"EXITER UNIVERSITY" End-of-Life Planning

ANNOUNCING:  "EXITER UNIVERSITY"

Prepare To Learn… Learn To Prepare

Are you one of those?… those people resolutely in denial about the inevitability of eventual death… who harness their energies to avoid perceived threatening thoughts about it… whose timid eyes turn in a different direction when a hearse passes by?  

Well, if this attitude rings a bell, you are not alone!  American society is crippled by a 

death-phobic contagion.  From one generation to the next, infected psyches have been conditioned to ignore and sometimes abhor the reality of physical passage from the earth. 

Even generally open-minded individuals often have closed their minds to the pleasant event planning opportunities the prospect of life’s final milestone presents.   

Long before resting in peace, a wise planner can attain the peace of preparation, contentedly aware that a record of one’s final wishes will likely become a most treasured gift for loved ones. 

Courageous pioneers who have waded tentatively into this domain have been surprised to discover enjoyment of planning processes.  The funeral industry has changed dramatically, nowadays rendering new approaches coupled with innovative products.  Whether browsing or buying, a customer under relaxed circumstances is apt to feel invigorated by the enlivening offerings. 

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"Exiter University" is dedicated to informing folks about the vast array of possibilities from which they can choose elements for management of their final proceedings.  A broad and colorful spectrum of classes, workshops, discussion groups, and online substance is designed to enlighten and entertain participants.

Experience this educational opportunity to learn about matters rarely discussed in everyday life.  Expect to become intrigued, engaged, and enlightened by awareness of modern-day funerary revitalization.  Materials are designed to be fun and entertaining.

You won’t encounter anything morbid within this context… no bone-chilling skulls and crossbones or Grim Reaper facsimiles.  Instead, you may catch a glimpse of warm and fuzzy associates in the likeness of frogs to remind us that conspicuous croaking… making one’s voice heard (by declaring preferences for death management) is a wise course of action before finally “croaking.”

Whether your goal for gaining insights is based on planning for your own end of life or that of family members, you are apt to be captivated by the innovations and variations that have emerged within recent years.  Merchandise, services, commemorations, and memorialization have been imbued with multi-faceted diversity.  Colorful novelty has awakened a domain that had seemed dismal and deadly.  

Cultural attitudes toward death are changing, prompting a growing willingness to bring this previously unmentionable aspect of life out of the closet.  People are realizing the importance of making arrangements or at least stating preferences ahead of time.  An intent to spare grieving family members from the onerous task of decision making underlies motivation; it is a step toward facilitating their emotional health when confronted by challenges of bereavement.  The mortality rate of one hundred percent renders a mission of advance preparation all the more relevant, regardless of one’s age.  Even young people can enjoy the event planning process, while maintaining receptivity to alterations through the years. 

Community presentations of this nature are supplemented with online materials to encourage absorption of information coupled with personal engagement.  Become acquainted with Signature Sunsets, via Twitter or LinkedIn connections.  Join its “Exiter University” Facebook group where information is shared, participation is welcomed, and learning is paramount (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1824389547837277.1073741830.1392754611000775&type=1&l=8ce9597e42).

NATURAL BURIAL CASKETS and MORE

Journey Journal... Arlington, MA

A TISKET, A CASKET... A GREEN and YELLOW BASKET

All caskets available through the Mourning Dove Studio are “green” because of their biodegradability and suitability for natural burials.  But the actual colors and styles can reflect a broad spectrum of possibilities.  A pivotal feature of this enterprise is its adaptability and responsiveness to personal visions.  The sky’s the limit for individually created versions destined for underground repose, as long as construction materials and decorative applications mesh with principled stipulations for ecologically-friendly burials. 

The Mourning Dove venture, though, encompasses far more than the sale of burial containment.  Its two co-founder visionaries conceptualized an inclusive palate of offerings.  Through their direct support, customers have been able to immerse themselves in details of design as well as dialogues about death.  Backgrounds in human service instinctively marry these originators with a sensitivity to emotional needs generated by ramifications of current and future loss.  

Although sales of burial receptacles represent the most tangible backbone of their activities, nothing within the realm of related services is boxed in by prescribed structure.  The dynamic nature of shared details and interactive exchanges engages customers under novel circumstances, promoting personal  touches and camaraderie typically foreign to conventional retail settings.    

