May 2014
Content
May 2014
MAGAZINE
CEMETERY
CREMATION
FUNERAL
Batesville AD
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page 2 (C2)
4-COLOR
Messenger AD
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page 3
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M AY 2 0 1 4 Ta b l e o f c o n t e n t s
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
10 KIP: Most Personalized Service or memorial
Family and funeral home plan life celebration for man whose lifelong
passion was aircraft El Camino Memorial—Sorrento Valley Chapel
11 The KIP Awards
Clockwise from upper left: Cook Funeral
and Cremation Services’ Service of
Remembrance (page 18); French Funerals & Cremations’ Lobo Pavilion in its
award-winning Centennial Urn Garden
(page 14); the memorial for the Whistler
sled dogs, which Until We Meet Again
Pet Memorial Center provided (page 22);
and the service at El Camino Memorial’s
Sorrento Valley Chapel for an aircraft
aficionado (page 10).
8 Washington report
New House bill to expand the FTC
Funeral Rule to all sellers; US
Court of Appeals denies rehearing
petition in Pennsylvania litigation;
Obama administraton to propose
limiting number of workers exempt
from overtime pay
by Robert M. Fells, Esq.
44 Update
48 Centennial Park refreshes
& opens up facade
50 Supply Line
52 Calendar
52 Classifieds
52 Ad Index
54 New Members
n To apply for ICCFA membership:
➤ Download an application at
www.iccfa.com, or
➤ Call 1.800.645.7700
f
4
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12 Arranging for a hospitalized widow to see her husband one last
time Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home
14 KIP: Best Practice
Cremation garden adds unique place for University of New Mexico
fans French Funerals & Cremations/Sunset Memorial Park
16 Grieving parents offered help with service, products when a child
dies Cook Funeral and Cremation Services
18 KIP: Events
Cook’s remembrance service: Lights, names, songs, fellowship
Cook Funeral and Cremation Services
20 Chapel of the Roses gave community a way to reach out after
tragedy Chapel of the Roses
22 KIP: Most Personalized Pet Service/Memorial
Pet memorial center helps SPCA provide sled dogs with dignified
memorialization Until We Meet Again Pet Memorial Center
26 KIP: INnovative personalized product
App allows cemetery visitors to easily find graves, access online
memorials webcemeteries.com
30 Covering survivors with memories Project Repat
32 Paw Pods’ caskets, urns designed to take pets ‘back to the earth’
Paw Pods
www.iccfa.com
Directories
www.iccfa.com/directories
• Web Expo directory of suppliers and
professionals
• Association directory
• Industry event calendar
Cremation Central
www.iccfa.com/cremation
ICCFA Café
• Links to news and feature stories
from all over the world
• Blogs by ICCFA members
Model guidelines
ICCFA Government and Legal Affairs
Committee’s model guidelines for
state laws and regulations
“Like” the ICCFA on Facebook & friend “ICCFA Staff ”
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ICCFA news
35 ICCFA University, July 18-23:
Educating today’s practitioners,
developing tomorrow’s leaders
35 Next Gen Schmooze
& Blues
36 College of 21st Century
Services Includes celebrant
training by Doug Manning and
Glenda Stansbury
TA B LE O F CONTENTS
ICCFA calendar
2014 ICCFA University
July 18-23 Fogelman Conference
Center, Memphis, Tennessee
Chancellor: Ernie Heffner, CFuE
2014 PLPA University
August 23-27 Hyatt French Quarter,
New Orleans, Louisiana
2014 Fall Management
Conference
September 17-19 Ritz Carlton
Amelia Island, Amelia Island, Florida
37 College of Cremation
Services Become certified as a
crematory operator, administrator
and arranger
• Cemeteries • Crematories • Funeral homes
• Suppliers • Pet loss professionals
38 College of Embalming,
Restorative Art & Other Care
First session of this new college
38 College of Funeral Home
Management
Dean Todd W. Van Beck, CFuE
40 College of Land Manage-
ment & Grounds Operations
Classroom supplemented by cemetery tour
41 College of Leadership,
Submit your news to ICCFA Magazine
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 world—send it in to ICCFA Magazine!
It’s a simple way to receive some well-deserved publicity for you and your staff and to
share ideas with peers. Here’s how to get your news in
ICCFA Magazine:
n Write it down. It doesn’t have to be written perfectly (that’s why we have editors)—
it just needs to include the facts. Remember the basics:
Administration &
Management For cemetery,
cremation and funeral leaders
Who What Where When & How (& sometimes Why).
n Send it in:
41 J. Asher Neel College
➤ Email your Word document as an attachment to [email protected], or write your
release in the body of your email. Please include your full name and title and the
company’s name and location in the body of your email.
42 One-day Crematory
➤ Photos—high-resolution jpgs—can be emailed. Remember you must adjust digital
camera settings to take high-resolution images before taking the photos! Check the
owner’s manual for instructions. (If you’re scanning in glossies, they must be scanned
in at a minimum of 300 dpi at the size they are to be printed.)
of Sales & Marketing
Dean Gary O’Sullivan, CCE
Operator Certification
Program Saturday, July 19
42 ICCFA 2015 Wide World
Questions? Need some guidance? Email ICCFA Magazine
Managing Editor Susan Loving at [email protected].
of Sales Conference:
Call for presentations
May 2014
VOLUME 74/NUMBER 4
ICCFA officers
Fred Lappin, CCE, president
Darin B. Drabing, president-elect
Christine Toson Hentges, CCE,
vice president
Scott R. Sells, CCFE, vice president
Michael Uselton, CCFE, vice president
Jay Brammer, treasurer
Gary M. Freytag, CCFE, secretary
Robert M. Fells, Esq., executive director &
general counsel
Magazine staff
Susan Loving, managing editor
[email protected]; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1222
Rick Platter, supplier relations manager
[email protected]; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1213
6
ICCFA Magazine
Robert Treadway director of
communications & member services
[email protected]; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1224
Robert M. Fells, Esq., executive director &
publisher
[email protected] ; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1212
Brenda Clough, office administrator
& association liaison
[email protected]; 1.800.645.7700,
ext. 1214
Daniel Osorio, subscription coordinator
(habla español)
1.800.645.7700, ext. 1215; [email protected]
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
2014 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®.
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Cremation w/Confidence AD
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Washington Report
by ICCFA General Counsel
Robert M. Fells, Esq.
[email protected]
1.800.645.7700, ext. 1212
direct line: 703.391.8401
➤Fells is ICCFA executive 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 resources
➤Wireless. ICCFA members, send us
your email address and we’ll send you
our bi-weekly electronic newsletter full of
breaking news.
www.iccfa.com
Model guidelines
ICCFA Government and Legal Affairs
Committee’s model guidelines for state
laws and regulations
Washington Report
Recent columns are available online
New House bill to expand the
FTC Funeral Rule to all sellers
O
n March 12, Rep. Ed Whitfield (RKY) introduced H.R. 4213 to expand
the FTC Funeral Rule to all sellers
of funeral-related goods or services. The bill,
named “The FTC Improvement Act of 2014,”
has been referred to the House Energy and
Commerce Committee for consideration.
The ICCFA has issued the following
statement concerning the Whitfield bill:
“H.R. 4213 would expand the Funeral
Rule in the absence of any evidence that
sellers other than funeral homes have failed
to provide written price information to
consumers in a timely manner.
“The Funeral Rule was originally enacted
in 1982, but only after findings of substantial
evidence by the Federal Trade Commission
that funeral homes were not furnishing
consumers with written price information,
among other things.
“Thus, H.R. 4213 would arbitrarily
expand the Funeral Rule to thousands of
small businesses without the benefit of due
process afforded to funeral homes.
“In a report dated March 14, 2008, the
‘There is insufficient evidence
that commercial cemeteries,
crematories and third-party sellers
of funeral goods are engaged in
widespread unfair or deceptive
acts or practices’ that are governed
under the existing Funeral Rule.
—Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission stated: ‘There
is insufficient evidence that commercial
cemeteries, crematories and third-party sellers
of funeral goods are engaged in widespread
unfair or deceptive acts or practices’ that are
governed under the existing Funeral Rule
(citation at 73 FR 13740). As far as can be
determined, this finding is equally true for
the provisions of H.R. 4213. To date, there
has been no evidence to change the FTC’s
findings.”
The full text of the ICCFA speaking points
regarding H.R. 4213 may be viewed at www.
iccfa.com/files/HR4213SpeakingPoints.pdf.r
US Court of Appeals denies re-hearing
petition in Pennsylvania litigation
I
n March, the U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals for the Third Circuit denied a
re-hearing petition by plaintiffs in Heffner
v. Murphy.
This means that the appellate court’s
decision overturning 10 of 11 counts in
the lower district court ruling against
the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Law
remains intact. The lower court had
found that 11 counts in the state law were
unconstitutional, but the appellate court
reversed the lower court on 10 of 11
counts.
The denial of a re-hearing means that
the appellate court’s reversal is upheld. We
understand that plaintiffs have the option
of filing a petition for review with the U.S.
Supreme Court.
r
Obama administration to propose limiting
number of workers exempt from overtime pay
T
he Obama Administration has
announced that it plans to propose
changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act of
1938 that determines worker eligibility and
exemption for receiving overtime (OT) pay.
The proposals have not been published
to date but have been summarized. Among
other things, the new rules would raise the
salary limits that exempt some workers
from OT pay. In other words, workers
currently exempt from OT pay could be
8
ICCFA Magazine
eligible if the salary threshold were higher.
Approval by Congress will apparently be
circumvented should the President decide
to implement the new OT rules through an
executive order.
Businesses would be economically
impacted if workers currently not eligible
to receive OT pay are required to be paid
for working in excess of 40 hours per
week. Developments will be reported to
ICCFA members.
r
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May 2014
9
KIP AWARDS : P E RS O N A L IZ E D S E RV IC E O R M E M O R I AL
Creating a soaring celebration of life
to help a family say goodbye in style.
➤First Place &
Grand Prize Winner:
El Camino Memorial—
Sorrento Valley Chapel,
San Diego, California
what the judges said
n An excellent effort to fully
personalize a difficult day in a
way that brought comfort and
smiles.
n Wonderful tribute.
Megan
Crouch,
funeral
director at
El Camino
Memorial.
Julie
Mauricio,
the
memorial
specialist
who helped
with the
set-up and
worked
the funeral
service.
10
ICCFA Magazine
The chapel set up for a service for Benedict Borja Marfori, whose passion had been airplanes.
Family & funeral home plan life celebration
for man whose lifelong passion was aircraft
B
enedict Borja Marfori, an engineer in
San Diego, California, was diagnosed
with cancer and was told he had less than
6 months to live. His passion had always been
aircraft, and he decided to take up the hobby of
building model airplanes. Three years after his
diagnosis, until his death in April 2013, he had
built more than 500 model airplanes.
As his wife and I spoke, she made it clear she
wanted the memorial to be a special event his
family and friends could attend, coming away with
a joyous memory after having celebrated his life in a
unique manner. We brainstormed different ideas that
neither of us had ever seen in a service—she wanted
his service to be over-the-top.
The casket was set in front of a 20-foot backdrop
of a custom-painted airplane. We placed information
and several of his model airplanes and played
a memorial DVD that showed pictures of the
deceased with every plane he had built and also
military bases he had visited. During the visitation
and service, we played the song “Danger Zone”
from the movie “Top Gun.”
Family and friends shared memories and photos
of his life, celebrating the times they had shared
with a very dear friend. There was food, music and
a lot of laughter during the visitation and funeral.
Our cemetery is located next to a military base.
We frequently have to pause services due to the
jets flying over. During this service, though it was
a coincidence, the family believed the fly-over was
just for their loved one.
In our business, we try to make the most
devastating circumstances easier for the family to
bear by providing them with a personal, special and
unique service so that family and friends can cherish
the memories of their loved one.
We have one chance to provide a service
that means something special to the families we
serve. In our business, we strive to be helpful,
knowledgeable, compassionate and show our
families their options and make their loved one’s
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The KIP Awards
T
he ICCFA’s Keeping It Personal contest
drew 49 entries from the United States,
Canada, Chile, Malaysia and Australia in
2013. The KIP Awards recognize personal
ization in funeral, cemetery and cremation
products and services.
This year’s judges gave the highest marks
to a service by El Camino Memorial-Sorrento
Valley Chapel in San Diego, California,
described here. As grand prize winner, the
company received a free registration to the
2014 convention in Las Vegas, Nevada,
at which all KIP Award honorees were
recognized.
The contest was started in 2001 by the
ICCFA’s Personalization Subcommittee
to encourage the sharing of ideas for
personalizing services and products to better
serve families. A pet category was added in
2011.
Some of the hundreds of models Benedict Borja Marfori built after receiving a
cancer diagnosis were displayed at his funeral service.
service memorable.
