THE INDEPENDENT - Independent Funeral Directors of Florida

the independent
reporter
Building
Rel ationships
In this issue
Board of Directors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
The Presidents Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Executive Director’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Why invest in yourself and the IFDF. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
DNA Memorials: Now a Member Benefit. . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Getting acquainted: Bill Schichtel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-10
IFDF New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Vendor Profile: Cardinal & Sun Casket Companies . . . . 12-15
From the desk of Mark O’Connell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17
Thank You: A first-hand experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
In Memoriam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20-21
Good help? Good grief! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Calendar
December
3
497 Board Meeting, Tallahassee
January 2016
7
497 Board Meeting, Teleconference
19-20
IFDF Legislative Days
February
4
497 Board Meeting, Tallahassee
2
March
3
497 Board Meeting, Teleconference
April
7
497 Board Meeting, Jacksonville
May
19
497 Board Meeting, Teleconference
June
8-11
IFDF Annual Conference & Trade Show
Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando
30
497 Board Meeting, Tallahassee
2015-2016
Board of Directors
Officers
Lance Pauli, President
Harden-Pauli Funeral Home
Eustis
Howard Beckham,
Immediate Past President
Craig Funeral Home
St. Augustine
Rick Williams, President Elect
Williams-Thomas Funeral Home
Gainesville
Deloris Lewis Ray, Vice President
Lewis Ray Mortuary
Titusville
Scott Whitehead, Secretary
Faith Funeral Home
Havana
Vern Dorsey, Treasurer
Osceola Memorial Gardens
Kissimmee
Directors
Mike Atwood, Region 1 Director
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North
Pensacola/Cantonment
Todd Ferreira, Region 2 Director
V. Todd Ferreira Funeral Services
Macclenny
Ashley Milam, Region 3 Director
Milam Funeral Home
Gainesville
Doug Hasley, Region 4 Director
Beyers Funeral Home
Umatilla
Brad Zahn, Region 5 Director
Tillman Funeral
West Palm Beach
Bill Schichtel, Region 6 Director
Heath Funeral Chapel
Lakeland
Tony Zipperer, At Large Director
Zipperer’s Funeral Home
Ruskin
Mike Lewis, At Large Director
Lewis Funeral Home
Milton
THE INDEPENDENT REPORTER
Lance Pauli
From The President
Dear Friends: Betty and I have traveled many
miles since we departed Ft. Myers
on June 8th.
We attended
the Florida
Morticians
Assoc.
Annual
Convention
at Orlando;
the Chapter
497 State
Board
meeting at
Altamonte
Springs; I joined several of
our Board Members on a
visit to Batesville Casket in
Batesville, IN; and I was at
a fund raising event with
several members for Florida
Senator Jack Latvala in St.
Petersburg. All of this has
been an honor. We have traveled to
IFDF Office; Countryside
Funeral Home in Anthony;
Lewis Funeral Home in
Milton; Lewis-Ray Mortuary
in Titusville; Heath Funeral Chapel
in Lakeland; Haught Funeral
Home & Hopewell Funeral Home
in Plant City; Zipperer’s Funeral
Home in Ruskin; Sun City Center
Funeral Home in Sun City Center;
Hayes Brothers Funeral Home in
Eustis; Page-Theus Funeral Home
in Leesburg; and Beyers Funeral
Homes in Leesburg & Umatilla. Every facility is beautiful and the
best reflection of their respective
communities. I attended a meeting to get
acquainted with Tommy Hayes,
President of the Florida Morticians
Assoc. and FCCFA President Jim
Semesco. We will continue friendly
conversations during 2015-2016. Betty and I attended Mass
at St. Anne Catholic Church in
Ruskin 9/4 & 9/6. We tearfully
and joyfully remembered Stephen
Lewis at his funeral in Milton and
again at his memorial service in
Leesburg. Betty and I took a few
days to smell the roses over Labor
Day weekend spending time with
friends and fishing on Tampa
Bay. Then, last week we were on
the road again as we visited the
students and staff at the School of
Funeral Service at Miami Dade
College.
I can assure you that these
visits and our activities on behalf of
IFDF have been labors of love. We,
at IFDF, are committed to helping Independent Funeral Homes
remain strong and prosperous into
the future. We recently completed
our 23nd Annual Leadership Retreat
and it was gratifying to have so
many of our members attend and
participate in this important planning event. Over 40 members met
in Sebring to talk about the things
we need to do to meet the expectations of our members. We talked
about looking critically at what we
I n d e p e n d e n t Fu n e r a l D i r e c t o r s o f F l o r i d a I s s u e 4 2 015 do and how we do it because we
wanted to make sure that, whatever
it was, it made a positive difference for you. I have to admit that
planning is a lot more fun when
we get to spend all of our energy
on building for the future and I am
excited about what the future will
be. Corinne Mixon led our discussion on a number of legislative
issues that will likely be addressed
in the upcoming legislative session.
Our CEO, Mark O’Connell shared
the details of the new member
benefit programs currently in place
and the status on the negotiations
for additional offerings. This is
an exciting time for all of us at
IFDF as we’re seeing our association grow and become a stronger
advocate for Independent Funeral
Homes throughout Florida.
Thank you for helping to make
The IFDF the strongest and most
effective voice for funeral professionals in Florida. IFDF Members:
Do you have a working relationship
with a NON-IFDF member who you
think might be interested in learning
more about IFDF membership?
@
If so, contact
IFDF offices at
[email protected] to
discuss.
3
Mark O’Connell
Executive Director’s Report
I have had the opportunity to meet
with dozens of our members (and
almost as
many nonmembers)
over the past
8 months.
During that
time either
Ken Franklin
and /or I have
visited over
200 funeral
homes. This started when I was
discussing member outreach
with the IFDF Board of Directors
during our March Board meeting
and expressed my frustration over
a general lack of response from
members through social media
vehicles. I emphasized to the
Board that it was our obligation
to connect with our members and
simply trying but failing didn’t give
us a free pass.
Our initial goal was to simply
connect with members to see if we
could find ways to serve and help
them. It has turned out to be one
of the most gratifying experiences
during my 27 years as an association executive. Funeral directors
happen to be some of the nicest
people on Earth so spending a
few minutes visiting isn’t exactly
unpleasant. They also happen to
genuinely appreciate people who
offer to help them. From these
visits we gathered a lot of information on how we could help and we
solidified relationships across the
State.
Some have asked me why we
didn’t do this sooner. The easy
answer is: We couldn’t afford it.
