funeral business – End of Life University

Learn the fascinating history of some funeral customs in America and how the profession is changing.

My guest Todd Harra is a 4th generation funeral director, embalmer, post-mortem reconstructionist, and creationist who works for the family funeral business in Wilmington, Delaware. He is also an author of several books including his latest book Last Rites: The Evolution of the American Funeral. He discusses the fascinating history of many funeral customs here in the U.S. and why funerals are important. Learn more at his website:

www.toddharra.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

What inspired Todd to work in the family business as a funeral director
How this career provides lessons in grace and humility
Common myths and stigmas about the profession of funeral director
How the funeral industry continues to evolve
How and why the practice of embalming the dead began in the U.S.
The history of viewing the body before burial and why it may be helpful for mourners
The discovery at a Neanderthal burial site of evidence for early funeral practices
Why funerals are important and a vital step in the grieving process
When and why to include children in funerals
How technology will change funerals in the future
What we need to remember about the history of funerals as we move into the future

Links mentioned in this episode:

FAC-AZ Annual Meeting in March: Register here (you can attend in person or virtually)
What Really Matters Podcast
Previous interviews with funeral directors Caleb Wilde Eric Layer Amy Cunningham and Caitlin Doughty
Leave me a message by email: kwyattmd@comcast.net, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul
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Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here
Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and receive free gifts like the “Mind if we talk about death?” mini-poster or Love Your Life sticker or coffee mug. PLUS get our regular bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, occasional movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!
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If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest patron Heather Capuano! Your contributions make all the difference.

Learn how the funeral business needs to evolve to meet the needs of our changing society.

My guest Eric Layer grew up around funeral homes and cemeteries where both of his parents worked. Now as a partner in a marketing advisory firm he has taken a critical look at the funeral business and analyzed what has gone wrong and what is still right within this necessary service industry. He is the author of the book The Right Way of Death: Restoring the American Funeral Business to Its True Calling and shares his insights with us. Learn more at his website:

www.therightwayofdeath.com

Get the book here.

Listen here:

This episode includes:

How the funeral industry has failed to evolve with the rest of society
Research on ceremonies and rituals for death around the world
Why death rituals are important
Dr. J. William Worden’s 4 “tasks” of grief and how funeral homes should help with those tasks
Direct cremation and why is it a concerning practice (in light of the tasks of grief)
The challenge for funeral directors (and other end-of-life care providers) in dealing with people who are facing the worst crisis of their lives
How to legitimately build a business out of work that is also a service to others
What is “the right way of death”

Links mentioned in this episode:

Get Eric Layer’s book here
Book: Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy by J. William Worden
Sign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this link
Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul
Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio
Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here
Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest supporter Toni Marie Van Aernum! Your contributions make all the difference!