For the Marfori family, the service
commemorating the death of their loved
one was not a sad event, but a joyous
celebration of life that depicted the person
they loved so much.—Megan Crouch
r
2014 contest
Entries for the 2014 contest will be due in
December. Forms are available for download
at www.iccfa.com/kip, under “recognition/
KIP Awards.” You may also download
information about all past winners.
r
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May 2014
11
KIP AWARDS : P E RS O N A L IZ E D S E RV IC E O R M E M O R I AL
How can you say a final goodbye
to a departed loved one when you’re in the hospital?
Jefferson
Memorial Funeral
Home General
Manager Lacyn
J. Barton presents an award
of recognition to
funeral director
Jason Catalfu
for his exceptional service in
helping a widow
who was in the
hospital say a
final farewell to
her deceased
husband.
➤Honorable Mention:
Jefferson Memorial
Funeral Home,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
what the judges said
n Lovely handling and special
attention.
n Doing the extraordinary
given the circumstances. This
was a moving example of how
you in this industry make a
difference in our lives. I would
travel miles to patronize this
business.
Arranging for a hospitalized widow
to see her husband one last time
I
t couldn’t have been a worse week for
the Clayton family. Their father had died
unexpectedly while working in his garden. The
very next day, their mother—physically, mentally
and emotionally drained from grief and a full day of
making funeral arrangements—fell on her way to
bed and broke her hip.
With their father at the funeral home and their
mother in an ambulance on the way to the hospital,
the family was completely overwhelmed. They
learned that their mother’s emergency surgery
was scheduled for the same day as their father’s
viewings. The thought of burying him without their
mother getting the chance to say her final goodbyes
to her loving husband of 59 years caused everyone
intense emotional pain.
In an incredible act of orchestrated personal care,
the funeral home and the hospital devised a plan.
While the doctors greased some wheels to gain
hospital approval for a very unconventional request,
Jason Catalfu, one of the funeral directors, worked
diligently to customize a casket that would pay
special tribute to the deceased’s service in the Coast
Guard during WWII.
The efforts of the funeral home and hospital staff
paid off when permission was granted to allow the
hearse one last stop on the way to the cemetery.
The hospital reserved 20 parking spaces for the
procession and Catalfu created a “makeshift funeral
parlor” on hospital property. Maneuvering a casket
12
ICCFA Magazine
through the halls of a medical center isn’t standard
operating procedure for any funeral home, but
unique circumstances call for unique measures.
A nurse brought the widow down in a wheelchair
and when the elevator doors opened, her family was
there to greet her. Catalfu reopened the militaryinspired casket for an encore viewing so that Mrs.
Clayton could say her goodbyes. After sharing
some memories, tears, laughter and much needed
fellowship with close friends and family, she was
escorted back to her hospital suite while the family
continued on with their father to the cemetery.
After the funeral, a Clayton cousin said it best in
an article entitled “Goodbye”:
“Through an incredible act of care and compas
sion ... (the widow) got that all-important closure
that would have been denied her had the funeral
home and hospital stuck to rigid formalities and
policies. This generous act of humanity and
cooperation afforded a grief-stricken widow and her
children an opportunity for closure and peace ... It
was a testament to both the hospital and the funeral
home that they bent a few rules to provide comfort
and solace to this family in their time of grief.”
Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home was
honored to “bend the rules” of formality to serve
the. Clayton family in a very personal way.
Helping to mend broken hearts is just as important
as helping to mend broken bones.
—Lacyn J. Barton
r
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KIP AWA RDS : BE S T P R A CT ICE / P E RS O N A L T O UC H
➤First Place Winner:
French Funerals &
Cremations/Sunset
Memorial Park,
Albuquerque, New Mexico
An arrangement between The University of New Mexico
and French Funerals & Cremations provides fans
a way to be true to their school forever.
what the judges said
n Great idea, perfect execu-
tion and display. I would not
expect this from most.
n Makes it easy for someone
to complete this task in a time
of grieving.
n The use of UNM logos—
especially allowing the logo
in use when the deceased
attended—is a lovely touch.
n An amazing accomplishment.
Tom
Antram,
president
and CEO
of French
Funerals &
Cremations.
The Lobo Pavilion provides a special place for University of New Mexico Lobos fans.
Cremation garden adds unique place
for University of New Mexico fans
F
Paul Krebs, University of New Mexico athletics director
(left), and Tom Antram, French Funerals & Cremations
president and CEO jointly cut the ribbon and declare the
Lobo Pavilion official open. Looking on are Duffy Swan,
president of the UNM Alumni Association, and various
members of UNM Athletics, the UNM Lobo Club and UNM
administration.
14
ICCFA Magazine
rench Funerals &
Cremations recently
designed and built a
special pavilion in its awardwinning Centennial Urn
Garden at Sunset Memorial
Park specifically dedicated
to and themed around the
University of New Mexico
Lobos.
The Lobo Pavilion
People purchasing niches in the planter
features red and silver
granite niche plates, echoing wall surrounding the statue before the
grand opening received a minature
the university’s cherry and
Lobo statue.
silver school colors. Central
to the pavilion is a custom bronze statue of a Mexican gray wolf, the
school’s mascot. This statue was designed and cast by a local artisan, and is
a one-of-a-kind piece. The pavilion features granite niche walls, in-ground
cremation spaces and granite coping and bench spaces, and continues the
overall Santa Fe style architectural theme of the Centennial Urn Garden.
The niche and granite copings that are engraved with the names and
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K I P : B est practice / personal touch
The entrance to the Centennial Urn
Garden, which now includes the Lobo
Pavilion.
Centennial Urn Garden Phase II
(including Lobo Pavilion) while under
construction.
The bronze wolf watches over the Lobo
Pavilion.
dates of those interred there can also display
an era-specific UNM Lobo mascot, if the
family so chooses.
French Funerals & Cremations and
Sunset Memorial Park are the only funeral
organizations licensed by the university to
use logos and images.
The university provided Sunset with
digital images of all of the various iterations
of the UNM logo over the years. Families
can choose to be very specific and personal
with their memorialization in this area
by choosing the logo that was used when
their loved one attended UNM, not just the
current logo.
Over time the niche walls will be a
graphic representation of the history of the
university, and of many individuals who
attended college there.
French is able to take this personaliza
tion and identity with UNM a step further,
as they have developed a series of UNM
funeral packages that include various
Start every day at the ICCFA Café at www.iccfa.com
UNM-themed items the family can
incorporate into the funeral itself. These
items can include UNM-themed urns and
caskets, UNM neckties for the pallbearers,
UNM flags and blankets and customized
UNM-themed folders and cards.
Those purchasing niches in the planter
wall surrounding the Lobo statue itself
receive a further UNM commemoration.
Those 40 niches each come with a handcast miniature of the Lobo statue itself,
signed and numbered by the artist. No more
of these will ever be made.
Individuals purchasing property in
the new section of the garden prior to the
grand opening of the Lobo Pavilion had
10 percent of the purchase price of their
property donated by Sunset Memorial Park
to the UNM Lobo Club.
At the grand opening itself, members of
UNM athletics and school administration,
as well as the UNM Lobo Club, and the
president of the UNM Alumni Association
participated.
The Lobo Pavilion is a personal and
unique area within the Centennial Urn
Garden, the signature property at Sunset
Memorial Park. It beautifully captures the
spirit of the University of New Mexico,
and of the Albuquerque community that so
passionately identifies with it.
The Centennial Urn Garden and the new
Lobo Pavilion were designed by CPRA
Design Studios LLC, Denver, Colorado.
—Christopher Keller
r
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May 2014
15
KIP AWA RDS : BE S T P R A CT ICE / P E RS O N A L T O UC H
Cook Funeral and Cremation Services
offers families who have lost a child
a package of discounted products and services.
➤Honorable Mention:
Cook Funeral and
Cremation Services,
Grandville, Michigan
what the judges said
n Good idea; I would defi-
nitely think more highly of this
business even if I did not have
a need for this.
n Nice brochure, well
explained and presented.
n This truly shows best
practice in working with families during this very difficult
time of loss.
n A thoughtful program,
nicely presented for easy
understanding by grief-stricken
parents.
Leanne
Gurley was
the graphic
artist who
designed
Cook’s
brochure
explaining
the firm’s
services
for families
who have lost an infant.
A page from “The Story of My
Baby” book where parents can
record the service details.
16
ICCFA Magazine
“The Story of My Baby” book is one of the things given to parents who have suffered a stillbirth or lost a child under the age of 1.
Grieving parents offered help with
services, products when a child dies
M
any years ago the Cook family decided
to offer free and discounted services to
all families who had lost an infant or
child. This is something one never plans for, and
the cost is a burden we do not want families to
bear alone as they grieve.
As we continued to serve these families, we
noticed that their need was much greater. We
developed publications uniquely designed for their
loss. Our hope is to provide additional services
and keepsake items that will help them hold onto
precious memories and bring healing.
We added a collection of Life Treasures
specifically designed to help our families create
a lasting reminder of their child forever in their
heart. These items represent a variety of ways for
our families to forever treasure their precious little
one.
In addition, we compiled a listing of grief
resources in a bookmark format emphasizing our
mission to walk with each of our families through
The brochure detailing Cook’s services for
their grief journey.
Our no-charge graveside service for stillborn to parents who have lost a child.
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K I P : B est P ractice
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An inside page from the brochure.
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Another page from “The Story of My
Baby” book, where details about the
child’s mother can be recorded.
one year includes:
• Primary use of equipment facilities and
staff.
• Local removal from the place of death.
• Preparation, dressing and casketing.
• Consultation/arrangement conference.
• Obtaining and filing all necessary
permits and certificates.
• Submitting obituary notices.
• 20-inch or 28-inch Bay Memorial
casket and vault.
• Graveside funeral services.
• “The Story of My Baby” book/25
traditional memorials.
• Temporary marker.
We then offer discounts on our
traditional services for children up to 18
years of age. The cost for a child up to one
year old is only 10 percent of the adult fee.
The percentage increases with age.
—Bob Kreter
r
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17
K IP AWA RDS : E V E N T S
A remembrance service held outside
leaves attendees with a warm feeling.
➤First Place:
Cook Funeral and
Cremation Services,
Grandville, Michigan
what the judges said
n Lovely seasonal event.
Especially appreciate that it is
not to generate sales leads;
it is purely for helping and
healing.
n Love the reference to the
Vietnam Memorial and allowing family members to touch
the names.
n A special way to remember
loved ones at the holidays,
often a rough time for grieving
families.
Community administrator
Melannie
Ippel
(top) and
graphic
artists
Amber
Kieliszewski
(center)
and
Leanne
Gurley
(bottom)
are the
graphic
artists who
worked on
the tree
lighting.
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ICCFA Magazine
Attendees are bundled up to attend a Service of Remembrance at Cook Funeral
and Cremation Services in Michigan.
Cook’s remembrance service:
Lights, names, songs, fellowship
A
Near the tree is a banner that includes all the
fter many years of offering a Service
names submitted to us of loved ones who died
of Remembrance inside our chapel,
during the past year. Each family stands before
we moved the event to tents outside,
the banner and searches for their loved one's
offering attendees hot cocoa and cookies, a
name. As they touch the name, the scene is much
complimentary keepsake ornament and grieflike the images we have seen at the Vietnam
related materials to help them with getting
Memorial wall in Washington. It is a very
through the holidays.
moving and very private moment.
There is music playing throughout the
evening as families and
staff mingle and visit with
each other.
The brief service
includes prayer, a few
words from a local pastor
and a number of choral
selections from a local
high school. All wait in
silence for the moment our
Memory Tree is officially
lit. This tree remains lit
throughout the holiday
season and stands as a
unique tribute, day and
night, to all of the loved
ones in our community
Attendees were drawn to this banner, on which the names of loved
who have passed away.
ones lost the previous year were written.
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K I P : E vents
Cook advertised its Service of Remembrance to the community with posters
(above) and postcards (above right).
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The trees lit during the service remained
lit throughout the holiday season.
This event truly reflects the genuine
care and love the Cook family and staff,
have for the community and its people. It
also creates future opportunities through
the recognition received from this event.
Results
We highly recommend this event. It creates
a lot of positive PR and goodwill in the
community. Our firm gains not only topof-mind awareness in the community but
positive awareness, as well. But please
note, the goal of this event is to serve
our community and provide an event that
offers our families a glimpse of healing.
Yes, it will generate sales, but more
importantly it generates a moment of peace
to those who need it.—Bob Kreter
r
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May 2014
19
K IP AWA RDS : E V E N T S
➤Honorable Mention:
Chapel of the Roses,
Atascadero, California
The December 2012 murder of 20 children and six staff members
at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, stunned the
nation. Many people wanted to do something to reach out to the survivors.
Chapel of the Roses offered people a way to show their support.
what the judges said
n Absolutely lovely and loving.
n A special tribute to Sandy
Hook families.
The front side of the thank-you note the funeral home received showed some of the snowflake
designs that poured into Sandy Hook Elementary school from all over the world. The message on the other side: “Thank you for your heartfelt, generous and thoughtful contribution to
Snowflakes for Sandy Hook. Because of your efforts and many others, we received snowflakes
of all shapes, sizes and forms from schools, PTAs, community centers and families across the
country and around the world. Sandy Hook students, staff and families have been the recipient
of a blizzard of love and support in the form of snowflakes, and we could not be more thankful!
