that are driving the
profession today:
Technology: Do you know how to use
digital marketing to your advantage and
spin circles around your competition?
Learn from the experts Rich Kizer and
Georganne Bender as they present their
strategies to achieve this advantage.
Cremation: It is on the rise and it is
vital you prepare for this change and the
opportunity it brings. With his interactive presentation, Michael
Saletta teaches you about embracing change.
People: Instead of comparing yourself to others, try challenging yourself to reach your own potential. That is the theme for
Dave Browns presentation as he shows you how to engage in
healthy competition.
After the keynotes, industry professionals will take the stage to
bring the topics even closer to home. Afterward, a series of break-
out sessions will go more in-depth on the three topics.

With his mix of humor, personal experience and straight talk,
sales icon Gary OSullivan, CCFE, returns with his popular Fireside Chat, where he motivates you to be the best in the profession.
Alongside the great education at WWS, we have also worked
in some time for fun. Join us for optional
entertainment events, including our first
ever WWS Golf Tournament at the beautiful Camelback Golf Club on January 11.
The cost to participate is $150. Another
outing is our bowling night at the Lucky
Strike Bowling Alley on January 12,
which costs $55 to participate in. And if
sports arent up your alley, a DJ/karaoke
night will be a part of the Welcome Reception on Wednesday.
By the time you leave Phoenix, you will have new insights
into the current market and more ways of connecting with the
families you serve. Whether you are a manager or counselor, the
2017 Wide World of Sales conference is an event you wont want
to miss.
For more information on the full program, registration and
hotel booking, please visit www.wideworldofsales.com.
r
Thank you to our 2017 sponsors
Assurant Solutions Batesville Casket Co. Biondan North America Inc.

Blackstone Cemetery Development Buchanan Group Services LLC. Coldspring
Cypress Lawn Davey Tree Disrupt Media Envision Strategic Partners
Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks and Mortuaries Funeral Directors Life Insurance Co.
FSI Trust Solutions Gibraltar Remembrance Services LLC Global Atlantic
Financial Group Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary Homesteaders Life Co.
Inglewood Park Cemetery Johnson Consulting Group Matthews International
Corp. Memorial Business Systems Inc. Merendino Cemetery Care NGL
Insurance Group Nomis Publications NorthStar Memorial Group LLC Paradise
Pictures PlotBox Service Corporation International StoneMor Partners LP
The Signature Group Trigard WebCemeteries.com
110
ICCFA Magazine
I C C FA N E W S
Where ancient ruins and modern ideas converge
he nearly 500-year-old city of Antigua, Guatemala, a UNESCO World

Heritage Site, was the backdrop for the II Multicultural Symposium of
the Cemetery and Funeral Industry on November 9-12, 2016. Organized
by the Latin American Association of Cemeteries and Funeral Services (ALPAR)
with the support of the ICCFA, the symposium brought death-care professionals
from 21 countries together for three days of training, networking, and technical
visits, all while enjoying the colonial charm of Antigua and the hospitality of
ALPAR, The World Organization of Funeral Operatives (FIAT-IFTA) and sponsors Seoriales Corporacin de Servicio and Los Flores Cementerio.
Embracing the I in ICCFA, more than 20 ICCFA members came to share
and learn from their international colleagues, taking the opportunity to grow
professionally and expand their global perspective. Proudly representing the
ICCFA were speakers Gary OSullivan, CCFE, Cole and Victor Imperi, Mike
Watkins, Poul Lemasters, Esq., and Coleen Ellis, CPLP. Their sessions spanned
the topics of sales, marketing and branding, creating value for your families,
cremation litigation and pet loss. With the help of excellent interpreters, everyone was able to walk away from the training with new ideas to implement and
new revenue streams to explore.
But dont think the learning stopped at the conference room door. The
opening dinner dance brought everyone together, including a few local legends like La Llorona, the mother who drowned her children and was eternally
condemned to wander in search of them, and El Sombrern, the little dark
man with the big hat and bewitching serenades. Not to be outdone, the closing
dinner was held at the captivating ruins of the Convent of Santa Clara, built in
1703 but destroyed by the Santa Marta earthquakes of 1773 which left most of
the city in rubble. (Located between three volcanoes, Antigua sees a great deal
of earthquake activity.)
The cemetery and funeral home technical visits took place on the last day,
with tours of the beautiful gardens, chapels, art gallery and museum of Los
Parques and the perpetual gardens, funeral chapel and six mortuary rooms of
Las Flores, both in Guatemala City.
r
See you in Argentina in 2017!
Teresa Saavedra, Mike Watkins,

and Mike Uselton, CCFE.
Jose Junior Flores, Nadira Baddeliyanage, ICCFA President-elect Scott Sells,

