Gail Rubin, Certified Thanatologist and The Doyenne of Death®
Gail Rubin, Certified Thanatologist and the Doyenne of Death®, is a pioneering death educator who uses humor, television and film clips, and outside-the-box activities to teach about death and encourage end-of-life planning. A doyenne is a woman considered senior in a group who knows a lot about a particular subject.
This Wednesday, October 13, Gail is speaking at the Prime Time 50+ EXPO, taking place at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 1000 Woodward Place NE, Albuquerque, NM. The FREE event takes place from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. In addition to her speaking session, there are free health screenings, entertainment, food and more than 75 displays of products and services of interest to seniors and their families.
Gail’s expo presentation at 11:00 a.m. is “Not Planning to Die with The Kominsky Method.” This talk provides a sneak peek at the presentation she is making as part of the fifth annual Before I Die New Mexico Festival.
“Bette Davis owned a needlepoint pillow that read “Getting old ain’t for sissies.” Boy, isn’t that the truth,” said Rubin. “Aging holds challenges for all of us: physical declines, family, friends, and pets dying, and unrelenting changes, many not for the better. But we can still laugh about aging and learn how to better live during the days we still have.”
The Kominsky Method is an award-winning Netflix TV series that allows us to laugh in the face of death and learn lessons that will make our lives better. You’ll learn about reconciling with aging, planning ahead for funerals and end-of-life issues, and how we can make the most of life, even when faced with loss. This short video compilation introduces the main characters.
About the Before I Die NM Festival
Gail Rubin is the coordinator of the Before I Die New Mexico Festival. It offers in-person events in Albuquerque and online events taking place October 30 to November 2, 2021. Festival topics include estate planning, financial planning, obituary writing, downsizing, grief, funerals through history, the “woo-woo” side of death, and other fascinating subjects.
“Not Planning to Die with The Kominsky Method” will be presented as an online virtual session on Saturday, October 30 at 7:00 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time. To view the entire schedule of events and register by making a donation, visit this Festival webpage.
Gail is also an award-winning speaker and author. Her books include A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die, Hail and Farewell: Cremation Ceremonies, Templates and Tips, and Kicking the Bucket List: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die. She “knocked ‘em dead” with her TEDxABQ talk, “A Good Goodbye.” Albuquerque Business First named her one of their Women of Influence in 2019.