Florida is a big state and putting
someone on the road and paying
for travel and accommodations
is expensive. The IFDF Board of
4
significant savings for natural gas
Directors decided to spend the
users. Unfortunately there are a
money this year as an experiment
number of areas in the state that
to see if it made a difference. It
are “closed” districts (Municipal
clearly did. Because it was successsystems that do not allow second
ful we looked in to ways we could
party access) but there are still over
make this a permanent part of
200 qualifying businesses we can
our membership program. We
serve.
approached suppliers looking for
We are working on another
financial support and we started
offering right now that should
exploring partnerships that would
provide value and savings to your
provide value to our members,
business. We’ll keep you informed
Suppliers realized the value we
as soon as something is availoffered them when we had face-toable. Our ability to offer tangible
face contact with our members and
savings and potential new revenue
their (potential) customers.
to funeral homes has also made it
We have been able to add two
easier to demonstrate the value in
new programs that we believe will
membership. So far this year we
bring more revenue or provide
have added over 30 new members
big savings to your businesses.
and an even larger number of
The DNA Memorial program is a
funeral homes have expressed a
unique opportunity for our profesreal interest in becoming part of
sion. It has the potential to enhance
our family.
the brand of your business by
One of the hardest things
demonstrating your concern for the
to do as an
health and
association is
wellto demonstrate
We have entered in to an agreebeing
value so that
ment with Gas South to offer
of your
people will
customer
discounted natural gas to funeral
join. We
families.
businesses in Florida.
always try to
The
explain that we
tagline:
(associations)
Have
can always
you ever heard of a funeral home
do more for them if we represent
saving lives? is certainly an attenmore of them. Our recent success
tion getter. Read more about this in
is a good example. IFDF is the
Ken Franklin’s article inside this
largest funeral business association
Reporter edition.
in Florida and we’re still growWe have entered in to an
ing. Independently owned funeral
agreement with Gas South to offer
homes represent almost 80% of
discounted natural gas to funeral
the Florida market and suppliers
businesses in Florida. This agreewant access to the potential you
ment gives us exclusive access to
represent. If there’s a group that
every independent funeral home
represents most of you, guess who
in the state and, because natural
they want to talk to?
gas is priced based on volume
Once again, thanks for giving
usage and we are able to pool the
me this opportunity to work with
usage of every business in our
you and on your behalf.
network, we are able to provide
THE INDEPENDENT REPORTER
Florida’s COMPLETE
Casket Source
Jacksonville - Orlando - Lauderdale Lakes
TRY OUR
CUSTOM
DESIGN
SERVICE
(800) 425-0583
(407) 425-0583 Fax (407) 422-2429
VISIT OUR
UPDATED
WEBSITE
www.cardinalcasket.com
C reative
A ffordable
R eliable
D edicated
I ndependent
N oble
A ccessible
L oyal
Defender - Firefighter
Purity White
We have been members & supporters
of the IFDF since 1995.
* Independently Owned & Locally Operated
* Complete Metal & Hardwood Selection
* Cardinal Casket - Domestic Manufacturing
* Sun Casket - Premium Imports
* Orthodox - All-Wood Construction
* Youth: Metal & Cloth Selections
* Air Trays & Shipping Containers
Credit Cards Accepted:
* Memorial Selections: Alternative
Caskets & Cremation Containers
By Ken Franklin – Member Ser vices Director
Why invest in yourself and the IFDF
Why is a big word and has many
meanings and outcomes for us all.
More specifically, an investment in
yourself is easy to understand and
carries a lot of impactful results—
business, family and personal
worth.
On the national front, did
you know that there are more than
8,000 associations, professional
societies and labor unions in the
U.S.? Yet, it is estimated that 85
percent of all business failures
occur in firms/businesses that are
NOT members of their respective
professional or trade association.
Membership certainly has a big
advantage over the prospects of
non-membership, and typically are
designed to accommodate networking and camaraderie PLUS other
considerable member benefits.
Investment of time and money
into the IFDF has many business and personal rewards. The
collective network and support to
you, your peers, and the families
you serve are a direct by-product
of your decision to invest in
your career and the association
that supports and advances the
profession.
So, have you ever asked
yourself why did you decide to
enter the funeral business? Was it
the motivation to be an owner and
“Have you ever heard of a funeral
home saving lives?”
As many of you realize, the last
chance for a family to preserve
their deceased loved one’s genetic
record (DNA) rests with you
– the funeral director. Funeral
consumer families must rely on
funeral directors to provide good
advice along with information to
make good funeral choices.
The subject of DNA in the
funeral industry is emerging as
consumers are educating them-
selves that:
• When a person is cremated, their DNA is lost and
destroyed as a result of the cremation process; and
• Once buried, disinterment is costly, emotional and
financially a hardship.
The IFDF and DNA Memorial have developed
an exclusive offer that will benefit your funeral
home during both pre-need consultation and with
at-need family arrangements. Your firm may now
offer to collect and preserve valuable DNA for the
families you serve while gaining a new passive
revenue source.
6
operator of a successful business?
Was it to fulfill a family tradition
that has always been a cornerstone
within the community as a professional and profitable venture? Was
it because you just wanted to help
families and make a difference in
folks lives without any interest in
being profitable? Or, maybe you
had other motives that drove you
into this profession of caring and
supporting families in need.
Why truly is a big word and
your own personal motivation is the
key to how successful you can be,
simply by joining an organization
and fellow professional peers to
have like interests. As the saying
The process is simple:
• Complete a simple application form which may be
faxed or E-mailed to the IFDF office;
• DNA Memorial will set up your account and online
portal for ordering and send materials to your firm;
• DNA Memorial will schedule training, and provide
supplies and materials free of charge. Additionally,
support video presentations are included for
pre-need, and at-need, together with brochures,
samples and collection kits, at no cost. This
approach allows you to make a professional presentation (utilizing the appropriate video) in a passive
manner and likewise educate/inform the families
you serve.
The IFDF and DNA Memorial have developed
an exclusive offer that will benefit your funeral home
during both pre-need consultation and with at-need
family arrangements. Your firm may now offer to
collect and preserve valuable DNA for the families
you serve while gaining a new passive revenue
source.
Contact the IFDF office for more information at
(850) 222-0198 or send an E-mail to: [email protected]
THE INDEPENDENT REPORTER
goes “success breeds success”,
then why would a true professional
funeral home owner not accept the
responsibility to be a part of such
an entity? By being a part of an
organization with the sole focus of
aiding members to achieve success
is best noted below:
The Association of Independent
Funeral Directors of Florida
enhances and perpetuates
independently owned and operate funeral homes in the State of
Florida
If you are a current IFDF
member, thank you for your
decision to invest in yourself, the
families that you serve and the
association that was organized to
safeguard, protect and advance
your profession. If you know others
in your profession who are not
IFDF members, please invite them
to consider joining or pass along
why you are a member.
If you are not an IFDF
member, you are reading this
article because your peers and the
IFDF association leadership want
to invite you to become a part of
this professional trade association.
I would ask that you take time
today and find out more about the
IFDF and our exciting new member
benefits.