CCFE, and Carlos Roberto Belloso, member of the ICCFA Board of Directors.
ICCFA President Mike Uselton, CCFE; ICCFA

Director of Operations Nadira Baddeliyanage
and Past President Fred Lappin, CCE.
Andrs Aguilar, member of the ICCFA Board

of Directors; and Gary OSullivan, CCFE,
dean of ICCFA Universitys J. Asher Neal College of Sales and Marketing.
Poul Lemasters, Esq., ICCFAs director of cremation programs; ALPAR President Teresa
Saavedra; and Victor Imperi and Cole Imperi.
Front: Coleen Ellis, CPLP; Chris Rose; ICCFA

Education & Programs Manager Kirsten Kase;
Ravi and Nadira Baddeliyanage; Scott Sells,
CCFE. Back: Shelby VanBree Kaylor; Poul
Lemasters, Esq.; Hector Gonzales and Mike
Uselton, CCFE.
January 2017
111
I C C FA N E W S
The Stage is Set

Annual Meeting of Members
Thursday, April 6 8 to 9:30 a.m. Nashville, Tennessee
All ICCFA members are encouraged to attend the associations
Annual Meeting of Members. Vote for members to represent
you on the Board of Directors, listen to officer reports on the
state of the ICCFA and fully engage in the running of your
association.
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112
ICCFA Magazine
Classifieds
New Members
Providing exceptional education, networking and legislative guidance and support

to progressive cemetery, funeral and cremation professionals worldwide
For information about the ICCFA and Membership:

Go to www.iccfa.com/membership to download an application form.
Call 1.800.645.7700 to have membership information faxed or mailed to you.
Check the classified announcements at www.iccfa.com/employment.htm

To place a classified, contact Rick Platter, rplatter@iccfa.com
Membershipembershipembershipembershipembershipembershipembershipembershipembership applicationsapplicationsapplicationsapplicationsapplicationsapplicationsapplicationsapplicationsapplicationsapplicationsapplicationsapplications
Admission to ICCFA membership normally requires a majority vote of those

present and voting at any meeting of the executive committee. The names
of all applicants must be published in this magazine. ICCFA members
objecting to an application must do so in writing to the ICCFA executive
director within 45 days of publication. In the event of an objection, the
executive committee will conduct an inquiry. If an applicant is rejected, they
will be granted an appeal upon written request. The decision of the Board of
Directors shall be final.
Regular
Better Place Forests

San Francisco, California
City of Beloit East Lawn
Cemetery
Beloit, Wisconsin
CMS
Pleasanton, California
Meadowbrook Memory
Gardens & Jones-Wynn
Funeral Home
Villa Rica, Georgia
Odd Fellows Cemetery Co. of
Philadelphia
Rockledge, Pennsylvania
Ontario Cemetery Association
DBA Bellevue Memorial Park
Ontario, California
Park Lawn Cemetery
Bell Gardens, California
Professional Cemetery Services
Dundee, Illinois
Roman Catholic
Cemeteries Archiocese of
Vancouver Garden
Surrey, British Columbia
Cremation Center of Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Partridge Enterprises Inc.

Clarklake, Michigan
Ashley Valley Funeral Home
Vernal, Utah
Brian G MarkFuneral,
Cremation & Pre-Planning
Beloit, Wisconsin
Equipment and Supplies
for
Also TS
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Aquamation = Water Cremation

Zero pollution.. Easier to get planning permit
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f ir e
on
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Professional/Supplier
Cherokee Specialty Caskets

