A Brush with Death

NFDA is commemorating the tragic 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks with a special episode of A Brush with Death.

Host, Gabe Schauf, speaks with Funeral Director Chuck Bowman who served as deputy commander of Region VIII Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT). Chuck supported the recovery efforts following the attacks, and he joins Gabe on this episode to share his experience. This episode will inspire you and touch your heart.

The Funeral Service Foundation is the philanthropic voice of the funeral profession and the charitable arm of the National Funeral Directors Association. In this episode, host Gabe Schauf speaks with Kelly Manion, the Director of Community Engagement for the Funeral Service Foundation, and two scholarship recipients. The discussion focuses on how the Foundation invests in people and programs to strengthen funeral service and lift up grieving communities. Find out how the Funeral Service Foundation helps the helpers!

When a family chooses to donate a loved one's body for education or research, they do so with the hope that they will help others. Regrettably, many are unknowingly contributing to a for-profit industry in which the body of their loved one could be traded as raw material in a largely unregulated national market. Congress is taking a significant step toward protecting the dignity of donors and offering peace of mind to families with the introduction of the Consensual Donation and Research Integrity Act of 2021.

Host, Gabe Schauf, discusses this very important bill with Hillary Adair (an Arizona-based funeral director) and Lesley Witter, NFDA's Senior Vice President of Advocacy.

It's the month of June, and host Gabe Schauf speaks with four Mortuary Science School graduates from across the country to discuss why they entered funeral service and what they anticipate going into the future.

Meet Nicole Judge (FINE Mortuary College in Norwood, Massachusetts), Luke Martinez (Worsham College of Funeral Science in Wheeling, Illinois), Venice Harris (Lake Washington Institute of Technology in Kirkland, Washington), and Cristina Cherubini (University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota).

The month of May brings Memorial Day – a time to honor the millions of people in uniform who gave their lives for this country. Journey to Serve is a unique campaign launched in 2021 by the Funeral Service Foundation and the ICCFA Educational Foundation. This collaborative effort between organizations aims to engage, recruit and hire more military veterans to careers in the funeral service profession – including meaningful work in funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, funeral vendors, and all levels of support roles. Join Gabe Schauf as he explores this amazing project with Bob Arrington, founder of Arrington Funeral Directors and Crematorium, and Navy Petty Officer and funeral honor coordinator, Jennifer Jones.

Earth Day is April 22, and host Gabe Schauf's interview with Amy Cunningham touches on a timely topic. Amy is a licensed funeral director and celebrant in Brooklyn, New York who specializes in green burials. In this episode, she discusses earth-friendly options chosen by many families to say farewell to a loved one.

Host Gabe Schauf speaks with NFDA Senior Vice President of Advocacy, Lesley Witter. Lesley is based in Washington D.C. working for the funeral profession within the halls of the federal government. She provides insight into her role as an advocate, and how legislation that is advantageous to funeral service professionals is advanced.

Lesley has been with the NFDA for 14 years and is responsible for the association's legislative, regulatory, and political activity. She is tasked with increasing NFDA's visibility on Capitol Hill and with various federal agencies.

NFDA CEO Christine Pepper and NFDA Board President Bryant Hightower discuss what's ahead in 2021 with our host, Gabe Schauf. Christine and Bryant share their thoughts on topics ranging from technology to advocacy to education in this episode of A Brush with Death. Tune in to hear their thoughts about what's in store for funeral service professionals – and for those who support them. Serving our families and communities will remain the focus of the profession, but the methods and processes are forever changing.

We all know that serving families and communities is the primary focus of funeral service professionals but behind the scenes, there is a business to run. NFDA members can take advantage of our researched list of Endorsed Providers who can help guide you in many aspects of your business. Guests Tim Bridgers, Senior Vice President of the Funeral Home and Cemetery Lending team at Live Oak Bank, and Kathleen Ervin, Senior Account Manager with Heartland Payment Systems (formerly known as TSYS), join our host, Gabe Schauf to discuss funeral finance issues.

The holiday season is upon us – a time to connect with family and friends, although this year our gatherings are primarily virtual. In this episode of A Brush with Death, our host Gabe Schauf reminisces with his grandfather, Charles Nelson, using the Have the Talk of a Lifetime Conversation Cards. These amazing conversation starters are part of NFDA's Remembering A Life community engagement initiative.

Sitting down with loved ones to talk about their lives can be a rich and satisfying experience! Learning about memorable events, people, places, values, and lessons they have learned can help bring you closer to the people you care about. We offer the Original Deck of 50 cards, the Kids Deck and the Celebrations Deck. The Original Deck is also available in Spanish!