Our community has taken great comfort in the global outpouring of support from wonderful
people like you. We will always treasure our blizzard of love. Thank you for your kindness,
Sandy Hook Elementary School PTA.”
Chapel of the Roses gave
community a way to
reach out after tragedy
A
From left, staff members who worked on the snowflake project:
Gabriela Gillian, funeral director/embalmer; Kailee Vitelli, location
manager; Teresa Frederiksen, administrative assistant; and Debra
Andrews EDRS clerk.
20
ICCFA Magazine
fter reading an article online about things that you could
do to show your support for the children of Sandy Hook
Elementary, the staff at Chapel of the Roses liked the idea
of assisting the National Parent Teacher Association in decorating
the school. They asked for donations of unique snowflakes.
Chapel of the Roses hosted two Snowflake Drives. We invited
people in our community to come in and create snowflakes to send
back East.
The local newspaper did an article about the events, and
we placed flyers all over town. With the participation of our
community, we were able to send in more than 500 snowflakes.
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KIP: EvENTS
The snowflakes
under construction at
Chapel of the Roses.
The funeral home
provided all supplies
for the creation of
the snowflakes and
made sure they were
delivered before the
children of Sandy
Hook returned to the
school.
There is no doubt that the images from
December 14, 2012, of children crying
and being led in lines away from a horrific
tragedy is something many of us will never
forget.
Though for most of the world, the images
of the Sandy Hook Elementary School
shooting were at a safe distance, on their
computer screens or flat-screen monitors, for
some, those images were reality. That was
their school, those were their children, and
that was their life that was shattered by one
hateful act.
As a parent, I couldn’t imagine going
through that. I have no doubt that most of us
went home that night and slowed down our
usual rushed routines; were grateful for the
giggles and “that’s not appropriate” dinner
talk from our children gathered around the
dinner table; and tucked our babies in a little
tighter, reminded how truly lucky we were
that they were home safely and in our care.
Chapel of the Roses wanted to help. In a
situation like that, many are left wondering
what can we do, being so far away and
removed from the situation, across the
country in California.
The snowflake project was the perfect
opportunity for us to do something as a
community to show that we cared, and that
the people in Newtown were not alone.
—Kailee Suzanne Vitelli
r
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May 2014
21
KI P AWA RDS : P E T S E RV IC E O R M E M O RIA L
A mass killing at a sled dog company left animal-lovers in shock
and required the exhumation of the huskies’ bodies to aid prosecution.
A pet memorial center worked with the SPCA to make sure
the remains were handled with reverence and memorialized properly.
➤First Place:
Until We Meet Again
Pet Memorial Center,
North Vancouver,
British Columbia
what the judges said
n Great story and caring
way to show support for man/
woman’s best friend.
n Until We Meet Again took
great care to give the Whistler
sled dogs a memorial any dog
deserves, but especially dogs
who were so ruthlessly killed.
n The company took cae to
team up with the local SPCA to
create a memorial and a headstone unique to sled dogs.
The service for the Whistler sled dogs was held at the SPCA cemetery where they were interred.
Pet memorial center helps SPCA provide
sled dogs with dignified memorialization
Some of the people at the service for the Whistler sled dogs.
22
ICCFA Magazine
I
n January 2011, international outrage was
sparked when the brutal slaying of up to
100 sled dogs owned by a Whistler sled dog
adventure company came to light. The killings
had actually taken place in April 2010, the dogs’
bodies dumped in a mass grave.
The SPCA and in turn the general public only
became aware of what had taken place after a
document detailing the slaughter was leaked to
the media.
Being so close to Whistler, the city of
Vancouver, which had recently hosted the Winter
Olympics, was deeply affected by the news. The
Vancouver SPCA and Until We Meet Again Pet
Memorial Center worked together to make sure
the dogs’ remains were handled with care and
reverence, and to place them in their final resting
place.
The remains of the dogs were exhumed in
May, when the ground around their mass grave
had sufficiently thawed. Fifty-six bodies were
taken to the Simon Fraser University Forensic
Center for post-mortems.
Kevin Woronchak, the founder and owner of
Until We Meet Again, explained what happened
next: “I knew we were doing general cremations,
but I wanted to give the animals as much respect
as possible, so I offered to do a family cremation
at no charge.”
This meant that all the dogs would be
cremated together, as one private cremation.
Forty-four dogs arrived at the center, each
in their own human cadaver bag. They were
cremated together immediately, placed in
beautiful black velvet bags embroidered with
“Until We Meet Again ... At the Rainbow
Bridge” and returned to the SPCA investigations
team.
The 12 remaining dogs being held at the
forensic center for evidence arrived a few
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May 2014
23
K I P : P et S ervice or memorial
Above left, the memorial for the huskies, who were buried together, taken at the one-year anniversary, when many people
returned to the cemetery to pay their respects. Above right, the poem by SPCA volunteer Nicole Jenson that she read at the
service for the Whistler sled dogs.
The thank-you letter from the SPCA to the Woronchaks, who donated the memorial,
and Mike Kelly, who designed it.
The sled dogs were buried at this SPCA
cemetery.
24
ICCFA Magazine
months later and were treated with the
same care. “We were honored to care for
them,” said Woronchak.
When the SPCA decided that the
huskies were to be buried together, Woron
chak and his wife, Joanna, donated the
headstone that would be placed at the
huskies’ final resting place in Penticton,
British Columbia, at the SPCA cemetery.
Local artist Mike Kelly of Imagine it in
Stone created the perfect tribute to honor
the memory of the sled dogs.
“Such a tragedy, but I knew they were
going to have a memorial service they
deserved,” Woronchak said.
On November 2, 2012, in Penticton,
with Joanna and Kevin Woronchak in
attendance, the cremated remains of
56 huskies were laid to rest and their
memorial stone was placed.
The one-year anniversary just passed
and Joanna and Kevin were back in
Penticton to lay flowers and pay their
respects along with countless others.
Indeed, ‘We Will Never Forget ... Run
Free.”
r
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KIP AWA RDS : IN N O VAT IV E P E RS O N A L IZ E D P RO DU C T
WebCemeteries’ has brought the ability to find grave sites and
online memorials to cemeteries without computerized records.
➤First Place Winner:
webcemeteries.com,
Virginville, Pennsylvania
www.webcemeteries.com
what the judges said
n Best use of technology;
should catch on quickly. So
many times we wish we could
give loved ones a lasting tribute—this is it.
n How often is there a conflict
and someone can’t be there—
this makes it so easy to share
with those who care the most.
n This is an incredibly indepth and unique addition to
cemeteries, especially our
historic ones.
n The GPS ability easily al-
lows families to find their loved
ones, ancestors or historical
figures. All cemeteries should
incorporate this type of technology.
Above left, the smartphone interface for the Historic Oakwood Cemetery GPS Living Memorials and Tours mobile app, which allows people to search for a specific
grave site, find nearby burials or access a cemetery tour. Above right, a Living
Memorial displayed on a desktop computer and on a smartphone.
App allows cemetery visitors to easily
find graves, access online memorials
H
istoric Oakwood Cemetery has
sprawling, immaculately maintained
grounds with historic statues and
monuments. Family members and friends often
visit their loved ones, but before 2013, the only
memorialization offered was a physical marker
with a few words and possibly an image.
In addition, visitors could go to the welcome
center for a paper map, but finding the specific
grave often proved challenging.
To provide an innovative way to memorialize
loved ones, Oakwood launched a program that
fundamentally transformed its visitors’
access to this history. With the help of
custom technology solutions company
webCemeteries.com, Oakwood published
GPS Living Memorials: online memorial
pages for families, accurate GPS-navigation
to the graves, printed memorialization for
graveside services and integration with social
media.
WebCemeteries.com was awarded the KIP
award in 2011 for the industry’s first cemetery
Android mobile app, a step toward digital
memorialization for only the few cemeteries
with their records and maps entirely in the
computer. The new GPS Living Memorials
for Apple and Android offers any cemetery
the ability to provide its families with mobile
and online memorials, new printed copies
Screen shots show how the app allows users to zoom in on a specific burial site or sites on
for the graveside service, photo galleries,
a tour. As visitors walk or drive through the cemetery, their locations update.
26
ICCFA Magazine
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K I P : P roduct
helps history come alive using innovative
technology that many of our loved ones could
never have anticipated, and ensures that the
memories of those who have gone before us
will continue to endure.
To download Oakwood’s app to your
phone, go to www.webcemeteries.com/
ncws.asp.
The first GPS Living Memorials
GPS Living Memorials, launched in
2012, was the industry’s first digital
memorialization product with a GPS link to
the physical burial site. It is the public side of
a three-application package sold to cemeteries
(along with the Trees App for managing
and maintaining trees and the Field App for
processing work orders and lot sales from the
field).
Pricing is based on the cemetery size
and the selection of services used. Most
cemeteries offer this as a free service to their
families, while some charge a nominal fee.
More than 50 cemeteries have signed up
to use this new product, including Historic
Oakwood Cemetery, Raleigh, North Carolina;
The Living Memorials can provide access to the obituary, service information,
Winter Park Cemeteries, Winter Park,
photos, vidoes and other memorial information for people interred at the cemetery.
Florida; West Laurel Hills, Bala Cynwyd,
People also can submit memories through the cemetery’s website.
Pennsylvania; and Cypress Lawn, Colma,
within the app. These include obituaries,
expanded public submission options and
California.
integration with social media-without having biographies, pictures and video stories. If a
GPS Living Memorials is designed for
visitor wants to contribute a personal story to cemeteries with a unique history and the
to wait until all the records and maps are in
the memorial, he or she simply taps a button
the computer.
desire to share that with the community,
to submit information through the app.
Each cemetery posts its own branded
which describes virtually every cemetery
When visitors search the memorials, they
Living Memorials app to the app stores
we have encountered. GPS Living
are able to make the visit to the graveside
and also publishes the memorials to its
Memorials have been integrated with six
meaningful and interactive, creating lasting
own website. Visitors to these cemeteries
industry software platforms to enable
memories. Cemeteries also can offer higher
can download the free apps directly to a
cemeteries to publish all of their burial
levels of service by providing families at the
mobile device, or can borrow a tablet from
records. It can even be used by cemeteries
graveside service with printed copies of the
the cemetery so they can use the app within
who still have their records on paper with
Living Memorials, along with instructions for just an hour or two set aside to build the
the grounds. Users can type in a name to be
sharing a memory or photo online.
provided real-time navigation to the grave.
tour or memorials.
The GPS Living Memorials app truly
Additionally, visitors can utilize the tours
While webCemeteries.
component to follow pre-loaded
com has advertised nationally
walking tours to visit notable
throughout the industry with
people, graves or landmarks with
emails, magazine ad placements,
interesting stories throughout
direct mailings and conference
the cemetery. The app brings the
booths and presentations, the
cemetery’s history and beauty to
general media has spread the
life with pictures and videos. With
story even further. Television
seven governors, five United States
segments were run about the app
senators, four Civil War generals
on ABC (Philadelphia), Fox News
and thousands of other individuals
(Orlando) and WHAS (Louisville).
interred there, Oakwood is a
stories were published in over a
repository of history.
dozen regional papers and several
Once visitors have navigated
other television segments have
Deborah Cassidy, West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd,
to the gravesite, they can view any Pennsylvania, is interviewed about the cemetery’s use of
been scheduled to run.
of the different virtual memorials
r
—Nick Timpe
webCemeteries’ GPS Living Memorials.
28
ICCFA Magazine
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May 2014
29
KIP AWA RDS : IN N O VAT IV E P E RS O N A L IZ E D P RO DU C T
Project Repat turns a loved one’s t-shirts
into blankets that offer comfort to the bereaved.
➤Honorable Mention:
Project Repat,
Boston, Massachusetts
www.projectrepat.com
what the judges said
n This is an incredibly
touching and meaningful way
to remember a loved one and
even be able to snuggle up
in a blanket of their beloved
shirts.
n Great product for so
many—would be perfect for a
lot of people.
Ross
Lohr,
CEO of
Project
Repat.
Above, after her death, t-shirts that belonged to a woman who
served in the 82nd Airborne were made into a blanket by her
mother. Below top, a t-shirt blanket made for a man’s grandchldren. Below bottom, one of five shirt blankets made so
that the deceased’s five children could each have one.
Covering survivors with memories
T
Above, the Project Repat
kit includes a large pre-paid
envelope (below) that allows
customers to send their
shirts in easily.
30
ICCFA Magazine
-shirts are as
American as apple
pie—we receive
one for every race we
run in, every event we
participate in and every
time we volunteer. Project
Repat makes it easy and
affordable to preserve
t-shirt and clothing
memories.
Our t-shirts are our
trophies, representing our
accomplishments, our
culture and our beliefs.
