The Family Plot Blog
ABQ Death Cafe: Don’t Fear the Reaper
Dr. Ernest Becker's Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Denial of Death, introduced his Terror Management Theory in 1973. We humans are the only animal (we're aware of) that knows we are going to eventually die. And that thought terrifies us. It takes good self-esteem to consider your own mortality, and it's estimated two-thirds of adults have low self-esteem. As a result, the majority of us manage that terror by avoiding the topic. But, as you've...
More Cowbell: The 40th anniversary of ‘(Don’t Fear) the Reaper’
"(Don't Fear) the Reaper" by Blue Öyster Cult first hit the airwaves in May, 1976. I was just graduating from high school, the class of '76. Saturday Night Live was in its infancy. Little did we know the meme "More Cowbell" would come from the convergence of these two pop culture phenomena. The New York Times just explained the amazing life of a song about death in this story, "(Don't Fear) the Reaper is a Creepy Tune, Even With the Cowbell."...
University of Michigan Grief Awareness Week
More than 150 doctors, social workers, medical technicians, and a few funeral directors gathered on Wednesday at the University of Michigan Hospital for my Grief Awareness Week keynote speech, "Laughing in the Face of Death: Movies, Medicine and Mortality." Leading up to the event, two public radio stations did interviews with me about the concept of laughter to break down barriers to discussing end-of-life issues. Check out Michigan Radio's...
Book Review: MORGUE – A Life in Death
People are fascinated by TV crime investigation dramas CSI and NCIS. I've visited our local Office of the Medical Investigator and seen the real-world version of forensic pathology. It's not what they show you on television. That's why it's so refreshing to read MORGUE: A Life in Death by Dr. Vincent DiMaio and Ron Franscell (St. Martin's Press, May 2016). Dr. DiMaio is a forensic pathologist who's performed more than 9,000 autopsies and is an...
Using Computers and Lasers to Create a 3D Sculpture Urn
My husband Dave had his head scanned at the ICCFA convention. No, he wasn't having a medical procedure to examine the inside of his head. Tyler Fraser, CEO of UPD Urns, was using a laser light gun to show how he creates realistic-looking 3D sculptures for memorial urns. "We make 3D printed memorials," said Fraser. "The quality is striking. It's an accurate portrayal of what the person looked like when they were scanned." "This is primarily a...
These Creative Caskets From Trey Ganem Designs Will Amaze You
I first met Trey Ganem when he introduced his creative caskets at ICCFA's 2014 convention, when he had a 10'x10' booth with three caskets. This year, he featured ten fantastically designed and custom-built caskets in a large island exhibit at ICCFA's 2016 convention in New Orleans. In the video below, he starts out with an over-the-top rock and roll casket made for a reality TV show that's filming his endeavors. That model features a playable...
June 4: ABQ Death Cafe
Cookies, tea and mortality! The next Albuquerque Death Cafe will take place on Saturday, June 4, 2016 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Gail Rubin’s home. Come to talk about what's on your heart or mind about mortality issues. RSVP through the Meetup Group or post a note in the comment section. Click here to go to the Meetup page. The address will be provided to those who indicate they will attend. The objective of the Death Cafe is “To increase...
May 18: Two Ann Arbor Presentations
Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death®, will make two presentations in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on May 18. From 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., it's “Laughing in the Face of Death: Movies, Medicine and Mortality.” (Click the talk title for a downloadable PDF flyer.) In hospitals, medical professionals, patients and families focus on maintaining life and returning to health. Despite great advances in medical care, humans still have a 100% mortality rate. Using...
Infant Death Made Easier to Handle with Peaceful Memories
Infant death is hard for hospital personnel as well as the family. Transporting the mortal remains can be painful and awkward. Peaceful Memories, of Memories Unlimited, has created the Preshand System™ to give nurses and funeral directors a discreet and respectful way to handle, transport and present a demised infant. Memories Unlimited offers a range of earth-friendly, hand-crafted paper memorial offerings, including Peaceful Return™ urns,...
Save My Ink Forever Makes Tattoos into Life Memorials
People with tattoos are proud of their body art. So don't be surprised when families want to save that piece of a loved one. Save My Ink Forever gives funeral directors a unique way to preserve a life story, and generate revenue in the process. More than 80 million Americans have tattoos, and 40 million have more than one. That's a potentially very big market. Save My Ink Forever exhibited at the International Cemetery Cremation and Funeral...
