In a business notoriously slow to change, funeral and burial trends in the U.S. have changed markedly over the past ten years. Cremation rates have shot up, prompting funeral homes to add the word “cremation” to their names. The rise of social media and “life celebrations” have funeral homes scrambling to figure out how to remain relevant.
Tom Antram, CEO, FRENCH Funerals-Cremations
How does a forward-thinking funeral provider respond to change? Tom Antram has been with the FRENCH Family of Companies for 20 years and helped guide the company to be on the leading edge of funeral best practices.
Tom Antram, President and CEO of FRENCH Funerals-Cremations, joins host Gail Rubin on A Good Goodbye Radio on Wednesday, March 26 at 6:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. PT on TogiNet Talk Radio to discuss trends in funerals and memorial services.
The FRENCH Family of Companies includes FRENCH Funerals-Cremations, FRENCH Advance Planning, Sunset Memorial Park, Best Friends Pet Services, Best Friends Forever Pet Cemetery and Cremation Society of New Mexico (CSNM). FRENCH is the recipient of the National Funeral Directors Association’s 2012 Pursuit of Excellence® Award and a member of Selected Independent Funeral Homes. Their website is www.FrenchFunerals.com.
Topics include:
- How the rising cremation rate is changing the U.S. funeral home
- Why “celebration of life” is becoming the preferred description for a funeral
- What impact social media makes when there is a death in the family
- New trends in marketing, outreach and best practices
- Why grief support and how-to classes on estate follow-up make a big difference for families after a death
Download the podcast!
FRENCH Funerals – Cremations is Albuquerque’s largest and oldest family-owned funeral service company, founded by Chester T. French in 1907. FRENCH one of the few remaining locally owned and operated funeral and cremation businesses serving this community.
A Good Goodbye is an entertaining and educational weekly 60-minute online radio show on “everything you need to know before you go.” The program airs live on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. CT / 4:00 p.m. MT / 3:00 p.m. PT on TogiNet Talk Radio.
Each show becomes available as a podcast shortly after each live program. All past program podcasts on A Good Goodbye radio can be downloaded for free from iTunes, TogiNet Talk Radio or AGoodGoodbye.com.
A Good Goodbye covers a wide range of critical information most people don’t consider until there’s a death in the family. Host Gail Rubin, CT, brings a light touch to a serious subject and presents expert interviews on funeral planning issues with practical insights into the party no one wants to plan.
By planning ahead and having a conversation, families can reduce stress at a time of grief, minimize family conflict, save money and create a meaningful, memorable “good goodbye.”
Sign up for a free planning form and get more information at www.AGoodGoodbye.com.
# # #
ABOUT GAIL RUBIN
Gail Rubin, CT, The Doyenne of Death®
Gail Rubin, CT, The Doyenne of Death®, is author of the award-winning book, A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die. Host of A Good Goodbye television series and Internet radio show, she is a Certified Thanatologist (that’s a death educator) and a popular speaker who uses humor and films to get the funeral planning conversation started. She’s also a Certified Funeral Celebrant, funeral planning consultant, and insurance agent.
Rubin is a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling, the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, and the National Speakers Association New Mexico Chapter. She is Vice President of the Jewish-Christian Dialogue of New Mexico, helping to start conversations across religions. Her website is www.AGoodGoodbye.com.