Customers send their
t-shirts to Project Repat,
and an individual making a
fair and living wage in the
United States transforms it
into a personalized blanket
keepsake by cutting out the
logos and sewing them into
a patchwork blanket.
One of the hardest
decisions for someone who
has recently lost a loved
one is to decide what to do
with the clothing that has
been left behind. We’ve
heard countless stories from
customers in this position,
who feel too attached to the
clothes that were once worn
by the person they loved to
get rid of the clothes.
After learning about
Project Repat and arranging
to receive an incredibly
meaningful t-shirt blanket
from us, our customers
cannot be more appreciative
and thankful for the
meaningful service we have
provided. Every week we
receive notes sharing stories
of loved ones, and stories
about the clothing that was
worn by our customers’
loved ones.—Ross Lohr r
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May 2014
31
KIP AWA RDS : IN N O VAT IV E P E RS O N A L IZ E D P RO DU C T
When grieving pet owner Ben Riggan didn’t like the container
his beloved pets were placed in, he was inspired to develop
a better way to inter pet remains. The result is Paw Pods.
➤Honorable Mention:
Paw Pods,
Lake Orion, Michigan
www.PawPods.com
what the judges said
n Great product and presen-
tation.
n These are a unique, less
expensive option than a pet
casket. I like the focus on putting the pet back in the earth
and making the pod biodegradable. The flower seeds
are also a nice touch.
The line of Paw Pods biodegradable caskets and urns for pets includes a variety of sizes.
Paw Pods’ caskets, urns designed
to take pets ‘back to the earth’
A
Above, Ben Riggan with the
Editors Choice Award for
the Paw Pods at Superzoo
2013. Below, the company’s
official spokesdog, Remy.
32
ICCFA Magazine
s you know,
our pets
have become
beloved family
members. Honoring
and celebrating the
life of a lost pet is
becoming increasingly
sophisticated, and
more meaningful in
large part because of
organizations such as
the PLPA, committed
to the very best
practices, education
and professionalism
in our industry.
I began developing
what became
PawPods after I had
to put my springer
spaniels down and the vet returned them to me in
what looked like glorified trash bags.
In 2013, I launched Paw Pods. Our mission
is to provide pet owners with a dignified, more
meaningful and accessible way to say goodbye.
Paw Pods are made from completely
biodegradable and eco-friendly materials, such as
bamboo and rice husk. The pods incorporate only
all-natural dyes, glues and sealers in the products.
There are six sizes of pods, ranging from
micro to large, two sizes of urns and new
fish- and heart-shaped pods have recently been
Above left, Paw Pods’ new
heart urn. Above, the sympathy
card that comes with each urn.
Left, the new goldfish urn.
developed.
Additionally, each pod or urn comes with
a sympathy card and seeded leaf that can be
planted with the beloved pet and will bloom
beautiful wildflowers year after year as a living
memorial. The sympathy card can be a cherished
keepsake for the family.
We were honored to have been selected
as a 2013 Pet Product News International
Editor’s Choice Awards recipient, and were also
nominated for Best New Pet Product of the Year
at the world’s largest pet industry tradeshow,
Global Pet Expo.—Ben Riggan
r
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I C C FA N E W S
iccfa
university
Educating today’s practitioners, developing tomorrow’s leaders
July 18-23, 2014 • Fogelman Executive Center • University of Memphis • Memphis, Tennessee
F
or the past two years,
my message as ICCFA
University chancellor
has provided tongue-in-cheek
excuses for not attending the
university. This was my way
of pointing out how irrational
those excuses sound. They
Heffner
reflect the reasoning of someone trying to justify remaining in mushroom
mode (in the dark), someone who is not
interested seizing an educational opportunity
that can benefit an organization, its associates and its customers. Well, NO MORE
EXCUSES TO NOT INVEST IN YOUR
FUTURE! Here is what not to miss at the
2014 ICCFA University, which will be led
by outstanding deans and professors.
Seven Proven Curricula
• Cremation Services
• Embalming, Restorative Art & Other
Care
• J. Asher Neel College of Sales &
Marketing
• Land Management & Grounds
• Funeral Home Management
• Leadership, Management &
Administration
• 21st Century Services
Who attends ICCFA University? The
lack of a general demographic is striking.
Attendees are young, old and in-between.
There are people new to the profession,
some in their second careers, and there are
seasoned managers. There are company
owners and there are employees focused on
particular operational areas, from operations,
to grounds maintenance to accounting to
embalming to HR to preneed sales.
In other words, attendees don’t fall into
some specific category defined by their jobs
or their ages. This is part of what creates the
no-place-else-like-it dynamic that makes “the
U” so special.
One thing attendees do have in common
is a sincere passion about the value of their
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life’s work and the profession itself.
So which curriculum would you like to
enroll in this year? Read all the curriculum
detail at www.iccfa.com/university.
WARNING! Please don’t wait to register
because there is NO sniveling and whining
allowed later if you don’t get the curriculum
you want. Based on history, you will want
to register sooner than later. Class sizes are
limited, and 2013 was again a record-breaker
for attendance.
If you have a specific curriculum you
wish to take this year, don’t wait for a special
engraved invitation to register. It’s not on the
way. Be proactive, go to the ICCFA website
and get registered for the curriculum you want
and deserve at www.iccfa.com/university.
Thanks to the seven dedicated deans
and all the professors, 2013 was again a
remarkably record-breaking year for ICCFA
University. That is because throughout the
year, the deans and professors continually
fine-tune the curriculum. They truly are the
best of the best, and they are there for you.
Just how record-breaking was 2013?
Well, in addition to again being showered
with a gratifying outpouring of written
accolades from attendees and a record total
attendance, the university also realized a
record total freshman attendance. In fact,
over 57 percent of last year’s students were
freshmen, both a record total and a record
percentage. This speaks volumes for quality
of curriculums and the credit for this success
goes to the outstanding deans and professors.
Don’t take the chancellor’s word for it.
Watch video testimonials at www.iccfa.com/
university or, better yet, talk with someone
who attended ICCFA University. Here
are some comments we’ve received from
attendees:
“I have attended countless state, regional,
national and international conventions and
meetings related to our profession over my
30+ year career. This is, hands down and
without hesitation, the best professional
• Five days of intensive
training like none other in
our profession
• Class sizes are limited, so
register early!
• Hotel rooms available for
$82 or $102 per night
• Attend for just one or two
years in the college most
relevant to your job, or
complete four years and
graduate
• Tuition includes classroom
training materials, meals
and breaks
• Funeral directors: Earn
up to 24.5 continuing
education credits
• Earn 80 points toward
ICCFA certification upon
completion of each college
Complete program and
online registration
available at
www.iccfa.com/university
Next Gen Schmooze & Blues NEW!
The ICCFA Next Generation Committee
invites you to join them for an outing to
Beale Street to B.B. King's Restaurant &
Blues Club. The inaugural "Schmooze &
Blues" event will take place on Sunday,
July 20. Cost: $20, includes entry fee,
your first drink, hors d'oeuvres and a
small donation to the Next Generation
scholarship fund. Buy your tickets onsite at the University. Shuttle service
will be provided.
May 2014
35
I C C FA N E W S
development experience I have ever
had! Thank you sincerely for making it
available.”—Joseph Walker, Blue Hill
Cemetery, Braintree, Massachusetts
“The university should be mandatory
for everyone in our profession. No other
event facilitates the sharing of ideas and
cross pollination of cremation, cemetery
and funeral home knowledge. The
learning experience is invaluable to young
professionals and seasoned professionals
alike.”—Richard Winter, Letum Inc.,
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
“The best experience I have had in
the industry in over 20 years of attending
TFDA, NFDA and every other event.
Awesome!”—Rich Gardner, Brenham
Memorial Chapel, Brenham, Texas
Scholarships are available: To see if
you might qualify, check out the ICCFA
website at www.iccfa.com/university.
Please note that 2014 scholarships have
already been awarded.
There you have it. NO MORE
EXCUSES TO NOT INVEST IN
YOUR FUTURE. The 2014 ICCFA
University is this year’s ultimate
educational opportunity in our profession.
Everyone involved in the university is
proud to continue this one-of-a-kind
venue by which thousands have already
enriched themselves, their firms and
ultimately their customers through
superior, relevant, contemporary service.
Don’t miss orientation at 4:30
p.m. on Friday, July 18, at the ICCFA
University at the University of Memphis
in Memphis, Tennessee.
Please email if you would like
curriculum referrals or wish to speak with
any of the deans. We all look forward
to seeing you and/or your associates in
Memphis in July.
Ernie Heffner, CFuE
ICCFA University Chancellor
President, Heffner Funeral Chapel
& Crematory, York, Pennsylvania
[email protected]
college of 21st century services
dean
Mark Krause, CFuE
How do you respond to a family who says, "We don’t
want a traditional funeral"? You’ll learn how to go
beyond tradition with innovative offerings and
become certified as a funeral celebrant trained to
provide meaningful alternatives to
clergy-led services.
Krause
Classes include:
Celebrant Training, Doug Manning and Glenda Stansbury:
16.5 hours of celebrant training, learning how to design services
that are completely personal, incorporating those unique stories,
songs and experiences that defined the decedent. Celebrants offer
an alternative to services provided by clergy for families who are
not affiliated with a church or who do not wish to have a traditional
religious funeral service.
What Casket Do You Want With Those Chicken Wings?,
Mark Krause, CFuE: Including the 41 percent of their customers
who select cremation, Krause Funeral Homes & Cremation
Service finds that up to 80 percent of all their customers opt for
the hospitality of food in their plans for final tribute. How did that
evolve? What exactly does Krause offer? And what type of revenue
stream does that consumer-driven service enhancement generate?
Learn how Krause made the connection between food service
and funeral service and then designed and delivered what his
customers wanted. Discover additional similar types of service
enhancements the firm is using to help create meaningful tributes.
No Ceremony, No Memorialization: Our Failure, Our Fault,
Ernie Heffner, CFuE: The phenomena of direct disposition, no
ceremony and no memorialization is the result of our profession’s
failure to be relevant with contemporary consumers. Heffner will
present a comprehensive overview of demographic realities and
how you can increase your firm’s relevance to today’s consumers.
This curriculum provides the outline for taking a proactive
approach to 21st century end-of-life activities and better serving
families who may otherwise have elected no ceremony, no
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ICCFA Magazine
memorialization. This program explores and reviews:
• the correlation between no ceremony, no memorialization
and demographic realities
• how celebrant ceremonies can boost market share
• the investment required for training and educating
management and staff
• meaningful messaging and methods for educating the public
• the relevant connection with hospice
For those with closed minds, the undeniable truth in this session is less than pleasant to consider. However, those with open
minds will feel invigorated with renewed enthusiasm about the
bright future and opportunity before them.
70 Percent of Services Are Conducted by Eternal Hills
Staff ... Not Clergy!, Tim Lancaster, CCFE: Want to know how
this came to be? Think there is any connection between Eternal
Hills’ 60 percent market share against three competitors and their
approach to providing meaningful services? Tim Lancaster, who
operates in a market with a cremation rate ranging from 55 to 68
percent, will lead you through a process that has resulted in 70
percent of consumers choosing to have Eternal Hills professionals,
rather than clergy, conduct the service. The real key and focus is
not on product but rather on communication.
According to customer surveys, Eternal Hills has exponentially
greater satisfaction when its own staff conduct services. Critically
important is the attitude and approach of the arranger, which leads
to consideration of permanent memorialization being important to
the customer. This success story is not just theory but real how-to
instruction on “why we do what we do” and “how we have applied
these theories.”
$28,000 Average Wedding vs. Your Final Celebration,
Allen Dave Jr.: According to WeddingStats.org, there are about
2.6 million weddings conducted each year in the United States, and
the average cost of a wedding in 2014 is projected to be $28,671.
What makes a $28,000 wedding a perceived value, one on which
consumers willingly spend significantly more than on our services?
Find out how Allen Dave made the transition from wedding
planner to final event planner, bringing wedding planning practices
and hospitality to funeral service.
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I C C FA N E W S
college of cremation services
Cremation
Certifications
The ICCFA cremation certification
program is open to employees
of all cemeteries, funeral homes,
crematories and related businesses.
Students completing the College of
Cremation Services will receive three
certification designations:
o ICCFA Certified Crematory
Operator: Currently required for
crematory licensure in a number of
states, this program is sponsored
by Matthews Cremation Division
and covers all aspects of crematory operation and maintenance. A
12-chapter Operations Manual is
provided. 6 hours CE.*
ONE-DAY OPTION: The
ICCFA now offers an optional
one-day registration for those who
wish to attend only the Certified
Crematory Operator program.
o ICCFA Certified Crematory
Administrator: This certification
covers the business and liability
aspects of providing cremation services. Instructors include a nationally renowned attorney and authority on cremation liability; a former
compliance officer for a multi-ownership corporation; a nationally recognized accounting specialist; and
an expert in zoning, environmental
and equipment installation issues.