Call the IFDF office at (850)
222-0198 or drop an E-mail to:
[email protected] and get more information. Remember, some may say
“I don’t need it!” or “I don’t see
any value in being a member!”,
but don’t become one of the 85%
who fail simply because you are
uninformed, or never been invited,
or haven’t invested in your career
and the IFDF.
IFDF/Gas South Member Benefit
IFDF has entered into an agreement with Gas South that provides
a unique opportunity for big savings for our members who use
natural gas. Gas South has agreed to give IFDF exclusive access to
every funeral business in Florida for the purpose of consolidating
usage.
Because natural gas is priced
based on volume and with the goal to
provide as much savings to members
as possible, we have been able to
merge member and non-member usage
together to maximize the volume that
will ultimately determine the discount
level. As the IFDF network grows our
member’s discount increases which
result in added savings.
How Does The IFDF/Gas South Program Work?
If you have a commercial account utilizing natural gas (for your
funeral home establishment, offices, or retort), you may qualify.
Simply:
Make a copy of an average natural gas bill and forward via
FAX#: 850.425.5268 or via E-Mail: [email protected]
Upon receipt, our utility specialists at Gas South will review,
analyze and render a projected usage and price rate, and then will
return to IFDF offices;
We will review and share the findings by forwarding the results
and related enrollment forms for your review.
Here is what you can expect if you’re eligible for this exclusive
IFDF/Gas South savings on natural gas:
• IFDF member discount on published rates
• No deposits (pending credit approval)
• No set-up fees
• No customer service fees
• No pool manager fees
Thus far, over the past few short weeks, we have been able to
save every IFDF member who desires to shift over to the IFDF/Gas
South program money on their monthly bills. Some members have
realizing hundreds of dollars per month and some of our smaller
users are also seeing considerable savings monthly.
So, if you are a natural gas user…why not find out about
another IFDF member benefit designed to help you save money
every month. Call the IFDF office [(850) 222-0198 or send an
E-mail to [email protected] to obtain further details.
I n d e p e n d e n t Fu n e r a l D i r e c t o r s o f F l o r i d a I s s u e 4 2 015 7
Member Profile
Getting acquainted:
Meet IFDF member
Bill Schichtel
L
ike many
Independent
funeral homes
that are
successful, the
Heath Funeral
Chapel has
been approached many times by
corporates to sell. Heath Funeral
Chapel has served the Lakelandarea community for 56 years
with compassion and excellence,
employing the principles set forth
by founder Foster Heath. And
despite pressure from corporate
entities to sell, the Heath family
has maintained their commitment
8
to providing personal, professional
service to families at their time of
need.
In 1980, Bill Schichtel met
Caroline Heath, daughter of Foster
and Doris Heath of Heath Funeral
Chapel & Crematory in Lakeland.
Born and raised in Buffalo, New
York, and after graduating from
St. Bonaventure University in
1973 with a degree in Finance,
Bill followed his parents to South
Florida and secured a job with First
Bankers. In 1975 he left the bank to
join his father in the family business, J.N. Equipment in Pompano.
Bill served as company president
from 1987-1989. Caroline was
working as a Manager for Southern
Bell in Fort Lauderdale and continued that job after they married in
1981.
In 1988, Caroline learned that
her father was considering selling his funeral home and retiring.
When she mentioned the news
to Bill, he told Caroline he could
return to school for a funeral
service degree and join her father’s
business. When Caroline considered that Bill would be leaving
his family’s business to join her
family’s business, she wasn’t quite
sure he was serious.
Similarly, when Bill and
Caroline shared the idea with her
parents on April Fools’ Day in
1988, they thought her parents may
think the offer was a joke. Instead,
her parents were elated at the
opportunity. So Bill enrolled in the
College of Boca Raton Mortuary
Program in 1988, moved his family
to Lakeland in 1989, and became a
licensed funeral director in 1990.
Bill also attained a life and variable
annuities license.
Today, Bill is President and
Manager at Heath Funeral Chapel
& Crematory, operating the family
business alongside Caroline and
their son, Matt. Bill says, “I know
from my own experience that you
need someone to lean on during
such a stressful time in life, and
we want to assure families that we
will be here to support them at their
time of need.” Bill, Caroline, and
Matt diligently strive to continue
THE INDEPENDENT REPORTER
“I know you need someone to lean on during such a
stressful time in life, and we want to assure families that
we will be here to support them at their time of need.”
­—Bill Schichtel
serving families with the high
standards set by the Heaths in 1959.
“Honesty and integrity are everything in this business,” says Bill.
“Families trust you to provide them
with honest answers during their
most difficult days, and I believe
family-owned businesses provide
that commitment.”
History
On November 23, 1959, Foster and
Doris Heath established Heath
Funeral Chapel as a full-service
funeral home in a turn-of-thecentury, wood-frame house they
bought in Lakeland, Florida. In
1971, they added a chapel and a
crematory to the property and
changed the name to Heath Funeral
Chapel & Crematory. A secondgeneration funeral director, Foster
served as President and a Licensed
Funeral Director at the funeral
home until his death in April 2012.
Prior to working in the funeral
profession, Foster served his
country as a tail gunner on a B-17
bomber in the Army Air Corps in
Europe during World War II. He
was discharged from the Army Air
Corps in 1945 after spending 11
months in German Prisoner of War
camps and was awarded a Purple
Heart and other military decorations. He married Doris (Purcell)
in 1946.
Foster Heath graduated from
the University of Minnesota
Mortuary Science Program in
1946 and from Florida Southern
College with a B.A. in Business
“There is nothing as wonderful
as loving someone, and nothing
harder than losing them. I am in
this business because I believe
in life and celebrating every
part of it. For three generations,
my family has lived in and loved
Polk County. Your folks are
our folks, and we are proud to
provide exceptional personal
care and attention. We work
closely with you in honoring
your loved one to ensure that
every detail of their well-deserved tribute is perfect.”
–Foster Heath,
Founder,
Heath Funeral Chapel & Crematory
Administration in 1949.
The Next Generation
Matt, the oldest of the Schichtel
children, holds a B.A. degree in
Economics from Davidson College
and an M.S. degree in Accountancy
from Wake Forest University. After
obtaining his CPA license in North
Carolina and working in Charlotte,
he moved back to Lakeland in 2011
to carry on the legacy of the family
business. Matt graduated from St.
Petersburg College and became a
Licensed Funeral Director in 2014.
In addition to serving as a Vice
President at Heath, he currently
I n d e p e n d e n t Fu n e r a l D i r e c t o r s o f F l o r i d a I s s u e 4 2 015 serves on the Polk Theatre Board,
and is a member of the Lakeland
Rotary Club, EMERGE Lakeland,
and PACE Polk Center for Girls.
Matt also has been a member of
Leadership Lakeland.
Bill and Caroline’s other
children include Katherine
Schichtel, 28, Informatics Analyst
at Lakeland Regional Health;
Leslie Schichtel Buchanan, 25,
Communications Specialist at
Vanderbilt University; and Olivia
Schichtel, 22, a graduate student
in Business Management at Wake
Forest University.
