By Thomas A. Parmalee
Danielle L. Nicholas, 33, a funeral director with Lamm & Witman Funeral Home in Wernersville, Pennsylvania, has been named February’s Unsung Hero of Funeral Service, a recognition program sponsored by Ring Ring Marketing and FuneralVision.com
“Dani” was born and raised in Berks County, Pennsylvania and is a 2008 graduate of Wilson High School. After high school, she first graduated from Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences as a certified and registered radiologic technologist, and later from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, where she earned her specialized technology degree in funeral service arts and sciences. She has worked for Lamm & Witman since October 2017.
Nicholas was nominated by Maria Kaufman, president of the funeral home, who noted that Nicholas began working for the funeral home part time while working a full-time job. “She then continued to work part time for the funeral home, a full-time job, and go to school online to obtain her license,” she said. “Once licensed, she began her full-time work for the funeral home. She goes above and beyond her job duties and deserves recognition for her hard work that she puts in day in and day out.”
Kaufman recalled a time when Nicholas met with a pair of friends who were making arrangements for a deceased man. “They told her that he could be buried in a hospital gown,” she shared. “They did not know if he still had any clothing. She told them that she would personally go out and purchase something for him to wear, so that he would not have to be buried in a hospital gown.”
Day in and day out, Nicholas does her job with an upbeat attitude, even though she has an on-call schedule. “She also has good communication with families, which is hard to find nowadays,” Kaufman said.
When she was a registered radiologic technologist, Nicholas worked in the intensive care unit, emergency department, trauma department and the morgue, she said.
“I found myself in many situations talking to people that were about to encounter one of the most difficult times of their lives – dealing with their loved one dying, or their loved one tragically dying in the emergency department,” she said. “I have always been a compassionate person, so between these experiences and having a friend in the funeral business, I feel that I had a calling in my late twenties to get into the funeral business.”
She had never considered that possibility growing up.
“I always knew I wanted to help people in some way or another, and that led me right to the medical field when I was younger,” she said. “However, I learned that being a funeral director was a different way that I was able to help people in a time of need.”
She landed the job at Lamm & Witman while in mortuary school.
“I needed to find a funeral home to do my competencies with, and I was very fortunate that a close friend of mine had a sister-in-law that was a funeral director,” she said. “She reached out to me to set up an interview, and we instantly connected.”
At Lamm & Witman, she learned the basics of funeral directing and how the profession works. “I had never had any prior experience in the field before I started school. I have been working at Lamm & Witman ever since,” Nicholas said.
The best part of being a funeral director, she said, is being able to help people get through a very difficult time in their life and being a source of comfort to them. “I am here to help honor their loved one in the best way that I can while trying to make it as easy as I can for them – the family is already dealing with enough,” she said. “You build relationships with the families you meet, and typically encounter them more than just one time. Most days, it is more than just a job.”
For those in funeral service who may be struggling, Nicholas urged them to “keep going.” She added, “It’s not always easy being a funeral director. It is more a way of life than a career. There are hard days, and there are many rewarding days, and days that make you think, ‘This is why I do what I do.’ We make sacrifices often, so that others don’t have to suffer. Just always remember to save something for yourself.”
Her most important mentor has been and continues to be the funeral director who she has worked with since 2017 – and who nominated her as an unsung hero – Kaufman.
“I was lucky that I was able to begin working with her as a student through mortuary school and then continue to work with her after I graduated and became licensed,” she said. “She has taken me under her wing and taught me everything I know about the funeral industry. Maria is very knowledgeable and has had a lot of experience at different funeral homes. She has been a funeral director for 15 years, and any question I have, she always has an answer. I feel very lucky to have been able to work alongside her and learn from her for the last seven years.”
Asked what it felt like to be the first Unsung Hero recognized by Ring Ring Marketing and FuneralVision.com, she said it is an honor. “I have worked very hard to get where I am today, and it is nice to be recognized, so I thank you for this award!” she said.
Each Unsung Hero recognized by Ring Ring Marketing and FuneralVision.com will receive a $100 gift card, courtesy of Welton Hong, the founder of Ring Ring. There will be a maximum of one winner per month, selected on a rolling basis.
Nominate someone to be recognized as an Unsung Hero of Funeral Service.
Hong said he was impressed by all that Nicholas has accomplished at her firm.
“She truly is the embodiment of what our Unsung Hero program is all about,” he said. “We all have bad days, but you can count on her to always come to work, ready to help families and ready to help her business succeed. The team at Ring Ring appreciates all she does for her community, and we hope the $100 will allow her to enjoy dinner on us after a stressful day, a day at an amusement park on her day off, a trip to an area museum or whatever else will help her put herself first for a little while.”
Thomas Parmalee, founder of FuneralVision.com, also congratulated Nicholas on the honor. “She is like so many other funeral professionals who serve their communities day in and day out,” he said. “Welton and I and the entire team at Ring Ring Marketing just want funeral professionals like Danielle know how much we appreciate all they do.”
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