By Thomas A. Parmalee When Seth Viddal founded The Natural Funeral in 2019, his goal was simple but radical: to help families reconnect with death in ways that reflected their environmental and spiritual values. Now, just six years later, his Lafayette, Colorado–based funeral home is entering a new chapter —…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee Jamie Meredith never imagined a future in funeral service. Growing up in Urania, Louisiana — a small town of fewer than a thousand people — he learned the value of hard work from his father, a truck driver; and his mother, a beautician. “I went to…
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In the latest episode of Two Guys and a Question, funeral service innovators Alan Creedy and Danny Jefferson tackle a topic that’s never been more important: rebuilding trust between funeral directors and their communities. Host Danny Jefferson recalls how a simple act of connection — striking up a conversation with…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee When Cole Imperi boarded one of the last flights out of New York City in March 2020, she didn’t know she was heading home to launch a movement. At the time, she was deep into a doctoral program, juggling her work as a consultant for film…
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By Thomas A. Parmalee When funeral home owner Matt Linn talks about legacy, he’s not just referring to headstones or obituaries. He’s talking about the roar of a stadium crowd, the smell of the turf and the memories that bind generations of fans to their teams. As the owner of…
Read MoreIf you enter "Private Label Caskets" into Google, you may stumble upon something that might be news to you: The company is closing. The all-important Google Business listing on the right-hand margin of Google notes that the company is "permanently closed" as per the image at the top of this…
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By Thomas A. Parmalee When visitors arrive at Better Place Forests’ St. Croix Valley location in Minnesota, they often come seeking something more than a walk among the trees. Some come to visit a loved one’s memorial tree. Others come to explore, to find a spot that feels right for…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee Bob Arrington tended to disappear when he was seven years old, but his mother always knew where to find him … at the local funeral home. It was across the street from his elementary school and was where he spent most of his free time. He…
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By Jay Jacobson, founder of Jacobson Professional Staffing An obituary has always been sacred ground. It is where a name becomes a story, where a life lived finds its voice one final time. For generations, that story was printed in the newspaper. Today, it lives online, where words travel farther and…
Read MoreMandy Stafford, preplanning and national partnerships manager for Return Home, recently joined Alan Creedy and Danny Jefferson on their podcast Two Guys and a Question to discuss how her company is helping families embrace a new, natural approach to death care through natural organic reduction — also known as terramation…
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By Thomas A. Parmalee Lisa Baue’s book “Wake-Up Calls: A Journey of Learning to Lead and Succeed in the Funeral and Deathcare Profession” lives up to its name, with the author candidly sharing moments in her life that allowed her to grow as an individual and leader. Like all good…
Read MoreBob Ekins, a longtime executive at Johnson Consulting Group, has made a big move -- joining Newcomer Funeral Service Group as vice president of field operations. In an announcement on LinkedIn, the company stated that he'd be working closely with Newcomer-owned firms across the country and will report to Chief Operating…
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Leviathan Winn has been named chief financial officer of Foundation Partners Group, the company announced on its LinkedIn page. Leviathan brings more than 20 years of finance, mergers & acquisitions, strategy, digital, and retail services experience. FPG said in its post, "Leviathan brings proven experience leading financial operations turnarounds and…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee Talla Kuperman will never forget the moment she discovered fingerprint jewelry. She was sitting in a funeral home across from a funeral director, drowning in grief after losing her brother, Amir, to cancer. “She gently slid a manila folder across the desk to me,” she recalled.…
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