Orlando, FL – Foundation Partners Group (FPG), a leading provider of innovative funeral, cemetery and cremation experiences and products, announced this week that Jason Widing has joined the firm as Vice President, Business Development. “Jason has been developing strong relationships in the industry for years” stated Bob Bukala, President and CEO of Foundation Partners Group. “His ability to connect with funeral home owners and really understand their business is something that made him a perfect fit for our business development team. We look forward to having Jason join our team and become a major contributor to our business strategy.” “Having been on the pre-need side of the industry for the last 13 years, I’ve watched Foundation Partners’ rapid growth”, said Jason Widing. “With their progressive leadership team and exceptional field staff, they are jumping in with both feet to embrace change and lead the industry. I wanted to be a part of that.” “This is very much a relationship industry” added Jason. “For me, what I do is not transactional – it’s about furthering the legacy of the firm. One of the most important parts of my job is to understand the needs and wants of the owner and the communities they serve. Partnerships are built on understanding.” Jason Widing has more than 15 years of business development experience in the funeral services industry. Prior to joining Foundation Partners, Widing was Senior Director of Business Development for PRECOA where he was responsible for driving and delivering new business objectives through strategic partnerships. About Foundation Partners Group: Foundation Partners Group (FPG) is a leading provider of innovative funeral, cemetery and cremation experiences and products. As one of the largest privately-owned funeral and cemetery operators, FPG owns and operates funeral homes, cremation centers and cemeteries in 17 states, and is actively seeking to expand its locations throughout the U.S. With headquarters in Orlando, Florida, FPG is committed to revolutionizing the funeral profession through their innovative ShareLife® customer experience-centered approach and harnessing the power of relationship and partnership. For more information, visit the Foundation Partners Group website at www.foundationpartners.com. Foundation Partners Adds Jason Widing to Business Development Team published first on YouTube via Tumblr Foundation Partners Adds Jason Widing to Business Development Team
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The inaugural Before I Die ABQ Festival drew 600 participants to 22 events all around Albuquerque over the course of six days. Not everyone could make every event, so we video recorded the panel discussions, the demonstration of the Jewish tahara ritual of washing and dressing the dead, and a talk on autopsies. All the videos […] via Tumblr Miss These Festival Events? Watch The Videos! This Bizarro cartoon is perfect for Thanksgiving. A group of turkeys see a Grim Reaper turkey in the yard. One turkey says, “I thought it was a Halloween costume at first, but now I’m thinking this is about Thanksgiving.” Yep, Halloween was three weeks ago. Hope you had a wonderful, grateful holiday today! via Tumblr Death Cartoon: The Grim Reaper for Turkeys This Non Sequitur Death Cartoon indicates when you get to heaven, you can get the answers to the big questions like: Is there life on other planets? What’s the origin of the earth and moon? Did Big Foot actually exist? Why do you crave food that’s bad for you? Yet, one angel says to another, “I […] via Tumblr Death Cartoon on the Mysteries of Life Non Sequitur is on a Death Cartoon roll! The Grim Reaper stands at the door, and the woman of the house says to the man in his easy chair, “I don’t know… He asked for you, so would it kill you to get up and see what he wants?” Well, yes… yes it could. via Tumblr Death Cartoon: When the Grim Reaper Comes to Call Sich Casket has announced the winner of their monthly “Year of the Funeral Director” casket giveaway for October. The winner, Jack (Bill) White Jr., is co-owner of Brooks & White Funeral Home in Roxboro, NC. Mr. White will receive the Sich “Silver Rose” 18-ga steel casket, featuring Silver Rose Finish and Misty Rose Velvet Interior. He will take delivery from Vickie Zimmerman of Addvantage Casket Company, the Sich Casket distributor in Raleigh, NC. Mr. White is a third generation funeral director whose grandfather, in 1914, co-founded Brooks & White. Until this time, the funeral home has only offered domestic brand caskets. “But I’m always looking for new ideas and new products,” said Mr. White. Upon seeing a Sich Casket ad in one of the monthly funeral magazines, he visited the website and noticed the casket giveaway promotion. “They seemed like a substantial business operation, so I decided to give it a shot.” Mr. White is the seventh person to win a Sich casket as part of the monthly giveaway. Other winners include Daryl R. Berry of Lyon-DeWitt-Berry Funeral Home in Campbellsville, Kentucky; Todd Schrag of Roper and Sons Funeral Home in Lincoln, Nebraska; Todd Howell of Woodfin Funeral Chapels in Murfreesboro and Smyrna, Tennessee; Howie VanRensselaer of VanRensselaer & Son Funeral Home in Randolph, NY; Brent Shehorn of Lake Shore Funeral Home in Waco, Texas and Frank Nosek of Kuratko- Nosek Funeral Home in North Riverside, Illinois. I usually don’t win contests,” said Mr. White, “so this was a great surprise. Maybe I’ll buy a ‘Pick Three’ lottery ticket tonight!” As for the new Sich casket, “I’ll put it