ClayLinks: An Easy, Affordable, Same-Day Keepsake
After 20 years of perfecting the art of conserving paw prints for pet parents, World By the Tail introduced ClayLinks® Kits, the forever hand print kit for people, at the 2016 ICCFA convention. The hand or foot print mementos are helpful bereavement care tools in hospitals when newborns and infants die. Now funeral directors can use ClayLinks as an easy, affordable keepsake, ready to go home with a family the same day they make funeral...
Unique Products for Funerals and Other Developments
As usual, the expo at the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) featured many fascinating developments and unique products. Coverage is rolling out on The Family Plot Blog, continuing over the next few weeks. Right now, you can see these stories with video: an example of a New Orleans jazz funeral, the BodySealer® system, handcrafted cremation urns from Earthhandsfire, Affirmativ Diagnostics brain autopsy and DNA...
Mary Leigh Schaaf Ries Obituary
You've got to love an obituary that names those left behind including, "a mentally deranged chihuahua, Calvin "The Destroyer of Rugs," and a house full of stuff we have no idea what to do with." Here's a notable obituary with a sense of fun, starting with the exit line, "... joined the angel choir," noting her Latin was so good, she corrected priests, and praising her helicopter parenting skills. This was listed in the Cincinnati Enquirer as...
When Death Calls Speech by Gail Rubin
Gail Rubin, CT, is a death educator who uses humor and funny films to help break the ice about end-of-life issues. In this Toastmasters International Speech competition, she presents "When Death Calls," a compelling case for making advance end-of-life plans -- wills and trusts, advance medical directives and pre-need funeral planning -- to be prepared for that time when death calls. This speech was presented in the Division B contest for...
The Infinity Burial Suit from Coeio
Jae Rhim Lee made a viral video splash with her 2011 TED Talk, My Mushroom Burial Suit. The talk has been viewed more than 1.3 million times. What started as an exploration of living, dying, recycling systems and the toxin-removing properties of mushrooms has evolved into Coeio, a company that makes green burial products, specifically, the Infinity Burial Suit. You may have seen her wearing the "ninja pajamas" as she described it in her TED...
Affirmativ Diagnostics Brain Autopsy Services
Dementia is devastating for families as they watch a loved one slip away mentally, sometimes long before that person's death. And the only way to get a definitive answer about the cause, whether Alzheimer's disease or something else, is a brain autopsy. Affirmativ Diagnostics debuted their brain autopsy and DNA banking services at the 2016 ICCFA convention and expo. They were there to make funeral directors aware of postmortem options they can...
Public Grieving Prince’s Death, Private Cremation
The outpouring of tributes and public displays of grief over the death of the rock star Prince is remarkable. Contrast this reaction with the very private and low-key cremation held for the famously reclusive Prince. When celebrities die, people mourn publicly in ways that they might not for their own family members. After hearing the news of his death, artist Sean Wells, a huge Prince fan, overnight made this meurto painting in tribute. Meurto...
Handcrafted Cremation Urns from Earthhandsfire
A gifted ceramicist with more than 40 years of experience, Kevin Blackburn first started making ceramic urns for cremated remains after his father died in 1996. "His passing got me started thinking about precious vessels and ceremonial urns, the type that could be used for funerary vessels," said Blackburn. He debuted his one-of-a-kind cremation urns at the 2014 International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) convention and...
The Amazing BodySealer
When shipping a body from one place to another, there are many concerns that need to be addressed: preventing fluid leakage, containing odors and keeping the body secure. Before the invention of the BodySealer® system, funeral directors would address these concerns by using a metal Ziegler case, which can cost a family hundreds of dollars. The BodySealer is a hermetically sealed bio-hazard containment pouch that addresses these shipment issues...
Use This Executor’s Checklist to Smooth Estate Transitions
More than 70% of adults avoid preparing for end-of-life realities. They don’t have wills or trusts, advance medical directives or pre-need funeral planning in place before there’s a death in the family. One way to convince people to make these arrangements is to examine the many responsibilities an estate executor has to carry out. An executor can be a spouse, adult child, a legally-appointed friend or relative, or a trust company named by the...
Who Decides Your Healthcare for You?
Don't have an advance medical directive dictating what kind of medical treatment you want should you not be able to speak for yourself, especially at end-of-life? Fix that this Saturday, April 16, the 10th annual Healthcare Decisions Day. It's a day to inspire, educate and empower the public and providers about the importance of advance care planning - that is, expressing what is important to you. You need to answer some tough questions: Want...