Company Inc.
Griffin, Georgia
Gateway Pet Memorial
Guelph, Ontario
Funeral Solutions Group
Kingston, Ontario
Funeraltech Formerly Twin
Tiers Technology
Kingston, Ontario
Gold Cross Plans
Westerville, Ohio
Modern Memorials
Bethesda, Maryland
Mt. Hope Grief Services
Maryville, Tennessee
Mylestoned Inc.
Boston, Massachusetts
Resomation LTD
Leeds, United Kingdom
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January 2017
113
ad index
85 Abbott & Hast
63 American Casket Cover Corp.
71 American Cemetery/Mortuary
Consultants
79 American Funeral & Cemetery
Trust Services
65 ASDAnswering Service for
Directors
11 Astral Industries
87 Axis Corp.
116 Biondan North America Inc.
37 Blackstone Cemetery Development
3 CemSites
15 Coldspring
69 Columbarium by Design LLC
61 Continental Computer Corp.
69 Cooperative Funeral Fund
71 Duncan Stuart Todd Ltd.
2 Eagle Granite Co.
21 Eagles Wings Air
7 Eickhof Columbaria Inc.
75 Ensure-A-Seal
4 Federal Coach Co.
65 Flowers for Cemeteries
85 Funeral Call Answering Service
49 Global Atlantic Financial Group
Calendar
51 Great Western Insurance Co.

77 Heritage Flower Co.
101 Holland Supply
99 Holy Land Stone
90 IMSA
97 Inman Shipping Worldwide
77 Kryprotek
19 Legacy Touch
43 Life Cycle Urns Pty. Ltd.
33 Love Urns LLC
71 Madelyn Co.
9 Matthews Environmental Solutions
25 Matthews Memorialization
75 McCleskey Mausoleums
21 Memoriams by Ancestry
23 Merendino Cemetery Care
55 Miles Supply Inc.
57 MKJ Marketing
69 National Mortuary Shipping
31 Nomis Publications
65 North Orange County Community
College District
65 Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell &
Hippel
89 Paradise Pictures
39 Passages International
2017
January 11-14: ICCFA Wide World of
Sales, Hyatt Regency, Phoenix, Arizona.
www.iccfa.com
January 14: New Hampshire Funeral
Directors Assn. 117th Annual Mtg., Church
Landing, Meredith. www.nhfda.org
January 15-17: Alabama Funeral Directors Assn. Mid-Winter Trade Show,
Birmingham. www.alabamafda.org
January 17-18: ICCFA & CANA Cremation Arranger Certification & Cremation
Operations Certification, Baldwin Funeral
Home, Orlando, Florida
www.cremationassociation.org
February 1-3: Cemetery & Mortuary Assn.
of California Annual Conf., Monterey Plaza
Hotel & Spa. www.cmaccalifornia.org
February 2-3: Alliance of Illinois Cemeterians Annual Convention, President
Abraham Lincoln Hotel, Springfield.
www.aicemeterians.org
February 7-13: Ohio Funeral Directors
ICCFA Magazine
E-mail calendar listings and additions or corrections to bclough@iccfa.com and sloving@iccfa.com.
For continually updated meeting listings and direct links to websites

for professional associations, go to www.iccfa.com; select Directory,
then Industry Association Directory.
114
5 Perfect Memorials
45 Pontem Software
83 RBC Wealth Management
55 Ring Ring Marketing
85 SEP Technologies
59 Sich Caskets
105 Southern Cemetery, Cremation &
Funeral Association
13 SRS Computing
53 Star Granite & Bronze
73 Supply Link
41 The Foresight Companies LLC
97 THE SYSTEM
99 The Tribute Companies
41 Timberland Urns
47 Trigard
27 Triple H Co.
89 Triple H Co.
17 Trust 100
67 U.S. Metalcraft
73 Vantage Products Corp.
43 VKM International
29 Wilbert Funeral Services
73 WithumSmith + Brown
115 Worsham College
101 Zontec Ozone
To see all industry conventions and meetings for a particular month,

go to www.iccfa.com; select Directory, then Event Calendar.
Go to www.iccfa.com and choose Find

a Member/Industry Calendar to see a
monthly calendar of industry association meetings worldwide.
Assn. Annual Educational Conf., Panama
City, Panama. www.ofdaonline.org
February 10-12: Monument Builders of
North America Industry Show, Indianapolis,
Indiana. www.monumentbuilders.org
February 18: Ohio Cemetery Assn. Annual
Awards Banquet, Holiday Inn, Worthington.
www.ohiocemeteryassociation.com
February 23-25: California Assn. of Public