Continues on next page
9
Member Profile
Getting acquainted:
Bill Schichtel
Community Engagement
A dedicated volunteer in his
community, Bill serves on the
Central Florida Speech and
Hearing Board, Volunteers in
Service to the Elderly (VISTE)
Advisory Board, and the Imperial
Symphony Orchestra Board. He is
an active member of the Lakeland
Rotary Club and First United
Methodist Church. Previously, Bill
served on the “Paint Your Heart
Out Lakeland” Board, and was a
member of Leadership Lakeland
Class of XXXI.
Like Bill, Caroline has
been active in the community
as a member of Better Living
For Seniors, PTA, the Lakeland
Assemblies Cotillion Club, First
United Methodist Church, PEO
Chapter CP, and as a Sustainer
in the Junior League of Greater
Lakeland. As Vice President of
Community Service, Caroline
manages the aftercare program and
helps support and maintain relationships within the community.
As a result of the personal,
professional care they provide to
families and their community,
Heath Funeral Chapel has received
the NFDA Pursuit of Excellence
Award in 2013, 2014, and 2015, the
only funeral home in Florida to do
so. Bill and Caroline graciously
dedicate this notable honor in
memory of Foster and Doris for
their endearing commitment to
families and their dedication to the
Lakeland community.
The Heath Tribute Center,
completed in 2008, offers an
attractive setting for families and
community members to come
together for a variety of services,
meetings, and workshops. Some of
these events include visitations, the
10
annual Service of Remembrance,
the Children’s Grief Awareness
program, monthly aftercare
programs, Chamber of Commerce
breakfast meetings, and local AAA
senior driver seminars. In 2009, the
Tribute Center was the setting for
Foster Heath’s 90th birthday celebration, a festive event attended by
more than 200 friends and family
members. “When we asked friends
how they felt about attending a
birthday party at a funeral home,
everyone said they wouldn’t have
missed it,” said Bill. “Several said it
was like having a party in a beautiful Southern home. And Foster
enjoyed hearing such comments.
He used to say, ‘Your folks are
our folks,’ because he
wanted people to feel
at ease.”
As a member of
IFDF since its inception in 1992, Bill says
he appreciates the
network opportunities
and support provided
within the group.
“Family-owned and
-operated businesses
follow a different protocol than
corporate-owned entities follow.
While all businesses seek to
achieve their financial goals, I
believe that family-owned businesses prefer to value personal
relationships and provide exceptional care rather than compromise
their standards just to meet fiscal
objectives. Those community relationships make all the difference,”
he says. “And that translates to the
continued success of our businesses
and to professional groups like
IFDF.” Bill presently serves IFDF
as Director of Region 6.
Bill may be contacted via
email: bill@heathfuneralchapel.
com or phone: 863-682-0111.
THE INDEPENDENT REPORTER
S a v e the dates !
Welcome,
new members
of IFDF
Thank you for taking the
opportunity to get involved
and help shape the industry
while you build for the future.
Funeral Home
Baldwin Brothers
New Smyrna Beach
Winter Park
Apopka
Ocala
Orlando
Lady Lake
Jennings Funeral Home
& Crematory
Sarasota
Mullins Memorial Funeral Home
& Cremation Service Inc.
2016 IFDF Annual
Legislative Days
will be held
January 19-20
in Tallahassee
Accomodations at the Holiday Inn Express
1653 Raymond Diehl Rd, Tallahassee, FL 32308
Call the hotel directly for reservations at
(850) 386-7500 and mention “Group Code IFDF”
Room rate: $129/night
Registration details are available
at www.IFDF.org
I n d e p e n d e n t Fu n e r a l D i r e c t o r s o f F l o r i d a I s s u e 4 2 015 Cape Coral
Fort Myers
Individual
Jessica Ingram
Student
Alyson Ackbersingh
Heather Bescript
Jennifer Blanc
Taylor Campbell
Crystal Carter
Diane Cazimir
Arianne DeYurre
Michael Fishman
Brianna A. Gamboa
Madison Graham
Jaqueline Hickman
Andrew J. Jones
Billy W. Leonard
Aneika Madden
Yetsika Martinez
Luders Michaud
Kirstyn Neree
Karl Nicolaev
Kayla Olson
Hector Rubio
Erica Smith
Anthony Zanders
11
Vendor Profile
Vendor Profile:
Cardinal & Sun Casket
Companies
with IFDF since the beginning
In the summer of 1973, Mann
Alday, left Orange State Casket
Company to pursue a dream of
owning his own family-operated
Casket Company. Alday Casket
Company opened in August 1973.
Mann, using his experience as a
production manager at Orange
State, developed the business and
groomed it to meet the needs of the
local, independent funeral director.
Long before the days of corporate
takeovers and acquisitions, Alday
Casket Company had a loyal
customer base of around 30 funeral
homes located throughout Central
Florida.
During the late ‘80s and early
‘90s, stiff competition from the
larger casket companies and the
12
acquisitions of independent funeral
home by both Stewart Enterprises
and Service Corporation
International started to put a dent
in the bottom line. Looking for a
succession plan, Mann contacted
one of his local independent
customers about the prospects
of buying the business. In May,
1994, Mann Alday completed the
sale of Alday Casket Company to
Manny Adams & James Cardinal
and Cardinal Casket Company was
formed.
It was a very interesting time
in the funeral industry in Florida.
Looking to expand its customer
base, Batesville Casket Company
had acquired Orange State Casket
Company, the largest casket
manufacturer in Florida. This event
played well into the beginnings of
Cardinal Casket Company. While
the corporate-owned funeral homes
just continued business as usual,
the independently owned funeral
homes were looking for alternatives, especially when it came to
their casket supplier.
In 1995, two events happened
that further established Cardinal
Casket Company as a viable casket
supplier. First, was the addition
of William “Bill” Bowers, former
production manager of Orange
State Casket Company’s Orlando
facility. Bill brought over with
him 30+ years of experience, a
vast knowledge of the production
processes and the current customer
THE INDEPENDENT REPORTER
Pictured from left to right:
Embroidery machines; Assembly/
Hardware Room; Brandon Davis
(Sales Representative) and
Hank Morgan (Director of Sales);
Loading trucks for deliveries;
Orlando Loading Dock
Manny and James, coupled with the addition
of Bill and Kelly, their small support staff, led
Cardinal Casket forward, and doubled their
business by 1997.
needs within the industries.
Second, was the addition of Kelly
Greenwood. Although not from the
funeral industry, Kelly had a background in aviation maintenance,
was knowledgeable in production
and computers, and was energetic
and a proven leader. Manny and
James, coupled with the addition
of Bill and Kelly and their small
support staff, led Cardinal Casket
forward, and doubled
their business by
1997. Unfortunately,
Bill Bowers passed
away unexpectedly
in November, 1997.
