I was dismayed to learn that Allison Copening, founder of Seasons Funeral Planning in Las Vegas, Nevada, recently died at the age of 55 after a cardiac event. When people younger than you die, it’s a mortality moment.
Ever a giving person, and a firm believer in organ donation, as death approached, Allison donated parts of her that will be life-saving to as many as 84 people.
She was a former Nevada State Senator and she also worked in broadcasting.
Visitation will be held Thursday, January 23, 2020 from 5pm-8pm at Kraft-Sussman Funeral & Cremation Services located at 3975 S Durango Dr #104, Las Vegas, NV 89147 (a great locally- and woman-owned service). The visitation is open to the public for those who wish to pay their respects.
A Celebration of Life Service will be Friday, January 24, 2020 at 11:00am at Canyon Ridge Christian Church located at 6200 W Lone Mountain Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89130. The ceremony is open to the public for those who wish to pay their respects.
A private, family only, procession will proceed to Palm Mortuary Northwest cemetery. Burial ceremony is not open to the public or press.
Allison’s Podcast Interview
Allison was a guest on my A Good Goodbye podcast back in January of 2014. She had just started her business, and what a great idea!
Seasons Funeral Planning wasn’t a funeral home nor were they aiming take the place of the funeral home. They were guidance counselors a family would see before visiting or selecting a funeral provider. They helped families better understand the process and determine the best funeral home to meet their needs and budget. Then they took on many of the tasks that funeral directors leave to the family. (It looks like the site has not been updated in a while.)
Here’s what Allison had to say about why she started Seasons Funeral Planning:
“It sprang from having attended the funerals of friends and family members, and walking away feeling somewhat disappointed in the way that the memorial service unfolded,” she said.
She gave an example of a funeral for a vivacious woman was very somber and traditional, not at all reflective of her life.
“We can and should do better than this. We should honor our dead in a proper way. They gave so much in the lives that they lived, that in this couple of hours that we’re bidding them a farewell, we should do it in the best way possible that captures their personality.”
Allison spoke at length about topics such as:
- How a funeral planning service is different from a funeral home
- Why families are often uninformed about all the details associated with a death
- What families need to know if there’s an unexpected death
- Who uses outside funeral planning services
- What are Certified Celebrants and what they do that’s so special
I pray that Allison did her own funeral planning and that the memorial events to celebrate her life will effectively reflect the warm and giving person that she was.