Ruth Faas and Sue Cross are the prime movers who have nurtured this initiative toward its realization.  Both had been peripheral observers of matters within the death arena prior to plunging into it themselves.  

Observations of her uncle’s funeral home operations may have set the stage for Ruth, but a reaction to her mother’s casket innervated thoughts of alternatives.  Clinical ministrations as an occupational therapist led to graduate studies in sociology and a role as a teaching assistant for a Death and Dying class.  Currently, she is a member of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Eastern Massachusetts.    

Besides a background in mental health, an appreciation of cultural diversity and a passion for art have contributed to Sue’s involvement in death-related services.  While serving as a bereavement counselor for adolescents, she is also developing a film series about death, dying, and grieving for a local church.  

These inspired women have fulfilled roles as enablers by guiding folks beyond the darkness of finality and into the light of expressive possibilities for handling it.  Until recently, customers had been able to visit a multi-functional, spacious studio where caskets were on display, but also, other activities were underway.  

Individual art projects and workshops were conducted in the larger of two rooms.  Bereavement groups could be accommodated.  For a nominal fee, basic cardboard caskets or pine boxes could be decorated according to individualized inspirations and aspirations.  Guidance was available from the co-founder who has a penchant for art, buoyed by four years of classes and membership in a cooperative art studio, and imbued with a special interest in the art and rituals her Hungarian ancestors had practiced in response to deaths. 

Photos Source:  Mourning Dove Studio Website

A smaller resource room served as a hub for access to relevant literature about matters of mortality, including alternative modes of death management.  There,  folks could sit and read to glean insights on their journeys toward end-of-life wisdom.  Some tapped material addressing grief to bolster steps toward recovery.  

Perhaps a germane slogan for this venture that pertains to death would be, “Never Say Die.”  Operations could readily have come to a demised termination were it not for motivational resilience.  As with life itself, an insurmountable obstacle was encountered that rendered a numbing blow. 

The storefront space on Massachusetts Avenue that had been headquarters for this establishment since its origination in December of 2009 had to be unexpectedly abandoned in 2014.  A quintessential “we regret to inform you” notice was the dagger that could have inflicted mortal wounds.  The announcement of a monthly rent increase of $1000. was potentially paralyzing.  

But the imposed absence of expanse did not mark the end of this life-enriching cause.  Now, sales are conducted and information is dispensed from the owner’s home.  Caskets are on display in the basement, along with some biodegradable urns and reference materials.    

Rather than unceremoniously placing an order, sometimes folks who are experiencing the turmoil of loss or terminal circumstances may want to immerse themselves in the process of development through hands-on involvement.  As an evocative tool for expression of feelings, such activities can be an antidote to their festering imprisonment. 

Given enough preemptive time, clients may even choose to construct a casket themselves, with direct assistance.  Or plain, unadorned boxes that are already made can awaken ideas, prompting applications of paint or anything the heart desires.  

Photo Source:  Mourning Dove Studio Website

Encyclopedia pages meaningfully lined the interior of a rudimentary receptacle that would be apropos for a teacher or avid learner.  The decoupage technique is often employed.  

Inserts may be covered by family photos, images that signify a decedent’s characteristics, or ornamentation of a different nature.  

Even mere post-it notes might be affixed to recognize a decedent’s persona or as a means for conveying messages as part of a send-off.  

     

  

As an alternative to a do-it-yourself casket-making project or securing one that’s locally constructed, models from other retail sources can be ordered.  Basket-type receptacles made from natural fibers have become popular commodities for green burials in Europe and, increasingly, in the United States as well. 

The stylistic Ecopod was introduced to the world as a distinctive, molded configuration that simulates a seed pod.  It is hand made using recycled newspapers and finished with paper from mulberry pulp.  Colors and imprinted designs are variable.    

Caskets with designs prepared through the application of biodegradable paints are available.  One of a cadre of local artists can be commissioned to do the work. 

Photo Source:  Mourning Dove Studio Website

If a shroud is preferred, it can be acquired from one of a few nationwide sources. 

For discussions with the Mourning Dove owner, interested individuals are invited to sit around a table in her spacious country kitchen that evokes images of neighborhood coffee klatches.  The homey environment begets a sense of homespun attention.   