Students will also participate in a
tour of a local cemetery, crematory
and funeral home. 9 hours CE.*
o ICCFA Certified Cremation
Arranger: This segment will provide an interactive learning experience in understanding cremation
consumers, arranging and creating
meaningful tribute services, creating
unique options for memorialization
and effectively communicating all
of this with families. The instructors
have proven track records and realworld experience. 8.5 hours CE.*
* CE availability contingent on individual
state approvals.
Start every day at the ICCFA Café at www.iccfa.com
dean
Jim Starks, CFuE, CCrE
Cremation doesn’t have to mean "no service" or "no memorialization."
You’ll discover how to better serve families, improve cremation operations
and increase your company’s cremation-related revenues. You’ll also earn
three types of certifications: operator, administrator and arranger.
Classes include:
Starks
Crematory Operator Curriculum:
• Ron Salvatore and Richard Thomas: You will receive an
extensive operations manual and training on professional terminology,
incinerator terminology, principles of combustion, cremation and the
environment, incinerator criteria/design, basics of operating cremation
equipment, general maintenance/troubleshooting, forms, record keeping and
handling and exposure control.
Administrator Curriculum:
• Zoning/NIMBY/Equipment, Ron Salvatore: One of the highest-rated portions
of the college, this class will cover adding a crematory to your operation,
municipal zoning hurdles to installation, costs to purchase/maintain equipment,
facility requirements and considerations in selecting a crematory supplier.
• Avoiding Cremation Liability, Poul Lemasters, Esq.: Learn the areas of
concern when dealing with the cremation customer and some of the best
operating practices to incorporate into your standard operating procedure.
• The Financial Realities of the Death Care Industry in 2013, David Nixon:
Nixon creates thousands of budgets for clients ranging from 40 to 1,500 events
per year. In this session, he will discuss: today’s economic picture, threats and
opportunities, pricing strategies to excel and commercial courage.
• Go Ahead. Don’t Bother. I Dare You!, Jim Starks, CFuE, CCrE: Jim
Starks will wow you with a riveting, real-world presentation on operations and
compliance. Failure to properly manage the risk of providing cremation services
and/or operating a crematory is an invitation for disaster. Learn the steps you
need to take to minimize potential problems and liabilities from an expert who
has handled compliance and risk management issues for hundreds of funeral
homes and crematories.
• Crematory Tour: A Real-World Look at All Aspects of a Cremation
Provider, Mark Ballard and Winston Hoover IV: Our tour host operates
five funeral homes, two cemeteries and a service center in a market with a
20 percent cremation rate. The service center operates two cremation units
performing more than 100 cremations per month. In addition, the service center
has a flower design shop and handles
all administration for this operation.
Being a part of the ICCFA University
Arranger Curriculum: Understanding
has been inspiring to a degree
today’s consumer, “no funeral” doesn’t mean
that no other program for our
no memorialization, effective presentations,
industry comes close to. It is
procedures, presenting all options,
that inspiration that drives me
methodology and the ICCFA Cremation Code
to send as many people from
of Ethics. Sessions include:
our organization each year as
• “I Don’t Want a Funeral, I Want a
possible—so they can inherit the same
Cremation,” Julie A. Burn, CCrE, CSE
inspiration that I have felt from year to
• What Is Your GRASP on Cremation
year—and use it to make our organization
Consumers?, Néctar Ramírez
better, as well as our industry as a whole.
• Know Your Cremation Consumer,
Doug Gober
—Lauren Blevins, Chief Operating Officer,
Williams Funeral Homes & Crematory,
• ICCFA Cremation Code of Ethics,
Columbia, Tennessee
Mark Krause, CFuE
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I C C FA N E W S
college of embalming, restorative art
dean
DR. JOSEPH MARSAGLIA
Embalmers play one of the most important roles
in the profession, having to prepare the deceased
for final viewing by their loved ones and possibly
preparing remains for shipping, cremation or organ
donation. Learn how to accomplish all of this with
panache, make the prep room the best it can be and
how to do all of this safely and efficiently.
Marsaglia
Classes include:
Contemporary Mortuary Education: What Can an
Employer Expect?, Dr. Joseph Marsaglia: Trends show
that most mortuary science students have no experience in
the profession and most students are female. This session will
address topics regarding these trends such as pregnancy policies
for prep room work, job statistics on retention and future staffing
and expectations from the viewpoint of both the graduate and the
employer.
Pre-Cremation Prep: Preparing the Unembalmed
Remains for Viewing, Todd Eckert: From first call to
placement of the deceased into the cremation unit, this course
details the policies and procedures of two unrelated firms, each
with cremation rates in excess of 40 percent, including practices
that can achieve exceptional appearance without embalming,
reposing beds for the last good-bye and positive identification.
Retrieval, processing, packaging and returning cremated remains
will also be addressed.
There’s Always a Better Way, Jack Adams, CFSP:
Every embalmer has their own trade practices for maximizing
embalming results while streamlining and simplifying various
tasks. Having embalmed more than 20,000 decedents, Jack
Adams will share some of the proven techniques he has
developed during his years of experience. Topics include
&
other care
features, embalming after organ tissue donation, emaciation,
jaundice, swelling and restoration.
How and Why to Become a TSA Certified Cargo
Screening Facility, Jeff Van Calligan: The Transportation
Security Administration Certified Cargo Screening Facility
(CCSF) certification enables certified staff of a firm to transport
remains directly to a scheduled flight without further airport
screening, eliminating potential delays of hours or days for the
client families.
Reconstructive Surgery, Soft Tissue Injuries, Waxing and
Airbrush Cosmetics, Vernie Fountain, CFSP: From treating
the most massively traumatized case imaginable to airbrushing
cosmetics, this curriculum focuses on teaching highly-specialized
embalming and postmortem reconstructive surgery techniques
with the goal of being able to provide an open casket visitation.
The All Important First Viewing, Ken Whittaker: One of
the most important times for anyone who has lost a loved one
is the experience of seeing the deceased for the first time. Take
control of the many things that affect the experience, from the
setting and location to who may be present for grief support to
how best to respond to questions and change requests, especially
under difficult circumstances.
A Variety of Ways to Embalm the Infant Case, Ken
Whittaker: In one of the saddest experiences in a family’s life,
an embalmer may find his/her confidence challenged as to how
best to prepare an infant case. This curriculum will provide
embalmers with a variety of options for embalming the fetus
or stillborn and choices that may strengthen their confidence in
their abilities.
The Perfect Prep Room!, Vernie Fountain, CFSP: Join
Vernie Fountain as he delves into the topics of design, operation
and function. How much space should a prep room have? What
should it look like? What should it contain in both equipment
and operational supplies? Find out these things and more from
an embalming veteran.
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college of funeral home management
•
•
•
•
dean
Todd Van Beck, CFuE
Too many managers consider "creativity" someone
else’s department. In funeral service, creative
management is the key to differentiation. You’ll learn
Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s creative service management
system and its specific applications to our profession.
Van Beck
All courses are taught by Todd Van Beck, CFuE,
except as noted:
‘Management’ Is Not Having the Title of Manager; It Is
Being Creative in Vision: We’ll introduce “The Worthy Ideal,” the
philosophy of creative management and what management looks
like when you base it on the mission of your ideal. Central to this
discussion will be the quality service management system of Dr. W.
Edwards Deming. We’ll discuss:
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ICCFA Magazine
the “magic” 15 steps in service management
plan, do, check, act—accomplish transformations
the seven deadly sins in quality service management
the foundations of quality—what quality service is and what
it is not.
The Application of Creative Management: Part I will focus
on three key areas of management:
• Momentum. Discover the power of the momentum of daily
management vs. the risks of making it up as you go.
• The DNA of Creativity, including visibility, attention,
information and consistency with people, places and things.
• Communication with Staff. The most difficult
management challenge: people, communicating with them
and getting them to do what you want.
Creative Management: Part II will delve into a “how to”
approach to creative management, including:
• teaching telephone etiquette and phone shopping skills
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I C C FA N E W S
• developing a general price list
• calming down upset clients and
managing stress
• instilling professional ethics
• creating quality assurance
• developing and using an effective
family satisfaction survey
• creating a meaningful yet
economical aftercare program
• teaching the bereaved coping skills
Implementation of Creative
Management: Roll up your sleeves and
create individualized “master timelines” to
ensure success in implementing the fouryear cycle of programs. You’ll receive a
master list of 318 best practice and creative
enhancement ideas. Among the innovative
marketing and promotional programs are:
• holiday memorial programs
•
•
•
•
clergy seminars and events
events for charitable organizations
seminars and open houses
cemetery programs such as bird
watching, gardening seminars, photo
contests and historical tours
Discover the power of gaining
visibility through interesting community
presentations. You’ll learn how to get up in
front of people and “wow” your audience.
The programs are already finished,
complete with scripts and PowerPoint
images. Receive 18 presentations.
The Legal Aspects of Funeral Service,
Poul Lemasters, Esq.: When was the
last time you reviewed your bylaws or
articles of incorporation? Do they provide
a foundation for consistent management?
Are you federally compliant and shielded
college of land management
dean
Gino Merendino
Exceptional cemetery service starts with the
grounds and operations department. Without
effective land management and a commitment to
an attractive, well-maintained property, there will
be no sales or service. You’ll learn how your grounds Merendino
management team can succeed and continuously
improve interments, landscaping, buildings, grounds
maintenance and exceptional client experience and satisfaction.
Classes include:
Exceptional Cemtery Maintenance: Experience the
Difference!, Gino Merendino: Would you build a house without
consulting a blueprint? Would you bake a cake without looking
at a recipe? Do you truly understand that cemetery maintenance
is more than cutting grass and digging graves? Gino Merendino
will teach you more than how things are done; he’ll focus on
understanding why they are done.
Creating a Committal Service that Everyone Talks About,
John Gouch: Successful cemeteries create great community
events that bring visitors into the cemetery and have them leaving
in awe. John Gouch’s cemetery has that experience designed into
every committal service performed. He will share his step-by-step
process so you can exceed customer expectations and create a
buzz in your community for every funeral you service.
OSHA & Gravesite Safety, Mary Malotke: You'll receive
a DVD on gravesite safety, which you can take back to train
your entire maintenance staff to help fulfill your OSHA training
requirements. The DVD comes with a user’s guide, instructor
notes, student handouts, a quiz and completion certificates.
Enhancing an Organization’s Safety Culture, Monica
Bracho-Hernandez: Poor safety standards can negatively
impact employee engagement, productivity and the bottom line.
During this session we will discuss the importance of creating or
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ICCFA Magazine
&
against liability by quality management
practices? Are you using sound human
resources practices to protect both
management and staff? Gain solid legal
education to prepare you in all facets
of management so you can effectively
communicate, manage and interact with
your staff and today’s consumers.
Funeral Home Telephone Shopping,
Julie A. Burn, CCrE, CSE: When
someone calls your business to inquire
about your services, what type of
impression do you and your staff make?
Burn will share her phone shopper
experiences, including both well-handled
calls and those that could be improved.
Learn how to make the connection with
your caller, educate the consumer, promote
value and take effective follow-up action. q
grounds operations
enhancing a proactive safety culture, while maintaining service
and quality to families.
Community Outreach, Christine Toson Hentges, CCE:
Hentges will share creative ideas for growing your cemetery's
community outreach program. She will share some of the ways
that The Tribute Companies has found to give back and connect
with the surrounding community.
Developing Hidden Treasures on Your Property, Christine
Toson Hentges, CCE: Small spaces, V-ditches, fence lines ...
what are they good for? Christie Hentges will show you how to
turn your neglected spots into money-making treasures.
The Art of the Interview and the Science of Selection,
Mike Hays: Led by one of our profession’s top managers, this
session will focus on crucial hiring skills, including how to ask
meaningful questions, how to interpret resumes, how to identify
your ideal candidate, how to follow up on references and how to
conduct second interviews.
Cemetery Liability Issues, Poul Lemasters, Esq.: We’ll
examine risk and liability in a number of contexts. The session
will stress disclosures and procedures designed to prevent or
mitigate liability.
Arboretum/ Cemetery Sustainability, Jack E. Lechner Jr.,
CFSP, and Gino Merendino: Our nation’s oldest cemeteries
are in fact arboretums that lead the nation in sustainability
practices. Lechner and Merendino will share their best practices
for improving your carbon footprint, water management, plant
selection, waste recycling and environmental stewardship.
Memorialization: Definition?, Jeff Kidwiler, CCE, CSE:
What is the true meaning of memorialization and how does it “fit”
in at your location? Are we truly offering memorialization products
and services that our families want? Thirty percent of our nations
deaths occur without memorialization. Ask yourself, “is this
acceptable at my location?”
Memorial Park Tour: Visit a local cemetery and learn
firsthand many ideas and solutions you can take back to your
location and put to use immediately.
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I C C FA N E W S
college of leadership, administration
dean
Gary Freytag, CCFE
The cemetery, cremation and funeral service profession is changing,
and so are the skills needed to manage and lead effectively. You’ll
receive solid, relevant, results-focused training targeted at today’s
required core competencies.