in the showroom. I expect it will sell quickly!” The next Sich casket giveaway drawing will be held at the end of November. To learn more about the monthly drawing and to enter, visit Sich.com or www.RethinkYourCaskets.com/YearFD. Participants need only enter one time to be registered for all the drawings throughout the balance of the year. About Sich Caskets Sich Casket Company is a pioneer of the Chinese casket industry. In just ten years the company has grown from a small family-run furniture factory to a significant international manufacturer of wood and metal caskets and a leading Chinese supplier of caskets in North America. Founded by company president Sirius Chan, Sich sources its materials globally to provide the finest quality and best value at every price point. With more than 250 models and styles of solid hardwood, wood veneer and metal caskets, Sich caskets are sold through a distributor network serving funeral homes throughout the United States and Canada. Their website is www.SichCasket.com. Funeral Home Owner Jack (Bill) White Jr. Wins October Sich Casket Giveaway published first on YouTube via Tumblr Funeral Home Owner Jack (Bill) White Jr. Wins October Sich Casket Giveaway Following extensive negotiations, Corey Gaffney, President of Gaffney Funeral Home and Cremation Society of Washington, acquired five funeral homes and a chapel mausoleum earlier this month from the Dignity Memorial Network. Following extensive negotiations, Corey Gaffney, President of Gaffney Funeral Home and Cremation Society of Washington, acquired five funeral homes and a chapel mausoleum earlier this month from the Dignity Memorial Network. The funeral homes and chapel mausoleum acquired by the Gaffney Group are in Pierce, King and Kittitas counties, including: Cascade Funeral Home in Cle Elum “Well over 50,000 Puget Sound families have been very gracious and supportive of the Gaffney family for many years. In joining with these five historic funeral homes and chapel mausoleum, we reaffirm both our commitment and ability to provide top quality funeral and cremation services,” said Corey Gaffney. “Many of these funeral homes have woven themselves carefully into their surrounding communities. To respect the years of service and dedication that took, the changes that have been made should go unnoticed to families that call on us for assistance.” “As Tacoma’s most preferred family operated funeral home, we know every family has its own preferences, and that includes cremation. We are very pleased to announce that the Woodlawn Abbey Mausoleum has two crematories on site and the Steward & Williams Funeral Home and Crematory includes one crematory on site, which means the Gaffney Group staff will take full responsibility to assure that the cremated remains you receive truly are those of your loved one, and that the cremation process is conducted with dignity. The Gaffney Group staff will be responsible for the care and treatment of your loved one whether you select the Gaffney Funeral Home, the Cascade Funeral Home, the Cremation Society of Washington, the Powers Funeral Homes, the Price- Helton Funeral Home or the Steward & Williams Funeral Home and Crematory. Your loved one will remain in our care throughout the cremation process and family members are invited to observe the cremation process if they so choose.” “Advance funeral planning is certainly a very good idea for many families as it gives peace of mind and assures loved ones will not have to make difficult decisions at a difficult time. Over the years many families have made prearrangements at the Cascade Funeral Home, the Powers Funeral Homes, Price-Helton Funeral Home or the Steward & Williams Funeral Home and Crematory. I want to assure these families that the acquisition does not affect the security of your pre-need funds in any way. All contracts will be respected and honored as written. We invite the owners of prepaid funerals to call or stop by to review their pre-need funeral files. If you should have funeral prearrangements with another funeral home, the Gaffney Group of funeral homes will accept funeral prearrangements made at any other Washington State funeral home,” said Corey Gaffney. For additional information about the Gaffney Group, visit their website at http://www.gaffney.group or telephone them at 866-572-6003. Gaffney Group Announces Significant Acquisitions published first on YouTube via Tumblr Gaffney Group Announces Significant Acquisitions Video via: Buzzfeed Video From the video comments: I will be the first to say that freshly dead people smell. Mostly of poop and no mask prevents the smell of intestinal gases and poop. I deal with it by getting over it and doing my job. Also, autopsy cases smell like the earth to me. Like fresh rain and dirt. I know that’s weird but that’s how it smells to me. Watch below: Undertakers Answer Googled Questions About Death published first on YouTube via Tumblr Undertakers Answer Googled Questions About Death This afternoon an e-mail was sent to all members of the National Association of Funeral Directors announcing that Mandie Lavin, the CEO appointed just under 15 months ago, is no longer employed by the Association. No explanation has been given for her abrupt departure, but as the current President steps in to take the reins of the ‘Voice of the Profession’, we have received a guest post from Louise Winter, a progressive funeral director in London, in which she puts forward some thoughts that the organisation might like to consider as they look to the future.