Like a sumptuous meal, the scoop about options for products and services is doled out generously.  Contacts may be facilitated by referring people to a host of providers.  Among them are funeral homes and cemeteries that support ecological practices, celebrants who conduct commemorative services, grief therapists, deathbed choirs, and artists who create memorial items.  

The website for this venture also serves as a channel for input.  Besides having access to pertinent blog articles, readers are apprised of opportunities to attend a series of writing workshops or yoga classes to address the impact of loss.  Home gatherings for exploration and discussions can be arranged.  One page on the website is a repository for a listing of resources and the sharing of commemorative ideas submitted by individuals.  

Part of the mission to spread the word about natural burials is implemented through community presentations and exhibits at events, such as the 2014 Graves In the Garden green burial fair at Mount Auburn Cemetery.  In a vendor milieu, a few of the caskets were on display there.

A commitment to promote the concept of environmentally sustainable end-of-life practices is at the core of this undertaking.  It is readily apparent that individualized support and a goal of enlightenment serve as the underlying foundation for devoted engagement.  These authentic helpers want to help people.  Casket sales seem secondary to that objective.   

As noted on their website, they “want to help dying people and their loved ones openly discuss these topics, utilize art and creativity as tools for leaving a legacy of love, create meaningful, personalized end-of-life ceremonies, have more access to eco-friendly options, honor and grieve our connections and losses.”

Their recognition of a need for earthly preservation has motivated involvement in this ecologically conscientious endeavor.  Everything they do and everything they provide is down to earth, whether it be a burial receptacle or a suggestion.  Under their auspices, customized creativity reigns.  Their efforts epitomize a manner of personalization that is meaningful and devoid of commercialism.  They are mavericks in these ever-growing funerary fields of green.  

Mourning Dove Studio

"Going green"

boston.com Article

"Mourning goes green in Arlington"

WICKEDLOCAL..com Article

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PET CEMETERY CIRCUS

JOURNEY JOURNAL... Venice, Florida

An ENDING To Launch A BEGINNING – 

With PAWS, PANTALOONS, and STEAM WHISTLE TUNES

It was a life celebration fit for a king… or, in this case, a dog.

Imagine visiting a cemetery when your companion suddenly beckons you to “look at the clown going by on the road over there.”  One might immediately assume an errant driver was speeding recklessly in this designated zone of quiescence.  

But, no, this was a literal reference to an actual clown rather than the appointment of a derogatory assignation.  For heaven’s sake!  Clowns don’t belong at a cemetery!  Or do they?  

On February 16, 2013, amid hallowed burial grounds at Venice Memorial Gardens, there was no need to admonish anyone with a directive to “quit clowning around.”  In fact, in this milieu that ordinarily invokes subdued reverence, antics and activities common to the Big Top were the order of the day.  Against a backdrop of crypts and columbaria, a circus of sorts “came to town.”

It was a sunny day when the circus theme materialized here to commemorate the life and conduct the burial of a dog named Gizmoe, who had been a cherished companion of one of the funeral directors.  Her interment served as a prelude to the grand opening of the cemetery’s new pet burial section half an hour later.

Photo Source:  Farley Funeral Home - Venice Memorial Gardens Event Announcement

The honored decedent’s pink casket was actually an urn vault utilized for this alternative purpose.

Photo Source:  ICCFA Magazine, Dorothy Snyder Photography 

The fete began with the arrival of a carnival entourage. The adapted casket was on a wagon pulled by a singularly notable pallbearer of the day – Lucky Star, a miniature white horse who later showcased a series of tricks.  Her owner served as the circus ringmaster. Chucko, a former Ringling Brothers clown, played a pivotal role throughout the conjoint event as a prominent figure during the service and grand opening proceedings.  Two grief therapy dogs from the Florida Humane Society – a golden doodle and a long-haired dachshund – were at the rear of the processional.  

Photos Source:  ICCFA Magazine, Dorothy Snyder Photography 

A bone-shaped arrangement of white flowers with pink ribbons and sparkles accoutered the casket.

Photo Source:  ICCFA Magazine, Dorothy Snyder Photography 

The event was open to the public, including canine companions.  Eighty-four humans and sixteen dogs attended the committal service, conducted by two of the cemetery’s funeral directors under a pergola.  Public officials and local media personnel were on hand to glean material for news articles and television documentation.  

Photo Source:  Dorothy Snyder Photography 

The celebrant-led service included references to Gizmoe’s typical behaviors and characteristics.  Individuals who shared her life relayed reminiscent experiences.  A popular poem, “The Rainbow Bridge,” was read, which inspires comfort by alluding to the possibility of pet owners reuniting with their pets once they, too, have died.  Family members released ten pink balloons prior to the release of fifty multi-colored, circus-themed balloons amid a backdrop of relevant musical pieces.  

Photo Source:  ICCFA Magazine, Dorothy Snyder Photography 

Pink rose petals lined the dog’s grave.  After placement of the casket in it, some were also sprinkled on top of it. 

Photo Source:  ICCFA Magazine, Dorothy Snyder Photography 

The distinguished dog’s personality was captured even for her burial.  Because she had been anti-social, two spaces were utilized, with her body facing backward, so no other animal’s body would be buried close to her at a later time.  The plot is located in the section of the cemetery designated for upright markers.  

An unmistakable celebration of life was the order of the day on this occasion when an esteemed pet was laid to rest.  It was accentuated by clowns, calliope background music, balloons, popcorn, snow cones, and cotton candy.

Photos Source:  ICCFA Magazine, Dorothy Snyder Photography 

The theme was maintained throughout the grand opening ceremony that followed Gizmoe’s affair.  Though this type of milieu ordinarily is conspicuously uncommon in a cemetery, if ever a circus would appear on burial grounds anywhere, the Sarasota environs would be a logical place.  It oozes Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey history and is still percolating with the company’s people and artifacts.  Because of its infiltration here, in the ‘40s and ‘50s this epicenter for a popular pastime became known as a circus town.  Accommodations for “The Greatest Show on Earth” included winter headquarters in Sarasota, often motivating personnel and their descendants to establish permanent, lifelong residency here.  A museum now houses an extensive art collection from their world travels as well as circus memorabilia, such as wardrobes, props, and equipment along with newspaper clippings and other documentary accounts. 

So it’s not surprising that authentic performers would be on hand for this special event.  In fact, three circus dynasties – the Espana, Anatasini, and Herriott families – were represented.  Entertainment included a classic spinning plates routine, acrobatics, and spins a la the German wheel and the “steel wheel of destiny.”

Photo Source:  ICCFA Magazine, Dorothy Snyder Photography 

Antics of trained pups were especially germane, given the nature of the occasion. 

Photo Source:  ICCFA Magazine, Dorothy Snyder Photography 

Of course, a festival with this motif called for edible embellishments.  A Venice caterer provided hors d’oeuvres – pizza bites, finger sandwiches, and pigs in a blanket.  A local supermarket made it possible for the canine and feline guests to enjoy treats as well.  

After the main events, people were given an opportunity to tour the grounds in golf carts, which included visits to the pet crematory.  

Photos Source:  Farley Funeral Homes -Venice Memorial Gardens Pet Cemetery Website

Needless to say, this was a distinctive and memorable way to introduce the community to the addition of pet services at this memorial park.  The blueprint that had been conceptualized in response to a current funerary trend had been transformed into a new facility.  

Photo Source:  Farley Funeral Homes -Venice Memorial Gardens Pet Cemetery Website

And in the process of publicizing its availability, the human tendency to feel remarkable affection toward pets had been colorfully accentuated.  

For now, Gizmoe’s headstone dominates the landscape of this heavenly animal kingdom. 

As time passes, the local canine celebrity will have more company within this acre of burial territory. Graves for other animals’ cremated or whole body remains will increasingly appear. 

If an owner wishes to stay close to a beloved pet, human graves adjacent to the pet section can accommodate that wish.  

Services will continue to be conducted under the pergola that serves as the central focal point for the pet burial grounds.
  

Meanwhile, under a headstone remindful of her memorable memorial gala, Gizmoe is resting in peace. 

Content Resources:

ICCFA Magazine: March-April 2013

Gizmoe's Funeral and Headstone

Pet Cemetery and Crematory

Venice Memorial Gardens Pet Services

Farley's Pet Project

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FUNERAL HOMES FLAG RETIREMENT

Journey Journal… Florida and Beyond

A NEW WAVE for OLD GLORY

“You’re a grand old flag

You’re a high flying flag

And forever in peace may you wave

You’re the emblem of

The land I love

The home of the free and the brave

Every heart beats true

‘Neath the red white and blue… “

Since 1906 when George M. Cohan composed the lyrics to this quintessential American march that rallies patriotic fervor, the images evoked by that “… Grand Old Flag” have suggested unblemished crispness.  In the minds of visualizing beholders, probably the flawlessly intact fabric of that unfettered flag undulates picturesquely in sweeping billows against a pure blue sky.  

But, like the people they represent, flags eventually wear out.  Over the course of time they are apt to fade and become tattered, torn, dingy, and no longer emblematically serviceable.  

Photo Source:  Website of Bordentown Home for Funerals 

Actually, the composer’s original title and, later, the first line for this popular piece of music featured the word “rag.”  The notion for it stemmed from an encounter with a veteran who had fought at Gettysburg.  After Cohen noticed that the man was holding a folded, but ragged flag, the veteran declared, “She’s a grand old rag.”  These words were adopted as the name for his new tune, but he had to rethink it since individuals and groups objected to a title that implied disrespect for the iconic national symbol.  Though he changed the “Rag” to “Flag” in the title, the chorus began, “You’re a grand old flag / Though you’re torn to a rag.”  That version, too, went the way of the wind, but copies of the original ones still circulate among collectors. 

So what happens to American flags that become rags or lose their luster?  According to the United States Flag Code, they should be destroyed in a dignified manner, preferably by burning.  

Many funeral homes have responded to this mandate by sponsoring flag retirement ceremonies to which the public may be invited.  

Photo Source:  Website of Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services 

Community members and groups may be asked to deliver their unusable flags to the funeral homes prior to such events.  Protocol dictates a sequence of proceedings that entails either burning of all the flags that have been collected or a representative one of them; in such instances, the remaining ones are later incinerated.  Funeral homes often engage veterans' organizations and Boy Scout or Girl Scout troops to participate in ceremonies.  There may be a Color Guard involved in performing rituals, and sometimes even a military gun salute.  

But let’s look more closely at two lines of the “… Grand Old Flag” song.  Many countrywide funeral homes have established an alternative type of practice that negates a few of the words… the ones alluding to every heart beating true under the red, white, and blue.  

Like the facilities that host retirement ceremonies, they request worn-out flag donations, sometimes by way of prominent signs on their properties.

Kays-Ponger & Uselton Funeral Homes and Cremation, Englewood, FL

But instead of ceremoniously burning the collective assortment outdoors as an event, they burn them individually in conjunction with cremation processes.  That is, according to family wishes, a donated flag is draped over the casket of a veteran prior to its entry into the crematory chamber.  Though hearts are no longer beating under the red, white, and blue, the hearts of family members are warmed by the significance of this gesture.  

Photo Source:  Website of Charlotte Memorial Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, Punta Gorda, FL

The initiative is taken a step further at the Charlotte Memorial Funeral Home.  Flags that are not incinerated as part of cremations are burned separately in the chamber, after which the ashes are placed in the Veteran’s Garden of Honor section of their memorial park.  Some facilities routinely send a certificate to a family, verifying that a flag accompanied a loved one in this manner as part of the cremation process for that individual.  

The ongoing escalation of cremation rates has accelerated a uniquely patriotic opportunity for resourcefulness in funeral homes these days.   This commemorative measure honors those Americans who have served to promote peace for fellow countrymen living under the high flying flag… in the land they love… the home of the free and the brave.

Kays-Ponger & Uselton Funeral Homes and Cremation, Punta Gorda, FL

Wikipedia: You're A Grand Old Flag

 Charlotte Funeral Home Flag Program

             

Hiers-Baxley Flag Program

Kays-Ponger & Uselton Flag Program

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FUNERAL HOME ANTIQUES... Stationary and Mobile

Journey Journal... Venice, Florida

OLD TIME REVIVAL

At a funeral home, certainly it’s fairly routine to find antique people, or at least their vestigial shells that carried them through a long life.  But one doesn’t ordinarily walk into such an establishment and immediately sense the likeness of an antique shop.   

The owners of Farley Funeral Home have capitalized on an opportunity to share treasured relics with the ongoing stream of individuals passing through their facilities.  Upon entering the Venice site, one immediately sees insignias of the past in an area akin to a living room decorated with antique furnishings.  

A collection of canes in a corner of the room sets the stage for a walk through time.

Source:  Farley Facebook Page

But artifacts of yore are not confined only to that part of the building.  Rather, such curios of antiquity dot the domain throughout the premises, both here and at their other location in North Port.  