Although he would be
forever missed, Cardinal continued
to grow.
Since the early beginnings of
the IFDF, Cardinal Casket has been
a strong supporter and sponsor of
the Independent Funeral Directors
of Florida and the IFDF annual
convention each June. In addition, Cardinal Casket has been
expanding their customer base.
The first step was to provide a
I n d e p e n d e n t Fu n e r a l D i r e c t o r s o f F l o r i d a I s s u e 4 2 015 comprehensive casket catalog in
1998, with a complete line of both
metal and wood options. In the year
2000, Cardinal hit a milestone in
the company’s history, delivering
1000 caskets that year. In 2001,
Cardinal added two important
individuals to its staff, Henry
“Hank” Morgan, a 22 year veteran
from Batesville Casket and David
Thomas, a 17 year veteran from
Clarksburg Casket. The next step
was the addition of a distribution
warehouse in Southern Florida,
for supplying funeral homes in
South Florida and the Caribbean.
Cardinal Casket purchased Sun
Continues on next page
13
Vendor Profile
Photos starting from left and reading right:
Showroom/Merchandising Display Options; Kelly
Greenwood (VP, Co-Owner), Brian Smith (International Sales), Manny Adams (CEO, Co-Owner)
and Hank Morgan (Director of Sales) at IFDF
Convention; Shirring Machine; Orlando Warehouse
Inventory
Casket Company in Hallandale.
With that completed, Cardinal
Casket reached another milestone
when 2500 caskets were sold &
delivered in 2003.
Business continued to grow
and expand throughout the 2000s;
and along with it, so did the
footprint of Cardinal’s business. In
the early part of 2008, the casket
supply business forever changed
with the addition of “low-cost”
imported caskets, specifically from
China. Several big-box retailers
were experimenting with the idea
of selling caskets directly to the
consumer at substantially lower
prices than most funeral homes.
Costco was the first to begin doing
this. At Cardinal we implemented
lower price lines that allowed our
customers to remain competitive.
14
In late 2008, Sun Casket
Company was re-born, this time
supplying premium imported
caskets from many different global
partners. The success of the Sun
Casket imported casket line was
overwhelming, with sales quickly
spreading throughout Florida.
Funeral directors were calling
requesting these imported options
quicker than expected, some
not even in our current delivery
areas. Also in 2008, Cardinal
implemented an industry first
“Custom Casket Design-Studio”
where you could customize just
about anything. Whatever you
could think of, any exterior paint
color; fabric color/style; personalized embroidered and graphic
head-panels; over-throws; graphic,
themed, personalized decals and
hardware designs; all ordered,
manufactured and delivered with
48 hours.
Together, Cardinal Casket
THE INDEPENDENT REPORTER
In late 2008, Sun Casket
Company was re-born, this
time supplying premium
imported caskets from many
different global partners.
Cardinal Casket Company
along with Sun Casket
Company is pleased to
announce the expansion of
our Orlando Manufacturing
& Distribution Center from its
current 22,500 square feet
to 27,750 square feet. This
expansion is required to meet
the overwhelming demand for
high quality – low cost caskets
from our long-standing faithful
customers and to meet the
needs of our expanding
customer base.
& Sun Casket moved forward,
continuing to grow its customer
base. In 2014, Cardinal Casket
was approached by a small,
locally known casket distributor
in Jacksonville, Guyton Casket
Company. Cardinal jumped at
the opportunity and purchased
Guyton Casket and the acquisition
was completed in December 2014.
Cardinal Casket moved into a new
Jacksonville facility in January
2015. The transition was very
successful, and soon orders were
coming in from funeral homes
in Charleston, SC, and all over
SE Georgia, in addition to the
Jacksonville local customers.
Today, both Cardinal Casket
and Sun Casket are anticipating
a record sales year, with more
than 400 active customers, 7,000
casket sales/year, 37,500 square
feet of building space, more than 1
million dollars of standing inventory, Custom Design-Studio Casket
Studio, 25 dedicated employees
& 12 delivery vehicles, A big
thank you goes out to all our loyal
Independent Funeral Homes. With
you in mind, we strive to satisfy
and we are truly grateful and
proud to serve you. Experience the
CARDINAL Difference.
I n d e p e n d e n t Fu n e r a l D i r e c t o r s o f F l o r i d a I s s u e 4 2 015 Cardinal Casket Company
began its operations in a
2,650 square foot facility in
Orlando with a customer base
of 10 funeral homes. Currently
serving more than 430 funeral
homes while continuing to
be committed to exceeding the expectations of our
customers with high quality,
limitless casket customization, economical pricing and
superior customer service.
Cardinal Casket and Sun
Casket Companies continue
to be a Florida Owned and
Independently operated
Casket Company servicing the
state of Florida, S.E. Georgia,
the Caribbean and Central
America.
15
Executive Director, Independent Funeral Directors of Florida.
From the Desk of Mark O’Connell
The Medical Examiner’s 2015
Report was just released and I
wanted to share some statistics with
you. This may quantify what you
already know but it is still important to see in black and white.
Using 1994 as the base year
(21 years ago), there were 149,631
deaths in Florida and 93,454
standard burials. There was a slight
increase in burials in 1995 (692) but
it’s been a downward slide since. In
2014 there were 16,301 fewer standard burials than what occurred in
1994. If the world hadn’t changed
and if we were still living in 1994
with a burial rate of 62.5% then
there would have been more than
48,000 additional burials.
Some of you have indicated
that you haven’t experienced the
dramatic change that others talk
about. If your business is in in
Southeast Florida the burial rate
is still better than 50%. This has
more to do with ethnic and cultural
factors than it does geography.
If your business is in Southwest
Florida, your burial rate is less
than 25%. As a matter of fact, with
Total Deaths Cremations
the exception of the tri-county
area in South Florida, it appears
the usual retirement centers in
coastal Florida are approaching
a cremation rate of 80%. The one
anomaly is the Panhandle and Fort
Lauderdale but both of these areas
have a much smaller transient
population. Tampa, with a larger
multi-generational population than
the other retirement centers also
has a smaller cremation rate (56%)
than those places (77%).
