TGIF From TIFG!
Thank goodness it’s Friday! If you joined us in Charlotte for the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) Annual Convention and Expo, chances are you’re especially glad to see the word “Friday” on your calendar. It’s always a worthwhile experience, but whew … it’s a LOT! So let’s take a moment to simmer down and enjoy a few other newsworthy items and upcoming events — and please check out my special request to our readers!
ATTN: Funeral homes with veteran connections
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 a veteran part of your funeral home’s story? Perhaps a founder started his business after returning from a tour of duty in WWI, WWII, or another conflict?
Do you honor your community’s veterans every November? How so?
Email me, and we’ll set up a time to talk at your convenience!
Highlights and headlines
↪ Mom is missing: A Louisiana family is desperately searching for the supposedly-cremated remains of their loved one who died on May 27 — just two months before the funeral home handling her disposition shut down. All remains left in the building were collected by the coroner’s office, but hers were not among them, and the crematory named on the family’s paperwork stopped doing business with the funeral home weeks before the loved one’s death. It’s a mess in which no family, no crematory, and no other funeral home wants to be entangled — and one that we pray is resolved soon.
↪ Unclaimed, but honored: The Montgomery County, Pennsylvania coroner’s office just broke ground on a 200-square-foot concrete structure that will provide a permanent resting place for the office’s nearly-300 sets of unclaimed cremated remains — or a temporary spot for those that are eventually claimed. It’s the first of its kind in Pennsylvania, and a great blueprint for any other entity struggling with this growing problem.
↪ Justice is being served: Last week, two former members of the deathcare community faced their punishments for doing terrible things and disgracing the profession:
Former Pennsylvania pet crematory owner Patrick Vereb Sr. pleaded guilty to all charges of theft after pocketing more than $650,000 from customers from 2021 to 2024 and presenting them with fake cremated remains.
Former Connecticut funeral director Philip Pietras pleaded guilty to larceny and attempt to defraud after gambling away more than $1.2 million paid by 130 customers for preneed contracts. He’ll spend 15 years in prison, with half of that term suspended, and is supposed to repay his victims.
Practitioner spotlight
The Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, is a traditional Mexican holiday celebrated on November 1 and 2 (All Saints Day and All Souls Day, respectively) where families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives for a joyful reunion. It’s a wonderful opportunity for deathcare professionals to share the beauty of remembering our late loved ones in a joyful, celebratory way.
Pictured above: DeWayne and Stephanie Hughes and Star, the Hughes Family Tribute Center therapy pup.
DeWayne and Stephanie Hughes, co-owners of Hughes Family Tribute Center in Dallas, Texas, embraced this opportunity 12 years ago with their annual Celebración del Día de Muertos, held next-door to the funeral home at Crown Hill Memorial Park and Mausoleum. An authentic celebration of family and culture, the free community-wide celebration includes live mariachi music, Mayan dance performances, local artists, folklorico dancers, food vendors, face painting, children's games, and more.
This year’s event began on Saturday, October 17, with and will culminate on Monday, November 2 with an evening performance by Carolina Imperial, a Mexico-born singer and songwriter specializing in Mexican and mariachi music. This year, the Hugheses added an exhibition by local artists who celebrate culture as well as life and death through their work. In 2012, the inaugural celebration drew a crowd of less than 100 people, but that number has grown exponentially as more and more people discover the Hughes family’s incredible gift to their community.
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:
