TGIF From TIFG!

Oct 16

3 min read

Thank goodness it’s Friday! Who else is gearing up for a trip to Charlotte later this month? It’s a busy time of year for everyone, so we thought we’d share this past week’s news in small snippets that you can snap up in seconds.

I’d love to hear from you!

You, your family, and the very walls of your funeral home have so many stories to share, and I want to hear them all! Please feel free to reach me anytime at patricia@tifg.net with any anecdotes, news, tips, or story ideas.

This week, I’d especially like to know:

Is your funeral home “haunted”? I’d love to write about your spooky experiences!
Does your firm sponsor any Halloween-themed events for your community?
Do you help your community observe Día de los Muertos?

Email me, and we’ll set up a time to talk at your convenience!

Highlights and headlines

↪ A family is suing a South Carolina funeral home for a refund of the $13,000 funeral costs after the firm admitted accidentally dressing and placing the wrong person in their loved one’s clothes and casket.

↪ This 80-year-old (and very much alive) Georgia woman’s “FOMO funeral” might be the best thing we’ve seen all week! Could this fun idea open up an entirely new revenue stream for funeral homes? ;)

↪ Here’s a new allegation for the deathcare docket: A funeral home owner in Connecticut has been accused of stalking a former business partner.

↪ Some relatively good news and more bad news from the ongoing South Chicago Chapel saga: All 55 bodies found decomposing in the funeral home in August have now been identified, but in a recent hearing, the sole funeral director and embalmer denied state charges of incompetent and untrustworthy practices, unprofessional conduct, and regulatory violations. Hmmm …

↪ SCI’s new recruiting video speaks the truth: AI can never take the place of human funeral directors

↪ Our friends at Denver’s picturesque Fairmount Cemetery have had to publicly request that anyone using the grounds as a backdrop for photos should show some respect to the deceased and their families after someone damaged a resting place with fake blood during a Halloween photo op.

Practitioner spotlight

Did you know that Spry Funeral Home in Huntsville, Alabama was the first firm in North Alabama to build and operate a crematory? The year was 1986, and the average cremation rate in the United States was just 14.28% — and less than 2% of Alabamians were choosing cremation. But the forward-thinking Sprys were obviously on to something, as just 10 years later they had to add a second machine to meet the demand for their cremation services.

For the Good of the Group (and Anyone Else!)

COMMUNITY OUTREACH: These upcoming holidays and observances are great opportunities for your funeral home or cemetery to reach out to your communities with anything from a few social media posts to a hosted event:

November — National Hospice and Palliative Care Month — A natural touchpoint for funeral homes to thank and collaborate with these providers.
November 2 — All Souls’ Day — Encourage families to honor their deceased loved ones through permanent placement of cremated remains (see this example from Colorado), perhaps with a gentle reminder of any remains that have not yet been claimed.
November 3 — Funeral Professional Day — An international observance established by the Latin American Association of Cemeteries and Funeral Services and supported by FIAT-IFTA to honor deathcare workers across all sectors worldwide.
November 11 — Veterans’ Day — Thank and honor all veterans, living or deceased, who have served honorably.
November 19 — National Children’s Grief Awareness Day — Highlight the need for specialized youth grief support before the holiday season, and maybe promote your own grief services or aftercare programs.

CONTINUING EDUCATION: Funding Prearranged Funerals, presented by Brianne Niedermyer of Homesteaders Life Company on Wednesday, November 11. Don’t miss this one!

In Case You Missed It

Here’s what The Group has published recently in The Practitioners’ Post:

FUNERAL