Standard Burials Loss of Burials
%Cremations
1994
149,631
56,177
93,454
0
37.5%
1995
154,127
59,981
94146
692 38.9%
1996154,470
62,575
91895
(1,559)
40.5%
1997155,681
63,725
91956
(1,498)
40.9%
1998159,155
66,907
92248
(1,206)
42.0%
1999164,046
69,001
95045
(1,591)
42.1%
771 43.0%
2000
71,114
94225
2001168,501
76,371
92130
(1,324)
45.3%
2002168,501
79,094
89407
(4,047)
46.9%
2003169,679
81,374
88305
(5,149)
48.0%
2004170,130
83,265
86865
(6,589)
48.9%
2005172,251
86,323
85928
(7,526)
50.1%
2006171,260
87,441
83819
(9,635)
51.1%
2007168,977
87,532
81445
(12,009)
51.8%
2008171,825
91,937
79888
(13,566)
53.5%
2009171,308
96,331
74977
(18,477)
56.2%
2010175,161
102,751
72410
(21,044)
58.7%
2011175,256
102,999
72257
(21,197)
58.8%
2012178,730
106,187
72543
(20,911)
59.4%
2013182,965
113,970
68995
(24,459)
62.3%
16
165,339
THE INDEPENDENT REPORTER
Cremations as a percentage of deaths in Florida, 2012 - 2014
20122012 2012
2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2014 (2014)
District
Population Deaths Cremations % Cremation Deaths Cremations % Cremation Deaths Cremations% Cremation
1 - Pensacola
711,669 6,565
3,468
52.83%
6,814
3,596
52.77%
6,862
3,598
52.43%
2 - Tallahassee
420,078
3,100
1,316
42.45%
3,167
1,404
44.33%
3,146
1,435
45.61%
3 - Live Oak
173,766
1,532
828
54.05%
1,587
676
42.60%
1,596
863
54.07%
4 - Jacksonville
1,160,084 10,145
5,513
54.34% 10,737
5,841
54.40% 10,672
6,164
57.76%
5 - Leesburg
1,088,277 13,284
9,570
72.04% 13,923
10,579
75.98% 14,356
10,664
74.28%
6 - St Petersburg
1,407,158 17,144
12,572
73.33% 17,533
13,426
76.58% 17,857
13,617
76.26%
7 - Daytona Beach 504,236
6,370
4,155
65.23%
6,410
4,988
77.82%
6,764
5,245
77.54%
8 - Gainesville
380,018
4,027
2,317
57.54%
4,234
2,603
61.48%
4,303
2,748
63.86%
9 - Orlando
1,521,168 9,562
6,253
65.39%
9,745
6,595
67.68%
9,909
6,832
68.95%
10 -Lakeland
754,946
7,271
4,629
63.66%
7,371
4,831
65.54%
7,694
5,000
64.99%
11 - Miami
2,602,826 19,331
8,480
43.87% 19,188
8,349
43.51% 19,642
8,797
44.79%
12 - Sarasota
767,195 8,557
6,550
76.55%
8,909
6,958
78.10%
9,189
7,082
77.07%
13 - Tampa
1,297,986 10,214
5,479
53.64% 10,461
5,946
56.84% 10,691
6,051
56.60%
14 - Panama City
298,538
2,947
293
9.94%
3,143
1,520
48.36%
3,431
1,728
50.36%
15 - Palm Beach 1,364,653 13,870
6,541
47.16% 14,100
6,845
48.55% 14,542
7,184
49.40%
16 - Florida Keys
72,533
531
418
78.72%
540
441
81.67%
549
447
81.42%
17 - Ft Lauderdale 1,792,586 13,929
6,633
47.62% 13,924
6,790
48.76% 14,108
6,871
48.70%
18 - Melbourne
554,596
6,218
3,963
63.73%
6,378
4,212
66.04%
6,627
4,246
64.07%
19 - Ft Pierce
627,112
6,425
4,650
72.37%
6,704
4,991
74.45%
7,062
5,320
75.33%
20 - Naples
342,391
3,051
2,346
76.89%
3,063
2,395
78.19%
3,138
2,683
85.50%
21 - Ft Myers
721,538
6,163
4,561
74.01%
6,541
4,921
75.23%
6,690
5,140
76.83%
22 - Port Charlotte 166,700 2,365
1,819
76.91%
2,372
1,767
74.49%
2,487
1,968
79.13%
23 - St Augustine
385,577 3,097
2,107
68.03%
3,128
2,208
70.59%
3,366
2,412
71.66%
24 - Sanford
436,597 3,032
1,726
56.93%
2,993
2,088
69.76%
3,261
2,284
70.04%
Total
19,552,228178,730 106,187
59.41% 182,965 113,970
62.29% 187,942 118,379 62.99%
Source: Florida Medical Examiners Commission Annual Reports 2012, 2013, & 2014
District 1
Escambia
Okaloosa
Santa Rosa
Walton
District 2
Franklin
Gadsden
Jefferson
Leon
Liberty
Taylor
Wakulla
District 3 *
(Covered by)
Columbia *4
Dixie *8
Hamilton *4
Lafayette *2
Madison *2
Suwannee *4
District 4
Clay
Duval
Nassau
District 5
Citrus
Hernando
Lake
Marion
Sumter
District 6
Pasco
Pinellas
District 7
Volusia
District 8
Alachua
Baker
Bradford
Gilchrist
Levy
Union
District 9
District 11
Miami-Dade
District 12
DeSoto
Manatee
Sarasota
District 19
Hillsborough
Indian River
Martin
Okeechobee
St. Lucie
District 14
District 20
District 13
Bay
Calhoun
Gulf
Homes
Jackson
Washington
District 15
Palm Beach
Collier
District 21
Glades
Hendry
Lee
District 22
Charlotte
District 23
Orange
Osceola
District 16
District 10
District 17
Flagler
Putnam
St. Johns
District 18
*Covered by
Hardee
Highlands
Polk
Monroe
Broward
Brevard
I n d e p e n d e n t Fu n e r a l D i r e c t o r s o f F l o r i d a I s s u e 4 2 015 District 24
Seminole *7
17
.
u
o
y
k
n
a
ThMy First-Hand Experience
By Ken Franklin, Member Ser vices
Prior to joining IFDF, my personal
experiences in dealing with death
were always at a distance, and
family members passing were in the
distant past. I have witnessed death
in my lifetime during my military
service, and on occasion a distant
relative or two who lived considerable distance from my home. I had
never been personally charged
with making the necessary funeral
arrangements or all the general
actions that are required upon the
passing of a loved one. That all
changed when my 92-year-old dad
passed away on September 4th of
this year. My family and I were
faced with the need to assist my
mother in dealing with the funeral,
selecting a funeral director and
then undertaking all the necessary
details such as insurance filings,
legal paperwork, bank documents,
and more.
I was fortunate to make
an informed decision as to the
funeral director, solely due to my
association with IFDF. I met Scott
Whitehead, who serves on the IFDF
Board of Directors, almost immediately upon joining the IFDF staff.
Since meeting and getting to know
Scott, we have become personal
friends and are also involved in
local charity functions. I had
complete confidence in selecting
Scott and Faith Funeral Home and
he immediately responded when
I made the telephone call to come
to the local Hospice House to care
for my dad and also to meet my
mother. Upon meeting my mother,
I want to publically thank the IFDF
Board of Directors, many of whom immediately reached out to me offering their
support, to Mark O’Connell and Michele
Hood who attended Dad’s services and
served as my personal support team,
and to many of the IFDF members who
sent sympathy cards and personal notes.