Classes include:
Principals of Effective Leadership, Steven Tidwell: Good
leaders develop through a never-ending process of self-study,
education, training and experience. Learn how to develop the
leader in you by exploring facets of leadership, including attitude,
motivation, vision, self discipline, character and handling change.
Benchmark your leadership effectiveness and cultivate your ability.
Adjusting to Issues, Trends and Changes, David Nixon:
What are the critical issues, trends and changes in our marketplace
and profession? Nixon will examine these and provide strategic
ideas you need to embrace to maintain your success.
Social Media: Welcome to the Dark Side, Poul Lemasters,
Esq., and Abbie Brammer Quiocho: Social media is the ultimate
double-edged sword. It can be a tremendous tool to inform and
promote, but can also be incredibly destructive. This class will
give you working guidelines to deal with the legal, social and
interpersonal ramifications of social media in the workplace.
Community Outreach: Setting Your Company Apart,
Debbie Budke: Are you doing everything you can to build ties in
the community? Is your organization the first one families think
of in a time of need? This course will explore the variety of ways
to build your presence and positive awareness, including grief
programs, events and tours, car shows and Segways.
Becoming Best in Class: Operational & Administrative
Best Practices, Nancy Lohman, CCFE: Learn top management
systems on phone answering, arrangements, forms, follow-up and
recovery. Achieve administrative effectiveness through “snapshot”
monitoring and strengthen consistency in your operations.
The Facebook Formula: Secrets for Taking Your Business
Gary O’Sullivan, CCE
The principles of sales and marketing don’t change;
only technique and application do. Learn how to
take the tried-and-true principles of cemetery and
funeral sales and apply them within today’s highly
mobile, multi-cultural, high-tech, informationdriven marketplace.
O’Sullivan
Classes include:
The Service and Opportunities of Family Service, Linda
Jankowski: Do you know what processes will help new sales
professionals get integrated into your business faster, will
facilitate all sales staff in developing deeper relationships with
your clients and will help you build your heritage? Where is this
source? What is the process? It’s something many know, but few
Start every day at the ICCFA Café at www.iccfa.com
management
Viral on Facebook, Zach Garbow: Uncover the
secrets behind how Facebook determines who sees
your content and how you can use that insight to
expose your business to even more people within
your community. Further, learn actionable methods
for using your Facebook Page as an effective
marketing channel; one that can ultimately result
in customer growth, community outreach and even Freytag
preneed leads.
Onboarding: Employee Orientation & Training, Tim
Lancaster, CCFE: Learn the fundamentals to effective training,
ways to monitor training progress and how to train your
employees to grow your business.
Learning From the Best of the Best: Operational Best
Practices, Nancy Lohman, CCFE: Lohman will share winning
operational systems and best practices by proven professionals
from across the country that will increase your revenue.
Your Marketing & Branding Mantra: Building Customer
Loyalty, Doug Gober: Our image is formed through the process
of interacting with our customers and with what our customers
say and think about us. Gober will pull together a variety of key
branding considerations and apply them directly to cemeteries,
crematories and funeral homes.
Three sessions from Robert Taylor:
• Dynamics of the Organization: Successful businesses
operate according to certain organizational principles,
and this session will cover the basic models as defined in
current business educational programs.
• Best Practices in Internal Communications: We’ll
review standard business communications procedures
and technological innovations, including e-mail and
other computer networking possibilities.
• Employee Engagement, Motivation, Hiring & Firing:
This session will cover standard business rules for
finding, keeping and removing personnel, as well as new
ideas for engaging and motivating employees.
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j. asher neel college of sales
dean
&
&
marketing
do well: the service of family service. In this session, you will
learn systems to help you create and/or improve your service to
families and create new opportunities.
What Great Sales Managers Know That Good Sales
Managers Don’t, Gary O’Sullivan, CCFE: We hear a lot of
talk among business people about how to go from good to great.
In this opening session, you’ll discover the five things great sales
managers understand and employ that good sales managers don’t.
This is a session that may change everything if your desire is to
be a great sales manager.
Building Your People Beyond Sales, Andrés Aguilar: Finding
the right people is one of our biggest challenges. Discover how
building people beyond their sales skills can be an important
catalyst for creating more sales and can lead to a culture where
good people want to come and stay.
Creating Community Connections That Generate Returns,
May 2014
41
I C C FA N E W S
Ty Lohman: Learn how to promote and conduct various types of
community seminars—seminars that will help you connect with
your market in a meaningful way so that you can build your brand
and generate preneed leads.
How to Plan, Prepare and Conduct Influential Sales
Meetings, Ty Lohman: You don’t meet with sales, you meet with
people, and in this session you’ll learn how to plan a meeting that
is effective and motivating. The purpose of a sales meeting is to
educate and motivate staff to become more so they will do more.
After this session you’ll better understand how to do both.
Creating Your Brand: Going Beyond Advertising, Tiffany
Gallarzo: How does your community view your firm? What is
your competitive edge? If you don’t know what makes your firm
unique, neither do your customers. Learn how to develop and
execute a strategic marketing plan, from a system for organizing
what you know and what you have to do next, to a schedule for
reviewing your progress. Leave with effective marketing strategies
that will build and enhance your company’s reputation.
Preneed Cremation: The Secrets to Selling Tribute and
Memorialization, Jim Hammond: Regardless of the types of
cremation products and services you offer, you won’t be able to
sell it if the value isn’t clear to your staff and to the market and
if it is not marketed effectively. In this session, we’ll discuss the
important elements of educating cremation clients and marketing
cremation memorialization.
The 7 Vital Signs That Drive Your Sales Team’s Success,
Patrick Downey, CCE: Learn the seven key diagnostics that
can show a sales manager how to “take the pulse” of his/her
sales organization and direct their skills and energy toward the
actionable areas that matter most. Participants will learn what sales
performance “warning signs” to watch for and how to apply the
best proven “prescriptions” for keeping a sales team healthy and on
track for high performance.
Interactive Social Media Workshop: Creating Viral
Content for Your Funeral Home or Cemetery, Zachary
Garbow: Social media posts don’t go viral automatically; they
must be crafted in a way to maximize engagement. In this fastpaced, interactive workshop, you'll gain hands-on experience
creating content primed for maximum engagement on Facebook
and other social media channels.
Coaching Your Sales Team From Good to Great: Best
Practices, Patrick Downey, CCE: Participants will learn and roleplay top techniques and best practices for coaching individual sales
representatives to improve from good sales performers to great
sales performers. Learn the fundamentals of coaching and best
practices for measuring and managing the sales activities.
q
One-Day Crematory Operator Certification Program
The iccfa is offering a one-day registration for those who
wish to attend only the crematory operator certification
training program on Saturday, July 19. This includes:
• The all-day crematory operator training and
certification on Saturday
• Admission to the Friday night iccfa University
Reception and Dinner
• Breakfast, lunch and refreshment breaks on
Saturday
The cost to attend this one-day option is $475 per person.
A specific registration form is available at
www.iccfa.com/university.
2015 ICCFA Wide World of Sales Conference call for presentations
T
he ICCFA Sales & Marketing
Committee is preparing for the
2015 Wide World of Sales
Conference to be held in Las Vegas,
Nevada, and we invite you to share your
expertise with your colleagues. The Wide
World of Sales is the largest sales and
marketing conference in the cemetery,
cremation and funeral service profession.
We are seeking the very best, most
relevant and most thought-provoking
sales and marketing programs, tools and
techniques being used today. We want
presentations with concrete, how-to
information, with an emphasis on the
“how” rather than the “why.”
If you have expertise to share, this
is your opportunity to give back to the
profession.
The committee invites you to submit a
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ICCFA Magazine
session proposal, to include:
• your contact information
• a detailed description of your “howto” topic, including the specific
tools, techniques and/or initiatives
the attendee will be able to put to
use immediately
• the primary target for your
presentation (managers, counselors
or both; cemeteries, cremation,
funeral homes or all of the above)
• a list of handouts you will provide
for our attendee on-site binder
supplementing your presentation (at
least two handouts are required)
• a brief biography regarding your
background and qualifications,
including any previous speaking
experience
Any requests for compensation must be
included in your proposal.
The format for this conference calls
for numerous breakout sessions between
30-50 minutes in length, so please narrow
your topic to one or two key points that
you can fully develop and communicate
within that time period.
Speakers will receive a complimentary
registration to the conference. Panelists or
speakers sharing the stage with three or
more people will be offered the option to
purchase a full registration at the one-day
rate (about $250 in 2014).
Please submit your proposal by
June 6, 2014, to Molly Jin at
[email protected] (preferred) or via fax at
703.391.8416.
Thank you for your willingness to share
your time and talents.
q
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Homesteaders AD
FULL PAGE
page 43
4-COLOR
Update
Send in news about your cemetery, funeral home, crematory or association to [email protected]. If you publish a newsletter,
please email a copy to [email protected] or mail to: Susan Loving, ICCFA, 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20164.
n John P. Toale Jr. has retired as president and CEO
of The Woodlawn
Cemetery, The Bronx,
New York, effective March
20. He had been president
of the cemetery since 1999,
and had worked in death
Toale
care for more than 40 years.
He remains on the board of The Woodlawn Conservancy, the cemetery’s 501(c)
(3) support organization. He also will
stay on in a consulting capacity through
the end of 2014 to oversee the cemetery’s
150th anniversary celebration.
Mitch Rose has assumed the roles of president and CEO. He had
served as executive vice
president and COO.
Toale played a pivotal
role in ensuring Woodlawn’s long-term fiscal
Rose
health and increasing public
recognition of its national prominence.
One of his signature achievements was
the identification of 25 acres for future use
and development in a cemetery perceived
as full. Seven of those acres are already in
use and the others will be developed in the
coming years.
During Toale’s tenure, Woodlawn
secured two National Historic Landmark
designations. The first, in 2011, was given
in recognition of Woodlawn as “the largest and finest collection of funerary art in
the country.” The second, given in 2012,
recognized Admiral David Glasgow Farragut’s grave site.
No other cemetery in the country is
both a landmark and the site of a landmark within its borders.
“It has been so meaningful to me to
be part of the Woodlawn team and my
experience here has been a remarkable
capstone on my long career in the cemetery and funeral industry,” Toale said.
“I am very proud of all that Woodlawn
has accomplished over the last 15 years
and I now I leave the cemetery in the very
best hands.”
Rose, who has more than 24 years of
experience in the cemetery business, has
been with Woodlawn since 2010. He sits
on the board of both the Cremation Association of North America and the New
York State Association of Cemeteries and
is an active member of the Metropolitan
Flanner
Buchanan
employees
receiving the
President’s
Club Award,
from left:
Jay Recker,
Krista Vanlandingham,
Emanuel
Smith Jr.
and Cari
Jones.
n Flanner and Buchanan Funeral Centers, Indianapolis, Indiana,
recently honored four employees with
its President’s Club Award. They are Jay
Recker, managing director at Speedway;
Krista Vanlandingham, funeral director at
Speedway; Emanuel Smith Jr., managing
director at Washington Park North; and
Cari Jones, managing director at Lawrence
and Oaklawn Memorial Gardens. The
award recognizes exceptional service to
clients. Results are determined through
44
ICCFA Magazine
independent questionnaires sent to the
families served. To qualify, arrangers must
have at least 25 questionnaires returned in
a calendar year, with an overall satisfaction
rating of “excellent” from 90 percent or
more of the respondents.
“These individuals are service professionals at the highest level. Their attention
to detail, along with their compassion,
means that our clients are getting incredible service,” said Bruce Buchanan, principal and owner.
Cemetery Association and the ICCFA.
Prior to joining Woodlawn, Rose
served as the managing partner at Carriage Services. He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from University of Central Florida, an associate’s
degree in funeral service from Ogeechee
Tech Community College and an associate’s degree in ornamental horticulture
from Santa Fe Community College.
Toale’s professional achievements, in
addition to those noted above, include
being an active member of numerous
professional organizations, including the
ICCFA, the Historic Cemeteries Alliance,
the Cemetery Council and the CANA.
Toale previously served as president of
the NYSAC and as secretary/treasurer of
the MCA. He graduated from Louisiana
State University with a bachelor’s degree
in business administration and MiamiDade Community College with an associate’s degree in mortuary science.
Established in 1863 and spanning 400
acres, The Woodlawn Cemetery is one of
the nation’s most distinguished historic
cemeteries. More than 310,000 individuals
are memorialized on its grounds.
r
n C. John Linge, CCFE, president and
CEO of The Cedar Group, Cedar
Rapids, Iowa, has been named to the state’s
Board of Mortuary Science. The board
evaluates the qualifications of applicants for
funeral director and for funeral homes and
cremation establishments; establishes rules
and regulations covering them and investigates complaints of unprofessional conduct.
The board also is the link between the industry and consumers. The Cedar Group consists
of Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery Association, Cedar Memorial Funeral Home Co. and
Iowa Cremation.
n The British Columbia Funeral Association has selected Ellen
Henry as executive director.