Source:  Farley Funeral Homes Website

An old ice box with a lift lid is conveniently situated near offices, serving a utilitarian purpose as a depot for storage of pamphlets.  Above it is a small wooden unit of shelving where an assortment of “remember when?” thimbles is on display.  Sewing machines are focal points in visitation areas amid pieces of furniture upholstered in old-world, flowery fabric.  Just in case people waiting to sign a guest book need some exercise, a butter churn is on the floor next to it.  A record player stands ready for action, probably less in terms of generating music and more in the way of evoking memories.  

Source:  Farley Facebook Page

Recollections may be further enhanced by the presence of musical instruments, such as an old piano and an organ.  

Source:  Farley Funeral Homes Website

Of course, it’s not surprising that there would be burial containment here that meshes with the motif.

Source:  Farley Facebook Page

A visitor can readily discern that the abundance of antiques is indicative of their value to the owners beyond monetary assignations.  It’s fortunate for them, as well as the community, that they own places apart from their home where conquests of their zealous passion can be consummated and appreciated.   

Information about each dated item is maintained in a loose-leaf binder chock full of pages documenting descriptive details.  All of the relics are  categorized according to the rooms in which they are located.  

Even the personnel have donned representative garb resurrected from a previous era. 

Source:  Farley Facebook Page

A presentation pertaining to Abraham Lincoln’s years offered a suitable opportunity for representative attire to bring it to life. 

Source:  Farley Facebook Page

Though epoch leftovers from bygone days are aplenty here, they are not limited to interior rooms.  Perhaps the most widely noticeable evidence of the antique concentration can be found in the garage.  There, two remnants of an earlier mode of transport are momentarily at rest, but not in peace.  

Vehicles denoting a previous generation, resplendent as earmarks of history, are maintained and ready for purposeful missions.  Use of these atypical conveyances for bodily remains is offered as an alternative to conventional means.  

A 1937 Ford hearse is one of the unusual offerings. 

Source:  Farley Facebook Page

For veterans, folks may opt for a World War II-era, 1941 Dodge military truck to pull a caisson bearing the casket.  

Source:  Farley Facebook Page

Source:  Fox News Video

A coordinating 1943 Willy’s Army jeep leads the funeral processions and may be used in the context of other commemorative tributes, particularly, placement by the graveside of a veteran following burial.  

Source:  Fox News Video

Source:  Farley Funeral Homes Website

Military processions employing these vehicles are limited to trips between the funeral home and either its own burial grounds – Venice Memorial Gardens – or the nearby Sarasota National Cemetery.  

Source:  Fox News Video

Source:  Farley Facebook Page

However, at times these alternative transporters have been diverted from their usual routes, for the sake of broadcasting to local residents their availability.  In fact, a “Spot the Farley” contest motivated people to snap a picture upon encountering one of the roving novelties and then post it on Facebook.  That rendered the folks eligible to be selected from a pool of participants who correctly answered questions about the vehicles.  

Source:  Farley Facebook Page

It’s readily apparent that the owners of this funeral home go out of their way to provide meaningful experiences, particularly in tribute to veterans.  The usual sorts of provisions through the United States Veterans Administration are complemented by the embellishments of relevant transportation.  Behind-the-scenes proceedings that traditionally take place at burial sites are preceded by a military sendoff on wheels.  The captivating sight of it is apt to draw the attention of people in the vicinity.  Some of them are veterans themselves who, upon seeing the “ruffles and flourishes” and sensing the pomp of the occasion, feel a surge of connection with their military brethren.  Often they stop, salute, and lay their hands on their hearts.  

Whether out on the road or contained within the facility’s buildings, the vintage attractions on display bespeak not only a theme, but especially a legacy of compelling regard for the lineage of our past.  While reflecting the charm of yesteryears, they engender associations that set the wheels of remembering in motion… an important step toward healing from the wounds of loss.  

Probably aged visitors who at some point in their lives have lived among such furnishings feel right at home here.  Perhaps the “home” aspect of the nomenclature, funeral home, resonates authentically for them because of Farley’s signature milieu.  It can be comforting to wallow in vestiges of embedded familiarity when immersed in the unaccustomed territory of death.  

Farley Funeral Homes

Farley Funeral Home Facebook Page

Fox News Video

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