The IFDF support system is one that I
will always cherish and appreciate.
18
the first thing Scott did was address
her as ‘Miss Pauline’---which set
her at ease. Immediately she liked
and trusted Scott in handling
whatever had to be done.
I am sharing this personal
incident not to market one particular funeral director over another;
rather, to share and reflect upon the
exceptional skill and knowledge
which you as professional funeral
directors all possess. If I were to
list words that come to mind, such
as compassion, caring, supportive,
take-charge, or others, these words
simply do not reflect the experience
my family and I underwent.
Secondly, I feel blessed to be
a part of the IFDF staff and this
membership because now I have
first-hand personal experience as
to the details, and arrangements
which every family will face in the
future.
Although my dad’s passing
was the result of heart conditions/
failure, and a traditional burial was
made, we decided to purchase the
DNA Memorial collection. Scott
Whitehead was the first IFDF
member to enroll in the DNA
Memorial program and I wanted
to preserve Dad’s genetic record
(DNA) for our kids and grandkids.
Having this product again eased
our mind that Dad will always be
a part of our lives into the future.
And, since my dad was a WW II
veteran of Omaha Beach, I will
always have a part of him with me
in my life.
So, thank you all [and Scott’s
team] for what you do, and how
you ease the grief process yet make
sure that the final arrangements
are honorable and reflective of our
passed loved ones. I have a better
understanding and knowledge of
the funeral profession both as a
member of the IFDF staff and as
someone who has had first-hand
personal experience.
THE INDEPENDENT REPORTER
Classifieds
Positions Available
Licensed FD/EM for Riverview Area
Family owned and operated Funeral Home, Cemetery, & Crematory in the
Brandon/Riverview, FL area seeking a Full Time licensed funeral director/
embalmer. We are looking for someone who is compassionate, motivated,
and able to work every aspect of being a funeral director/embalmer. We
offer a competitive benefits, salary, and health insurance. Please forward
resumes to [email protected]
Seeking Licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer in Southwest Florida
Very established family owned and operated funeral home seeking licensed
director/embalmer. Salary commensurate with experience. Email resume to
[email protected]
Positions Wanted
Michael E. Hyde, Bagpiper for All Occasions
Professional, licensed, full-time bagpiper. Available seven days a week,
any time of day or evening. Full formal attire. All the tunes of glory
played on either the Great Highland Pipe or the Shuttle Pipe (suitable for
chapel setting). Attention Veterans: Michael is available to pipe at the
National Cemetery in Bushnell and the South Florida National Cemetery
in Lake Worth. Affiliate member of IFDF. Please visit my website at www.
MichaelHydeBagpiper.com to see Michael and hear sample tunes. Email
[email protected] or call (772) 696-3568.
Trade Funeral Directing and Embalming
Strengthen your profession.
Support IFDF. Working together for the independent
funeral directors. www.ifdf.org
I n d e p e n d e n t Fu n e r a l D i r e c t o r s o f F l o r i d a I s s u e 4 2 015 LCBA
different?
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attempting to expose
the shortcomings of
their competitors. While
their products speak for
themselves, I appreciate
the manner in which they
deal with their customers.
We have never felt
pressured or subjected to
strong sales tactics. “
Justin K. Huie | Grose Funeral Home
Learn More and take a free demo
of our online director’s portal by
visiting www.lcbalife.org/info.
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embalming, restorative art and assisting with funeral services in the central
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an extra embalmer? Are you in the need for an expert in restorative art? If
the answer is yes, feel free to contact me at 386-228-7207. Or email me at
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19
In Loving Memory
Remembering
Marcus Eugene Johnson
October 28, 2015
Son of Doris Laird Johnson
Park Funeral Home, DeFuniak Springs
Remembering
Lealia Marie Corey Joyner
September 22, 2015
Daughter of George S. Corey Jr.
Corey-Kerlin Funeral Home, Jacksonville
Lealia Marie Corey Joyner,
died Tuesday, September
22, 2015 from a battle with
cancer. Lealia was born in
Montgomery, Alabama but has
lived in Jacksonville most of
her life. She worked at several
florists as a designer and with
her husband owned and operated Mt. Carmel Florist on St.
Augustine Road. She never met
a stranger and loved to be with
family and friends. Lealia was
pre-deceased by her husband,
Henry Steve Joyner, her mother,
Marie A. Corey and her youngest sister, Margaret A. “Maggie”
Bell-Herndon. She is survived
by a daughter, Tammy Joyner
Tomlinson; 4 sons, George L.
Rice (Lisa), John C. Rice, Sr.,
Matthew Joyner and Michael
Joyner (Dawn); a sister, Mary A.
Nunn (Michael); a brother, John
T. Corey; her father, George S.
Corey, Jr. (Elizabeth), 14 grandchildren; 2 great grandchildren,
several nieces and nephews,
including Lindy JoynerKennedy who helped take care
of her during her illness.
20
Marcus Eugene Johnson, 61, of Jay, FL, formerly of DeFuniak
Springs, answered his Masters call, finishing his course on
Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at the Baptist Hospital, Jay, Florida.
Marcus was the son of Doris Laird Johnson and the late
David Donald Johnson, Sr., owners of Park Funeral Home in
DeFuniak Springs.
Marcus began his law enforcement career in the DeFuniak Springs
Police Department under Chief Clinton
Hooks. He spent several years as part of
the Walton County Sheriff Department
under Sheriff Quinn McMillian. Both
added greatly to his career which led to
the Florida Department of Corrections.
He attained the rank of Colonel at Santa
Rosa County Correction Institution.
Marcus was large in stature with
a big heart and a caring personality.
He was quiet in the sense that many
confided in him with assurance. He was
firm, fair and focused. He gave his best
and expected no less from others.
Marcus memories will forever be enshrined in the heart
of his wife Sherry C. Johnson; children: Candace D. (Jimmy)
Jones and Vincent D. (Senetria) Longmire, Sr.; grandchildren:
Camryn D. Johnson, Caitlyn D. Johnson, Vincent D. Longmire,
Jr., Amare’ D. Longmire, Jalen Jones and Alexis Jones; his
mother: Doris L. Johnson; siblings: David (Denise) Johnson, Jr.
and Lori (the Reverend Russell) Hughes; father and mother-inlaw: Alfonzie and Martha Cottrell; aunts and uncles: Gussie (Ed)
Maynor and family, Mary Johnson and family, Vivian Rhodes
and family, Jerry Johnson and family, Joe (Nellie) Johnson and
family, Russell (Betsy) Johnson and family, Leo Cottrell and
family, Andrew Cottrell and family, James (Mary) Cottrell and
family, Edward (Emma) Armstrong and family; great aunt:
Juanita Sheffield; nieces: Micah P. Hutley and Kawaii C. Johnson;
numerous other relatives, church family and friends.