Cemeteries 59th Annual Conf., Oxnard.
www.capc.info
February 27-March 1: MKJ Ski Seminar,
Waldodrf Astoria, Park City, Utah. www.
mkjmarketing.com; 1.888.655.1566
February 28-March: ICCFA Cremation
Arranger Certification & Cremation Operations Certification, Mid-America College of
Funeral Service, Jefferson, Indiana.
www.iccfa.com
March 1-2: International Conf. of Funeral
Service Examining Boards 113th Annual
Mtg., Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort.
www.theconferenceonline.org
March 9-11: Casket & Funeral Supply
Assn. of America Winter Seminar, Hotel del
Coronado, San Diego, California.
www.cfsaa.org
March 29: Florida Cemetery, Cremation &
Funeral Assn Maintenance Expo, Kissimmee. www.thefccfa.com
r
January 2017
ICCFA Magazine
MAGAZINE
CEMETERY
CREMATION
FUNERAL
How Hillier Cremation

Chapel creates an
experience for families
Lemasters: 3 times to
call an attorney (and 3
times you dont have to)
Stansbury: Why denial
of grief doesnt work
OSullivan & Shipper on
growth through preneed
Building your winning
preneed trust team
The arrival of the
remembrance revolution
Report from Memphis
Isard on getting your
combo to generate sales
Van Beck on avoiding
avoidable problems
OSHAs new silica regs
Central New York

Learn more, call us at +1(877)290-6703
For Cremation Solutions designed

to fit your needs and budget.
BiondanBronze.com
January 2017
Biondan Glass Fronted Niches in
Biondan North America Inc., 2017.

772220 Midland Ave. Toronto, ON
Inside: Program for the ICCFA Annual Convention & Expo

Nashville, Tennessee,
April 5-8, 2017
speakers on every aspect

of the funeral, cemetery
& cremation profession
11 uninterrupted Expo hours
Resolve to make 2017

great for sales: Sign up
for Wide World of Sales
January 11-13
Apply for a scholarship
to attend ICCFAU 2017
www.iccfa.com

ICCFA Magazine January 2017

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How Hillier Cremation

Central New York

For Cremation Solutions designed

Biondan Glass Fronted Niches in

Biondan North America Inc., 2017.

Inside: Program for the ICCFA Annual Convention & Expo

speakers on every aspect

Resolve to make 2017

No one has our apples.

MAPPING | AR FINANCE & TRUSTING | SALES MANAGEMENT | ECOMMERCE

THE EASIER WAY TO

SHOP FOR MEMORIALS

ICCFA 2017 Annual

The value of membership

3 times to call an attorney (and 3 times you dont have to)

28 preneed sales success

Creating growth with preneed sales: Change & comfort are

Michael Uselton, CCFE, president

Scott R. Sells, CCFE, president-elect

Katherine Devins, communications & member services manager

Robert M. Fells, Esq., executive director &

Rick Platter, supplier relations manager

Brenda Clough, office administrator

Susan Loving, managing editor

Daniel Osorio, subscription coordinator

Cremation and Funeral Association. Subscription

Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff

THE EICKHOF OSSUARIUM

EXAMPLE SATIN URN FOR DEPOSITING IN OSSUARY

info@eickhofcolumbaria.com | Tel: 800.253.0457

www.eickhofcolumbaria.com Made in Minnesota

2016 Eickhof Columbaria Inc.

ICCFA & CANA

109 ICCFA offering celebrant training

109 Get your 2017 music licensing

Check us out on Facebook!

inexorable rise in cremation and its impact on revenues: Increase

Building a winning team for handling your preneed trust

How Hillier Cremation Chapel helps families say goodbye

The keys to service: Avoidable problems

Cemetery Impossible: Why isnt my combo generating advance

What OSHAs new regulations for silica mean for cemeteries

Report from Memphis: Learning & networking at ICCFA

The remembrance revolution has arrived Technology will likely

You know what it will take a high-tech

go to www.iccfa.com for program, registration & scholarship info

2017 Wide World of Sales

January 11-13, Hyatt Regency,

January 17-18, ICCFA arranger training

April 5-8, Renaissance Nashville &

2017 Cremation Certification

May 24-25, CANA operator training May 24,

July 20-26 Fogelman Conference Center,

Cemeteries Crematories Funeral homes Suppliers Pet loss professionals

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