An experienced association
executive, she has spent the
past decade in senior roles in
membership-based organizaHenry
tions. She has served as the
operations manager and the
manager of member communications for The
Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, as
the director of operations for VIATeC and as
the executive assistant at Tourism Victoria.
She also has a background as an entrepreneur
and in marketing and communications.
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UPDATE
In memoriam
Darcie D. Sims
Darcie D. Sims, 66, Seattle, Washington,
died February 27 at home. An internationally recognized speaker about grief
and bereavement, she was president and
co-founder of Grief Inc., a grief consulting
business, and the director of the American
Grief Academy. She was a certified pastoral
bereavement specialist, a certified thanatologist and a licensed psychotherapist
and hypnotherapist. She wrote or co-wrote
several books about grief and was an editor
for Bereavement Magazine for 15 years.
She was director of training and
certification for the Tragedy Assistance
Program for Survivors and served on
the national board of directors for The
Compassionate Friends, the Association
of Death Education and Counseling and
on the board for the National Catholic
Ministry to the Bereaved. She received
The Compassionate Fiends Professional
Award in 1999.
Survivors include her husband, Robert
Sims, a daughter and granddaughter, and
a sister. She was preceded in death by an
infant son.
A memorial service was held at BonneyWatson Washington Memorial, SeaTac,
Washington. Memorial contributions can be
made to The Compassionate Friends National
Office to the Darcie Sims Memorial Training
r
Fund, www.compassionatefriends.org.
Funeral Service Credit Union welcomes
ICCFA Members, their families and their
employees. FSCU is a financial cooperative
dedicated to the funeral industry. We
currently offer the following services:
Online Banking: www.fscunet.org
Savings Options: Share savings &
checking, Christmas & Vacation club,
Certificate of Deposit, Direct deposit,
Payroll deduction and Check Card/ATM
debit card (checking accounts only)
Loan Options: Visa credit cards,
Consumer loans, Professional Vehicles,
New & Used Auto loans and Share
Secured loans
Start every day at the ICCFA Café at www.iccfa.com
Maderas y Metales AD
1/4 H
4-COLOR
ACMC AD
1/6 H
Optimized.
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.
Start your search at
our homepage
www.iccfa.com.
May 2014
45
UPDATE
Left, Dr. Robert Mayer signs textbooks at PIMS. Right, Poul Lemasters gives a continuing education presentation at PIMS.
n Dr. Robert G. Mayer recently lectured
at Dr. Barry T. Lease’s embalming class
at the Pittsburgh Institute of
Mortuary Science, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. Mayer is the author of
“Embalming: History, Theory and Practice.”
Following his lecture and a question-andanswer session, Mayer signed textbooks for
the students.
PIMS also recently held a six-hour
continuing education program. The
program, 2014 PIMS Best Practices 101,
was attended by students as well as funeral
directors. The program included two threehour segments delivered by Poul Lemasters
and George Entenmann.
Lemasters, a licensed funeral director and attorney, gave a presentation on
“Embalming and Cremation Liability.” He
is a licensed funeral director and attorney,
n Christine Toson Hentges, CCE, president of The
Tribute Companies,
Hartland, Wisconsin, was one
of the 13 recipients of this
year’s Governor’s Trailblazer Award. The awards are
given to businesses statewide
Hentges
to recognize the legacy of
women’s business ownership in Wisconsin.
She was honored in the Torchbearer category,
referring to companies operating for three or
more generations currently owned by female
relative(s). Hentges is the fourth generation representing Pinelawn Memorial Park in Milwaukee and three other
prominent Wisconsin cemeteries. Hentges
holds a master’s degree in business from
Keller Graduate School and an undergraduate
degree in psychology from Marquette University. She is vice president of external affairs for
the ICCFA.
n Greenwood Funeral Homes and
Cremation’s Arlington Chapel, Arlington,
Texas, has added Cindy
Wright to its funeral home
staff. Wright, who has
worked with funeral homes
Wright
and churches for many years,
has joined Arlington’s oldest independent
funeral home as its community relations
director. Greenwood Funeral Homes and
Cremation is part of the Mount Olivet
Cemetery Association, which dates back
more than 100 years and is comprised of
three funeral homes, two cemeteries and
florist shops, two mausoleums and two
crematories in Arlington and Fort Worth.
n West Tennessee
Funeral Associates
LLC of Memphis Firms,
Tennessee, owner of Affordable Mortuary Service, has
hired John R. Thompson
as chief embalmer and
mortuary service/transport
Thompson
manager. Thompson earned
his funeral service degree from GuptonJones College. He served his apprenticeship
in Jonesboro, Georgia. He is a licensed
funeral director and embalmer in Georgia,
Mississippi and Tennessee. In July 2011,
he became a Certified Crematory Operator through the ICCFA. He has worked in
high-volume facilities, both corporate and
independently owned.
n Historic Congressional
Cemetery, Washington, D.C., has been
certified by the Green Burial Council as
a green hybrid cemetery provider. “Green
burial options are increasingly popular with
preplanning baby boomers and other socially/
46
ICCFA Magazine
as well as an internationally known speaker
and writer. He is principal of Lemasters
Consulting, Cincinnati, Ohio, and is cremation program coordinator for the ICCFA.
Entenmann’s presentation included
“Tort & the Internet; Internet and Funeral
Service.” He is an attorney who has assisted
funeral directors with business/legal solutions for more than 35 years. He has taught
at PIMS for more than 30 years.
r
environmentally concious individuals, and
we are proud to be the only cemetery in the
Washington metropolitan region to qualify to
date,” said cemetery President Paul Williams.
“Green burials have been taking place for
several years, but are now an option anywhere
within the cemetery’s 35 acres.”
At Congressional, a certified green burial
does not allow for embalming or use of any
concrete vault (partial, inverted or otherwise),
lid, concrete box, slab or partial liner. In addition, burial must take place in an eco-friendly
container such as wicker casket or plain
wooden box without hardware. As part of its
new designation, the cemetery now also allows burial of bodies clothed only in a shroud.
As part of the certification process, Congressional also altered its rules and regulations
to include family participation in the burial
and ritual process itself, including assisting in
preparing the grave with flowers, lowering the
body, filling of the grave and assisting in the
decorating of the grave after it has been filled.
n Selected Independent Funeral Homes Educational Trust,
Deerfield, Illinois, has chosen Shelby Shafer
as the second recipient of the Selected
Leadership Academy Scholarship. Shafer
is a funeral director at The Springs Funeral
Services, Colorado Springs, Colorado. She
earned a bachelor’s degree in mortuary science in December from Cincinnati College of
Mortuary Science.
r
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Paradise Pics AD
FULL PAGE
page 47
4-COLOR
UPDATE
Above left, the announcement of the coming facade improvements. Above right, the glass panel feature wall installed in 2012.
Centennial Park refreshes & opens up facade
Reprinted with permission from ACCA News,
the official magazine of the Australasian
Cemeteries and Crematoria Association.
entennial Park in Pasadena, South
Australia, has been given a facelift. The
cemetery has refreshed and opened up its
front facade along Goodwood Road with
the installation of new black panel inserts
between the existing brick pillars.
The new fence panels have not only
provided a significant visual improvement
but now also allow community members and
passersby better views through the fence and
into Centennial Park’s gardens. This is the first
major refurbishment of the facade since its
construction in the 1930s.
The new fencing is a further extension
of Centennial Park’s Southern entry wall on
Goodwood Road, a glass panel feature wall
with lights which was installed in late 2012.
Formal landscaping on the inside of the
fence is also underway, starting from the
southern end of the cemetery
Centennial Park CEO Bryan Elliott said
the new frontage had already caught the
attention of the public, with much positive
feedback received. “Centennial Park is home
to some of the best memorial gardens in Australia,” he said “We recognise the importance
of our Goodwood Road facade—it’s the first
thing people see as they’re driving by Centennial Park or visiting the cemetery.
“At Centennial Park, we pride ourselves
on creating a special place where South
Australians can remember and celebrate the
lives of famiLy and loved ones By opening
C
48
ICCFA Magazine
Above, the new front facade at Centennial Park. Below, the previous fencing.
up our Goodwood Road frontage, we are
giving people a panoramic view of our parklands. Our aim was to create a new visuallyappealing facade that showcases to the
public the full extent of our tranquil gardens
and surroundings.”
Centennial Park is
South Australia’s largest cemetery. Set on 40
hectares of parkland, the
cemetery has more than
50 individually-themed
gardens. These include
7,200 rose bushes and
countless other flowering
and native plants, 20 fountains, two creeks, an island
and nine kilometers of
avenues lined with trees,
including eucalypts, plane
trees and Chinese elms.
Centennial Park is also
home to an abundance of
native wildlife, including more than 30 native
bird species as well as koalas, possums, fish,
r
lizards and tortoises.
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Johnson AD
FULL PAGE
page 49
4-COLOR
Supply Line
One of Cressy Memorial’s mother of pearl
urns.
The Center for
Loss and Life
Transition is
offering a book
by Dr. Alan
Wolfelt for
people
struggling
after a natural
disaster.
A Funeral
Home Gifts
tapestry
with an urn
and keepsake from
the DavisWhitehall
Co.
READERS: To find the products and services you need online, go to www.iccfa.com
and select “directory” to find the ICCFA’s:
Directory of Providers. Search by category
or type in the name of a specific company
to find contact information and a link to the
company’s Web site.
Web Expo Directory of Suppliers and Professionals, another way to find suppliers,
listed by category.
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 [email protected]
for inclusion in Supply Line.
50
ICCFA Magazine
n Cressy memorial, Mishawaka,
Indiana, has introduced mother of pearl
memorialization urns. The freshwater
white is a chest urn. The saltwater black is a
tall urn perfect for glass-front niches. Both
urns accept the container or sheet bronze.
1.866.763.0485; www.cressymemorial.com
n ASD, Media, Pennsylvania, has added
MedPro Disposal to its rewards program.
MedPro provides medical waste disposal
services to large and small quantity generators of medical waste, and has an online
compliance training program for those subject to OSHA regulations. Kevin@myasd.
com; 1.800.868.9950; www.myasd.com
n The Center for Loss and Life
Transition, Fort Colllins, Oregon, has
published a new book, “Healing Your
Grief When Disaster Strikes: 100 Practical
Ideas for Coping After a Tornado, Hurricane, Flood, Earthquake, Wildfire, or
Other Natural Disaster,” for people struggling in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
The author is Dr. Alan Wolfelt, who talks
about how people can process their anxiety,
helplessness, anger, sadness and other emotions. 970.226.6050; www.centerforloss.com
n Funeral Home gifts, Lynn, North
Carolina, has formed a strategic partnership with the Davis Whitehall Co.,
Colorado Springs, Colorado. Both companies offer personalized products. A personalized hancrafted maple premier urn urn
and HeartFelt keepsake from Davis Whitehall can be coupled with a matching tapestry from Funeral Home Gifts. A customized
cremation display package is available from
Terry School of Dave Whitehall, tschool@
davis-whitehall.com.
www.funeralhomegifts.com
1.800.818.8414; www.davis-whitehall.com
n Continental computer,
Jonesboro, Arkansas, has joined with The
HELPcard to provide a processing addition to The Directors Assistant program.
The HELPcard finance program gives families an alternative to paying a lump sum for
services. Information about The HELPcard
is available at
www.helpcard.com. 1.800.24.1016;
www.continentalcomputers.com
n Astral INDUSTRIES, Lynn, Indiana,
is expanding its sales force,
adding four new sales
representatives. Jason Karaman and Mike Miller have
been added to the Atlanta,
Georgia, business center; Joe
Main to the Columbus, Ohio,
center; and Donald Rump,
to the Lakeland, Florida,
Karaman
center. Karaman is a graduate
of Purxue University with a
background in manufacturing and customer service
who completed
his training at
Astral’s home
office. Miller
Miller
has experience
as a funeral
director as
well as in sales.
Main was an
Main
instructor at
the Cincinnati College of
Mortuary Science and has experience with the Ohio MorRump
tuary Operational Response
Team and Disaster Mortuary Operational
Response Team. Rump has experience with
casket sales and has been certified as a grief
counseling seminar trainer.
www.astralindustries.com;1.800.278.7252;
[email protected]
n Stephen R. Lang took over as president
of Homesteaders, Des Moines, Iowa,
on March 1, following the retirement of
Graham J. Cook. Lang is the company’s
ninth president in its 108-year history. Cook
remains chairman through February 2015.
Lang joined Homesteaders as ececutive vice
president in 2008, overseeing the company’s
sales, marketing and customer service departments, and was named COO in March
2010. He previously was an executive at
Forethought Financial Services for 20 years,
serving as CEO from 2001 until 2006. Immediately prior to joining Homesteaders, he
owned an executive recruiting company.
1.800.477.3633; www.homesteaderslife.com
n Life Celebration Inc., North
Wales, Pennsylvania, has made a
free informational
DVD available. The
30-minute video
features in-depth
presentations,
Life Celebration’s
general discussions
DVD presentation.
and a question-andanswer segment.
