By Thomas A. Parmalee Cole West and John Baker, the founders of Cambridge Memorial Group, have been a familiar fixture at deathcare conventions for the past year or so. The two young men, both 30 years old, stand out: They’re sharply dressed, well-spoken and interested in acquiring funeral homes. Now,…
Read MoreRobert “Bob” Vandenbergh, a past president of the National Funeral Directors Association and longtime Michigan funeral service leader, died May 26, 2026, at the age of 78, according to his obituary. Widely respected for his leadership, mentorship and uncompromising standards of excellence, Vandenbergh spent decades shaping both the profession and…
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By Thomas A. Parmalee For decades, Ruthann Disotell has occupied a place in funeral service that rarely fits neatly into a job title. She has been an embalmer, a funeral director, a funeral home owner, a recruiter, an aftercare specialist, a Jewish funeral home manager (even though she isn’t Jewish),…
Read MoreIn a recent episode of Two Guys and a Question, industry veterans Alan Creedy and Danny Jefferson tackled a deceptively simple topic with major implications for funeral home operators: the tendency to “step over dollars to pick up nickels.” The conversation centered on how funeral homes, particularly multi-location firms, often…
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By Thomas A. Parmalee Broylman Memorial Group recently announced that it has acquired the assets of Russellville Family Funeral Home in Russellville, Arkansas. According to the funeral home's website, Pam Smith owned the firm; she has 18 years of experience helping families in the River Valley. The website notes,…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee Timothy Totten, who founded Final Embrace in 2001, died of heart failure on May 11. According to the company's website, "Tim created Final Embrace in a one-car garage in 2001 while working in a small family funeral home. Utilizing sewing skills he learned from his grandmothers,…
Read MoreFor many in funeral service, the profession is something they choose later in life. For Tom Anderson, it was a responsibility that arrived suddenly — and one that ultimately shaped a decades-long career that continues today through journalism, commentary and industry analysis. During a recent episode of The Graveyard Shift,…
Read MoreBy Rehan Choudhry, founder and CEO of Chptr As the billboards in Times Square went to black and the first image of #TheFirstCall campaign flashed across the screen, my hands visibly trembled with anticipation. It began with a simple image: a bright yellow background with oversized letters that read “and…
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By Thomas A. Parmalee Service Corporation International reported first-quarter results April 29, and the one big takeaway is this: If you’ve seen a decrease in funeral volumes, it’s not you. Against that backdrop, however, SCI still performed well, generating adjusted earnings per share of 97 cents compared with 96 cents…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee In a profession where recognition often comes quietly — if at all — the National Funeral Directors Association has a way of calling attention to stories that resonate. This year, one of those stories belongs to Jennifer Schlosser. When Schlosser, a licensed funeral director, embalmer, preneed…
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By Jay Jacobson Pictured at top: The author at age five with Aunt Judy. There comes a moment for many of us in funeral service when grief stops being something we guide others through and becomes something we have to carry ourselves. We know the language of loss. We know…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee Edwin Jackson’s mom broke the news to him at age 13: It was time for him to get a job. “The conversation revolved around me not being good enough to be in the NBA … and it was time to get myself acclimated to the workforce,”…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee In an era where cremation has become the dominant form of disposition across North America, suppliers to the funeral profession must rethink not only what they make — but how they deliver value. Few companies illustrate that shift more clearly than Starmark, a wholly owned subsidiary…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee In funeral service, much of the profession’s most important work happens out of sight. Families see the arrangement room, the chapel and the graveside service. They see the funeral director who guides them through one of the hardest moments of their lives. What they rarely see…
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