2013: Nederland Mayor Joe Gierlach and Gail Rubin
There’s a story in today’s Denver Post by Emilie Rusch titled “Doyenne of Death encourages laughter in face of funeral planning.” Here’s the start of the story:
When it comes to the top expenses a household will face, you’ve got the cost of buying a home, college tuition, cars, weddings — and funerals — according to an expert in death and bereavement.
Despite its financial implications, the inevitable end is a topic not many families are eager to address or plan for, said Gail Rubin, a certified thanatologist, Internet radio show host and author in Albuquerque.
“Today, you could pay for a funeral and burial in the range of $10,000,” Rubin said. “It’s something that a lot of people don’t look at until they have to, and then they’re like, ‘Oh, my God, I had no idea it was so expensive.’ “
Rubin will be in Colorado this week to share her expertise and light-hearted approach to an otherwise heart-stopping topic.
The self-proclaimed “Doyenne of Death” will give a free hour-long talk on funeral planning March 6 at Carroll-Lewellen Funeral Home in Longmont. “Laughing in the Face of Death” features humorous clips from movies such as “The Big Lebowski” and “Death at a Funeral” — as well as popcorn and refreshments.
Afterward, Rubin will head to Nederland to join the party for one of the state’s most famous dearly departed, Bredo Morstoel, otherwise known as the Frozen Dead Guy. At Frozen Dead Guy Days on March 8-9, Rubin will host “The Newly Dead Game,” a play on the “The Newlywed Game” that challenges couples to answer end-of-life questions about their significant others.
“Laughing releases endorphins into your system, and endorphins help you relax. People definitely feel uptight about death and dying,” Rubin said. “By helping people laugh, it allows them to consider the next part of the conversation — what are you going to do about it?”