An Open Letter to the NAFD In light of the sudden change in leadership at the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) which was announced today, and as the leading trade association representing the funeral profession in the UK, there are a few considerations I’d like you to make when debating the future of your organisation and appointing your next CEO. Funerals are important. A good funeral can be profound and transformational in helping to acknowledge and accept that someone has died. As the homepage of your website points out, ‘funerals matter’. With this in mind, please consider the following:
I hope that the NAFD will be the change we need to see in the funeral profession and wish you all the best in the appointment of a new CEO. Yours, Louise Winter Louise Winter An open letter to the National Association of Funeral Directors published first on YouTube via Tumblr An open letter to the National Association of Funeral Directors Every two years the Korea Ceramic Foundation holds a themed art biennale and this year’s exhibition was titled Narrative, Ode to Life featuring cremation urns from around the world . The show is the 9th Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale (GICB) which handpicked artists for the exhibition taking place in Seoul, South Korea, to interpret the “urn” commemorating a specific cause, person, or idea. This is not an accidental thematic choice for South Korea, a country with a rapidly increasing cremation rate reaching 81.6% in 2016. The show aimed to explore this trend, and the newly popularized rituals that have come with it, through art. During a press briefing, the Korea Ceramic Foundation organizer stated that the biennale will take a special look at the taboo subject of death and the changed funeral culture where cremation is increasingly replacing burial. “We asked ceramic artists to make a cremation urn to be used in their own death or that of a loved one. Some people rejected the idea, but many readily accepted it and created a wide and interesting variety of urns,” said Woo Kwan-ho, the biennale’s artistic director. Korea’s Death Care space is facing similar considerations as the United States as the cremation rate increases. How do we continue to create valuable experiences when dealing with death? What are the developing needs of families? How are the general wellness values of our culture changing? Woo Kwan-ho explains how these questions relate to GICB 2017: “We will display 120 urns made by Korean artists and 98 by foreign artists. As one of the important social narratives have changed from well-being to well-aging and to well-dying, it is our fresh effort to change the negative perception towards death and shed light on how connected ceramics are to death.” The work in the exhibition is stunningly diverse reinforcing the trends we have witnessed in the U.S. – a desire to make each memorialization hyper-personal to the deceased. Each of the 218 artists’ designs stems from a variety of created concepts including “Soul with Sadness” (Panki Kim), “Someone in the Future” (Tetsuya Ishiyama), Deceased Elder Brother ( Takashi Nakamura), and even “Myself” (Dairong Lee). The technical limitations of the exhibition were that the piece had to be made primarily of ceramic and be a maximum of 22cm x 22cm x 22cm, but these limitations still resulted in a huge variety of surfaces, styles, aesthetics. The GICB 2017 biennale ran in Seoul, South Korea, from April 22nd – May 28th, 2017 and due to its success has now traveled to the European Ceramic Work Center Gallery in Oisterwijk, Netherlands, and will be on view through February 4th, 2018. You can see a handful of the selected urns below. Korea Exhibition Showcases 218 Remarkable Urns in Contemporary Art published first on YouTube via Tumblr Korea Exhibition Showcases 218 Remarkable Urns in Contemporary Art |
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