THE INDEPENDENT REPORTER
Remembering
Robert “Bob” Lee Franklin
June 2, 1923 – September 4, 2015
Father of Ken Franklin
IFDF Member Services Director
Bob Franklin was born June 2,
1923 in Seminole, Oklahoma.
The son of Benjamin L. Franklin
and Sarah Elizabeth “Grace”
Percey Franklin. He was a
WWII Army veteran and survivor of Omaha Beach and the European Campaign
receiving a Purple Heart and other commendations. He was a member of VFW, American Legion
and recently participated in Honor Flight with his
son (also US Army veteran). Bob was an active
member of Carrabelle United Methodist Church,
the Carrabelle Food Pantry and other volunteer
activities. His hobbies were fishing and
playing guitar and bass with friends and in
church.
Mr. Franklin is survived by his
wife of 70 years, Pauline Ivy Franklin of
Lanark Beach; his son Ken Franklin (wife
Joanna) of Tallahassee; his granddaughter
Melissa Franklin (partner Andrew “Drew” Graff)
of Tallahassee; two great grandsons Andrew
“Aiken” Kenneth Graff and Oliver “Evers” Graff,
both of Tallahassee.
In lieu of flowers, the family request donations
be made to Carrabelle United Methodist Church or
Carrabelle Food Pantry.
Remembering
Jean Louise Winders
January 20, 1927 – September 17, 2015
Mother in law of Jim Holcom, Matthews Funeral Products
Jeanne Louise Winders died Thursday,
September 17, 2015. She was born January
20, 1927 to William and Ethel Sporrer
in Hawarden, Iowa. She attended the
University of South Dakota and graduated
from Huron College, where she met her
husband Voy Arthur Winders. She taught
first grade in Elk Point, South Dakota,
before traveling the world with her husband
as an Air Force wife. They raised 4
children and retired in 1969 to Lakeland,
where she was an avid tennis player
to the age of 84. She was a church and
community volunteer, including Lakeland
Symphony Orchestra Guild, LRMC
Auxiliary, City of Lakeland Beautification
Board, and Lakeland Women’s Club. She
I n d e p e n d e n t Fu n e r a l D i r e c t o r s o f F l o r i d a I s s u e 4 2 015 was a member of Resurrection Catholic
Church.
She was preceded in death by her
husband and is survived by her children
Kris Osterholtz of Lakeland, Lyn (Jim)
Holcom of Lakeland, Doug (Jenny)
Winders of Hickory, NC, and Alisa (David)
Hand of Lakeland; her companion Ken
Bouslough and his daughters Jane and
Laura; her grandchildren Chris (Jaime)
Holcom, Jessica (Mickey) Miller, Ben
(Kira) Winders, Daniel Winders, Katie
Winders, Audrey Hand and Amelia
Hand; and the loves of her life her great
grandchildren Grey and Mills Miller, Nora
Winders and Olivia Holcom, and niece
Judy Royer of Santa Clara, Utah.
21
Good Help?
Good Grief!
By Mark Higgins
“I don’t know about any of you”, said
one of the members at the recent Georgia
Roundtable meeting, “but we’re having a wicked
time finding qualified professional staff.”
Many heads nodded at this problem facing our field. The reasons
are complex. Mortuary school
enrollment has remained flat for
years now, and with the advent
of the on-line study program,
distant learners are removed from
direct interactive experience and
mostly preparing for a career in a
vacuum. Our host, Greg Cannon,
had recently attended a program
addressing the problems further by
citing the “soft skills” lacking in
our profession among those at entry
level. For starters, an acceptable
level of competency in speaking
correct English, composition and
spelling; interpersonal skill and
social graces; and personal grooming and attire. Ringing true for
you? Returning to my alma mater,
Pittsburgh Institute, a few years
ago, I got a “whiff” of this with
the shocking display of tattoos,
body piercings and iridescent hair
color. Do these students expect to
be hired looking like something
the cat dragged in? Are the schools
not being candid with them about
the job market? Is a dress code
outdated or a violation of rights?
Though a few generations ago, in
80-81 we could not wear jeans at
mortuary school nor shirts without a collar. Notorious for going
sockless, I was refused entry one
morning. We were expected to
appear professionally to ultimately
22
be professionals. End of story.
While funeral service has
always demanded a conservative
demeanor, a solid people equation, strong work ethic and good
common sense, the set of skills
needed today is multi-layered. In
no way to diminish embalming
and the essentials of body preparation, it seems there’s a sizeable
segment entering our work out of
a fascination for this area alone.
Nothing wrong with this for those
so inclined, but by and large, with
decreasing prep requests, we need
“people people” – those who are
the right fit for everything we hear
at seminars and read in journals
about the “new” consumer and
their need for creative death care
advisors/event planners. Then, we
have to wonder what happened
to the “3 R’s” in early education,
as many arrangers cannot write a
proper obituary much less make
it personal and interesting. And
today’s slang? I cringe every time
“awesome” replaces “thank you” or
“fine”….or “no problem” instead of
“you’re welcome.”
While the talent pool is
limited, the flip side of the labor
crisis is the onus on us as employers to first be more prudent and
thorough in the hiring process, and
secondly, make the investment in
training and development of staff.
If you hire a “B” player, assess his
or her potential to become an “A”
player under your leadership. But
don’t make the mistake I did some
10 years ago by hiring a “C” player
(now gone) who we were just sure
needed TLC to raise the bar. No,
you cannot make “chicken salad out
of chicken &%#$.” Quality talent is
still to be found, but it is not falling
off the trees.
At the Florida Roundtable,
several stressed the importance
of being pro-active by visiting
the schools to interview students
for internships. The customary
channels of sending word through
suppliers or ads is not going to
fetch the same results as taking the
time to meet candidates and “sell”
yourself and your firm. One takeaway from the Georgia gathering
was a potential opportunity for
SIFH to produce some arranger
training videos via YouTube,
covering interpersonal technique
and ways to build a connection of
trust with client families. Great
idea. If the schools aren’t screening
or inspiring future practitioners,
it sadly mostly falls on us. In the
meantime, it throttles me that
the mortuary schools (under the
aegis of the American Board of FS
Education) have – in my view –
remained stuck in an increasingly
irrelevant and useless curriculum to
accomplish the same old mission of
running grads through to pass the
Nat’l Board. If an accurate image
were painted to incoming students
about expectations of the profession
and potential employers expect, I
question how many would pursue
it. My own ruminations only. I’d be
interested in yours especially if you
have suggestions to share that have
worked.
Mark Higgins is owner of HallWynne Funeral Services &
Crematory in Durham, NC and is
currently serving as President of
Selected Independent FuneralHomes.
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PO Box 10969
119 East Park Avenue
Tallahassee, FL 32302-2969
ifdf.org
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