1.888.887.3782;
[email protected];
www.lifecelebrationinc.com
n Funeral Directors Life INsurance Co., Abilene, Texas, has awarded a
Memorial Scholarship to Kyle Dungan so
that he can pursue his education as a mortuary school student at Amarillo College. He
recently graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in mass communications.
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S U P P LY L I N E
Also, the company has hired
Michael Robinson as market
center manager. A graduate
of West Texas
A&M University, Canyon,
Texas, Robinson spent 10
Dungan
years building
and leading
youth ministries and vol- Robinson
unteer groups.
Also, Scott Tufto has been
hired as as director of sales
development for Minnesota.
Tufto has more than 15 years’
Tufto
experience in management
and sales. He is co-owner of
Sympathy Florists in Minneapolis.
www.funeraldirectorslife.com
One of Meadow
Hill’s new catalogs.
n Meadow Hill,
Fox River Grove, Illinois, has introduced
its 2014 product catalogs, Keepsakes that
Tell Stories. Featured
in the new catalogs is
the extended collection of Noble Bronze
pieces launched last
fall. 1.877.848.6243;
info@meadowhillco.
com;
www.meadowhillco.
com
n FRONTRUNNER PROFESSIONAL,
Kingston, Ontario, has hired webcasting
specialist Callum Winsor.
He will lead and develop
the North American division of One Room, a service
that offers high-definition,
cloud-based streaming accessible from any device.
Also, the company now has
an in-house certified Search Winsor
Engine Optimization team.
Clients can choose from one of the company’s monthly SEO maintenance packages.
1.866.748.3625; www.FrontRunner360.com
n Unity FInancial
Life Insurance Co.,
Cincinnati, Ohio, has named
Jay Hardy president and
COO. Hardy was previously
executive vice president and
chief marketing officer. He
has been a full-time officer
Hardy
Start every day at the ICCFA Café at www.iccfa.com
since 2007 and a board member and investor since 2001. Tom Hardy will continue
as chairman and CEO. Also, Elaine Greer,
who has been with the company since 2010,
has been promoted to assistant vice president and corporate secretary.
1.877.523.3231; www.uflife.com
n Trigard, Danville, Illinois, has
introduced its new 12-by-12-inch cremation memorial. It allows for in-ground
interment in a footprint much smaller than
traditional cremation memorials.
1.800.637.1992; www.trigard.com
n Pierce Chemical, Broadview,
Illinois, recently presented achievement
awards to regional sales representatives.
David Hicks (Kentucky, parts of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia) received the Bill Pierce
Award, given for demonstrating exemplary
professionalism and above-and-beyond
efforts. In 2013, he taught a seminar at MidAmerica College of Funeral Service and was
a presenter at the inaugural interactive video
conference held by Pierce Colleges.
Charles Miles (North Carolina and
South Carolina) earned the award for the
Greatest Increase in Overall Sales. Michael
Kuruc (Pennsylvania, Maryland, District of
Columbia, and parts of Virginia and West
Virginia) was given the award for Greatest
Increase in Fluid Sales. Don Summers (parts
of Texas) was honored for Top Sales of Memorial Books. The Pierce 110 Percent Club
Award, for sales representatives whose 2013
sales were at least 110 percent of those in
2012, went to Charles Miles (North Carolina, South Carolina), Tommy Johnson (parts
of Georgia), David Hicks (Kentucky, and
parts of Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia)
and Chris Grimsley (parts of Alabama,
Florida, Georgia and Tennessee).
1.800.527.6419; www.piercechemical.com
n F.A.C. Marketing, Burlington,
Iowa, offers a turnkey social media package to funeral homes, including Facebook
engagement. The firm also has introduced
its new Preneed 1, 2, 3 Program centered
around customizable direct mail piece that
directs consumers to a website featuring
educational video about preplanning and
prefunding. It also includes advertising
support. To access a demonstration of the
website, go to www.preneed123.com and
enter the code “plan.” 1.800.800.5809; www.
facmarketing.com
n InventHelp, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has a head stone protector available
for licensing or sale to a manufacturer. The
protector prevents wear and tear to a memorial due to the elements and groundskeeping
equipment.
r
1.800.424.2089; www.InventHelp.com
Above and below, Trigard’s new cremation
memorial, which has a smaller footprint
than traditional cremation memorials.
SVE AD
1/6 V
4-COLOR
May 2014
51
A d in d e x
23 Abbott & Hast
45 American Cemetery/Mortuary
Consultants
23 ASD—Answering Service for
Directors
2 Batesville Casket
53 Continental Computer Corp.
7 Cremation With Confidence
21 Duncan Stuart Todd
23 Elegante Brass Co.
29 Ensure-A-Seal
9 Flowers for Cemeteries
9 Forever Pets Inc.
17 Funeral Call
25 Funeral Home Gifts
17 Grever & Ward
Classifieds
19 Mortuary Financial Services
23 Nomis Publications
29 Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell &
Hippel
47 Paradise Pictures
9 Rossato Giovanni SRL
31 Security National Life Insurance Co.
21 SEP Technologies
45 Supply Link
51 SVE Portable Roadway Systems
13 Trigard
5 U.S. Metalcraft
9 WithumSmith + Brown
33 Worsham College
29 Zontec Ozone
r
17 Holy Land Stone
43 Homesteaders Life Co.
21 Imagineframing.com Inc.
34 IMSA
49 Johnson Consulting
29 Keith M. Merrick Co.
31 Kryprotek
55 Live Oak Bank
15 LP Bronze International
19 Madelyn Co.
45 Maderas y Metales SA de CV
56 Matthews International
11 Meadow Hill Corp.
39 Merendino Cemetery Care
3 Messenger
27 MKJ Marketing
Check the classified announcements at www.iccfa.com/employment.htm
To place a classified, contact Rick Platter, [email protected]
CAST ALUMINUM LOT MARKERS
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Calendar
➤E-mail calendar listings and additions or
corrections to Association Pipeline to
[email protected]
➤For continually updated meeting listings
May 14-16: Ohio Funeral Directors Assn. Annual
Convention & Exhibition, Hilton Columbus at
Easton, www.ofdaonline.org
May 19: National Museum of Funeral History
2oth Annual Golf Classic, Kingwood Country Club,
Houston, Texas. www.nmfh.org
May 19-21: Minnesota Funeral Directors Assn.
Annual Convention, Earle Brown Convention
Center, Minneapolis. [email protected]
May 21-24: Funeral Service Assn. of Canada
Annual General Mtg. & Convention, Delta St.
John’s, St. John’s, Newfoundland. www.fsac.ca
Assn. Annual Convention, Omni Tucson National
Resort. www.azfcca.org
June 4-7: Independent Funeral Directors of Florida
Annual Conf., Kissimmee Embassy Suites, Lake
Buena Vista South. www.ifdf.org
June 5-7: Tennessee Funeral Directors Assn./
Tennessee Funeral Supply Sales Club Annual
Convention, Embassy Suite Hotel & Conf. Center,
Murfreesboro. 1.800.532.1599
June 8-10: Mississippi Funeral Directors Assn.
Annual Convention, Beau Rivage Hotel & Casino,
Biloxi. www.mississippifuneraldirectors.com
June 8-11: Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Assn.
Annual Convention, Holiday Inn, Grantville.
www.pfda.org
June 9-11: West Virginia Funeral Directors Assn.
Annual Convention, Morgantown. www.wvfda.com
June 2-5: The Center for Loss & Life Transition
course with Dr. Alan Wolfelt, Comprehensive Bereavement Skills Training, Fort Collins, Colorado.
www.centerforloss.com
June 4-6: Arizona Funeral, Cemetery & Cremation
and direct links to websites for professional
associations, go to www.iccfa.com; select
Directory, then Industry Association Directory.
➤To see all industry conventions and meetings
for a particular month, go to www.iccfa.com;
select Directory, then Industry Calendar.
June 9-13: Texas Funeral Directors Assn.Annual
Convention, Galveston. www.tfda.com
June 15-18: Alabama Funeral Directors Assn.
128th Annual Convention, Marriott’s Grand Hotel &
Spa, Point Clear. [email protected]
June 15-18: Georgia Funeral Directors Assn.
Annual Convention, King & Prince Hotel, St.
Simons. www.gfda.com
June 16-18: Western Pennsylvania Funeral
Directors Assn. 106th Annual Convention,
Ambassador Conf. Center, Erie. www.wpfda.org
June 16-19: Funeral Directors & Morticians Assn.
of North Carolina Annual Convention, Durham
Convention Center. www.fdmanc.org
June 17-19: Funeral Directors Assn. of Kentucky
State Convention & Mid-West Regional Funeral
Trade Show, Hyatt Regency Hotel & International
Convention Center, Louisville. www.fdaofky.com
52
ICCFA Magazine
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Continental AD
FULL PAGE
page 53
4-COLOR
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 a benefits
brochure and an application form.
• Call 1.800.645.7700 to have membership information faxed or
mailed to you.
Regular
Cathedral Memorial Gardens
Garden Grove, California
Cemetery
Catholic Cemeteries Diocese of San Jose
Los Altos, California
City of Santa Monica Woodlawn Cemetery
& Mausoleum
Santa Monica, California
City of Winnipeg
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery
Colma, California
Marana Mortuary Cemetery
Marana, Arizona
Sacred Park Cemetery Inc.
Weslaco, Texas
Seven Stones
Golden, Colorado
Aldous Funeral Home Inc.
Rutland, Vermont
Amety Ltd.
Ottawa, Ontario
Bella Vida Funeral Home
Meridian, Idaho
Bergen Funeral Service Inc.
Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey
Citizens Funeral Services
Los Angeles, California
Cremation & Funeral Gallery
Billings, Montana
Deiters Funeral Home
Washington, Illiois
Giminski-Wysocki Funeral Home Inc.
Syracuse, New York
Griffin Mortuary
Kearny, Arizona
Houser-Millard Funeral Directors
Jefferson Cty, Missouri
Membership applications
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.
Indiana Funeral Care & Crematory
Indianapolis, Indiana
Lietz-Fraze Funeral Home & Crematory
Lake Havasu City, Arizona
Lisovetsky Memorial Home
Brooklyn, New York
McCaleb Funeral Home
Weslaco, Texas
Porter Funeral Home & Crematory
Lenexa, Kansas
St Peter Chapel
Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
The Borden Mortuary Group
Louisville, Kentucky
Thielen Funeral Home
Burlington, Iowa
Thompson Funeral Chapel
Goodyear, Arizona
Thorn Black Funeral Home
Cambridge, Ihio
Ward Funeral Home
Weston, Ontario
Professionals: Pet Loss Services
Arbor Day Foundation
Lincoln, Nebraska
My Pets at Rest
Madison, Mississippi
Professional/Supplier/Allied
Capstone Preneed
Northport, Alabama
HGA Architects
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Kingfish Group
Foster City, California
Leap Tie Inc.
East Bloomfield, New York
LSS Developments LLP
Santa Barbara, California
Blissful Tribure Inc.
Richmond Hill, Ontario
Blue Nebula Consulting
Chicago, Illinois
Brown-Wilbert Inc.
Roseville, Minnesota
Clearpoint Federal Bank and Trust
Batesville, Indiana
CremainGem
San Jose, California
Executive Coach Builders Inc.
Springfield, Missouri
Farewell Products ULC
Cote St Luc, Quebec
G2 Funeral Group
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Heartland Peneed Systems
Brookville, Indiana
Honeycomb Casket Co.
Toronto, Ontario
Honorable Memories LLC
Bismarck, North Dakota
ImagineFraming.com Inc.
Santa Clara, California
Masterpiece Urns
Delavan, Wisconsin
PermaProducts
Banks, Oregon
Permeco
LaVerne, California
Personalized Platinum Caskets
Edna, Texas
Pharmatex
Palm Desert, California
Sich Casket Co Ltd., Tsuen Wan N.T.
Hong Kong
Sweet Pet Memories
Oakland, California
r
c alen d a r
➤from page 52
June 17-24: Assn. for Gravestone Studies Annual
Conf., Franklin College, Franklin, Indiana.
www.gravestonestudies.org
June 18-21: Virginia Morticians Assn. Annual
54
ICCFA Magazine
Convention, Doubletree Hilton, Williamsburg.
www.virginiamorticiansassociation.org
June 18-21: Wisconsin Assn. of Monument
Builders Convention, Blue Harbort Resort,
Sheboygan. 920.684.3829
June 19-21: Southern Monument Builders Assn.
Convention & Trade Show, Paragon Casino Resort,
Marksville, Louisiana. 817.332.2689
June 22-24: Montana Funeral Directors Assn.
& Wyoming Funeral Directors Assn.; Billings,
Montana. 1.888.449.7440
r
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Live Oak Bank AD
FULL PAGE
page C3 (page 55)
4-COLOR
Matthews AD
FULL PAGE
page C-4 (p 56)
4-COLOR
