FEMA COVID Funeral Assistance Reaches $1 Billion Milestone
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) just announced it has distributed more than $1 billion in funeral expense reimbursements to families who have lost loved ones to COVID-19....
10 Ways Sextons and Senators Have Historically Defended Corpses and Their Rights
Wouldn’t it be nice if “final disposition” was always, well, “final?” Unfortunately, ensuring that corpses actually end up — and stay, intact or otherwise — where they are...
Last Things: Detailing All the Ways to Die in Maine — With or Without a Funeral Director
Chuck Lakin didn’t set out to become one of Maine’s premier authorities on home funerals. A reference librarian by trade, Lakin hadn’t given much thought to embalming, funerals,...
Failing Grades in 33 States: Is Your State Board Actually Helping You to Educate Customers?
In our 2021 Deathcare Survey, nearly 25% of respondents cited “educating families and the public at large” as one of the top professional challenges of 2020. In fact,...
Portraying Death in Advertising: Is It Really Still Taboo?
The Netflix premiere earlier this year of the reality show “Buried with the Bernards” sparked some interesting conversations among deathcare professionals. One of the (many) points of contention...
Different Ways Deathcare Honored Fallen Heroes on Memorial Day 2021
Another Memorial Day has come and gone. The holiday and its resulting long weekend have become the unofficial opening day of summer. For veterans and those who respect...
Is Solace Human-Centered Cremation the Definition of Disruption In Deathcare?
It was just two years ago that Connecting Directors introduced our readers to Solace Cremation. At the time, the startup seemed like yet another technological novelty in the...
8 New Ways to Open Up Your Funeral Home to Your Community
Think your funeral home, chapel, or reception areas are just venues for funerals? Think again! Offering your space to your community for non-death-related events or purposes isn’t just...
Bad News Is Traveling Too Fast: The Problem With Social Media, FindAGrave, and Instant Notifications
From his social media posts, you’d think one of my Facebook friends was a coroner, funeral director, or clairvoyant. I say this because rarely does a week go...
Death Tech Startup Parting Stone Rocked Its First Year
A $1.3 million seed-plus capital infusion capped off an incredible first year for Parting Stone, a revolutionary death tech company that offers a complete alternative to human and...