The Family Plot Blog
How Much More Death Awareness Can You Take?
According to Ernest Becker’s 1973 Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Denial of Death, we as humans are busy trying to ignore the fact that we are all going to die.
Reimagine Virtual Seminar with The Doyenne of Death
This Kicking the Bucket List discussion, focusing on downsizing and organizing things to do before you die, is part of Reimagine: Life, Love, & Loss, a Worldwide Virtual Festival.
Jewish Funeral Traditions Interrupted by Pandemic
Should a Jewish family experience a death, funeral homes and cemeteries have implemented a number of precautions that alter Jewish funeral traditions.
Funeral Directors on Film: New Coronavirus Cinema Collection
Today’s newest Coronavirus Cinema Collection focuses on Funeral Directors on Film. These movies and TV shows provide insights into the funeral business, as portrayed in the TV series Six Feet Under and the films The Loved One, My Girl, and Just Buried.
Coronavirus Cinema Collection: Jewish Funeral Traditions
Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death®, shares Jewish funeral traditions as illustrated in the films Nora’s Will, My Mexican Shivah, This is Where I Leave You, and a YouTube video, The iShiva App.
June 28: Online ABQ Death Cafe
The next Albuquerque Death Cafe will be held online through Zoom on Sunday, June 28, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time.
Free Memorial Day Tours at Historic Fairview Cemetery
This Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2020, the public is welcome to visit Historic Fairview Cemetery.
More Coronavirus Funeral News
Coronavirus funeral news continues to pile up. How funeral directors are responding to the worst mass death event in more than 100 years.
The Truth About Viking Funerals on Film
Some folks think a Viking funeral would be a cool way to send off a loved one. This idealized grand gesture is totally influenced by films churned out by Hollywood studios.
Coronavirus Cinema Collection: ‘Based on a True Story’
The films in this Coronavirus Cinema Collection are “Based on a True Story” – Get Low, Grand Theft Parsons, and Bernie.
Free Live Webinar May 7: Funny Films for Funeral Planning
Join Gail Rubin, Certified Thanatologist and The Doyenne of Death®, for 90-minutes of funny film and television program clips that put the “fun” in funeral planning!
Coronavirus and Funeral Director News
News stories continue to show the impact COVID-19 has on grieving families, funeral directors, and society in general. Stores are now running out of sympathy cards.
Introducing the Coronavirus Cinema Collection Videos
Welcome to the Coronavirus Cinema Collection: Funny Funeral Films, hosted by Gail Rubin, the Doyenne of Death. These film recommendations for hunkering down at home bring a light touch to the dark topic of death.
Do You Need Burial Insurance?
Can your loved ones pay for your funeral when you die? If you want a proper send-off for yourself or a family member, you may want to get burial insurance.
Contribute to the Interactive Map: Death in a Time of Corona
Do you work in the death care sector? Have you recently experienced a death? Want to share your stories of death during the coronavirus pandemic with the world?
Webinar: How to Downsize and Organize Your Life Before Death
This free online talk by Gail Rubin shares practical ways to downsize without being overwhelmed by the job and planning ahead for end-of-life issues.
How to Hold a Death Cafe While Social Distancing
While social distancing due to COVID-19, you can’t hold a traditional in-person Death Cafe, but you can still successfully hold one virtually.
Big News from the Nonprofit Fathers Building Futures
The nonprofit Fathers Building Futures is transitioning to become one of the Atrisco Companies.
Coronavirus News Impacting Funerals
News around coronavirus deaths and funerals continues to develop. Here are a few more stories from various news outlets.
Videos: Donating Blood and Social Distancing Funerals
Over the past week, these two Doyenne of Death videos were posted on YouTube: Funerals in the Age of Coronavirus and Watch the Doyenne of Death Donate Blood.
COVID-19, End-of-Life and Funeral News Stories
The rising cases of COVID-19 illness and deaths bring the end-of-life conversation and funeral planning issues into our daily consciousness. Here are helpful news stories to place these issues in perspective and offer actionable steps for you and your family.