Remembering A Life

What happens when someone is near the end of their life but they don't have family or friends to sit with them in their final days? For Tannis Dorscht, the answer is simple. She will, as a volunteer with the No One Dies Alone program, sit with someone she has never met, sometimes in complete silence, as a source of comfort and companionship as they approach the end of life.

CW: Discussion about the mass shooting at Columbine High School

Chuck Bowman and John Horan were funeral directors at Horan & McConaty Funeral Home on April 20, 1999, when two assailants killed 13 people at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. They, Jennifer McBride, Director of Grief Support and Community Education, and coworkers helped seven families say goodbye to their loved ones.

Tim Purves, Chairman and owner of William Purves Funeral Directors in Edinburgh, managed the Scottish element of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's funeral. From the initial days at Balmoral Castle where The Queen died to the carefully managed boarding of a London-bound aircraft, Tim had the honor of accompanying The Queen on her final journey. This is a fascinating behind-the-scenes conversation.

Darnell Lamont Walker, Emmy-nominated television writer, content creator, filmmaker, healer, and death doula. His credits include writing for children's programming, including Blue's Clues & You and Karma's World; and work as a filmmaker for Seeking Asylum, Outside the House, and Set Yourself on Fire. In this conversation we talk about his work as a death doula and grief in the Black community.

Every day, Brad Wolfe, founder and executive director of Reimagine, helps people face adversity and loss, and channel the hard parts of life into meaningful action. Inspired by his grandparents' experiences and survival during the Holocaust, Brad shares their story and how it led him to the impactful work he does today.

TW: Episode includes descriptions of experiences in WWII concentration camps.

To grieve is often to feel ungrounded. The ritualistic aspects of yoga, however, can help us adjust to an environment in which our loved one is now absent by providing a safe place of belonging in which to work through the pain of loss. In this episode, yoga teacher Meg Galarza and grief therapist Elizabeth Lewis guide us in starting a yoga practice that will help us move forward in grief.

After a mass-fatality event, families of individuals who have died are looking for many answers. Often, their most pressing question is, "Where is my loved one?" Recovering remains can be difficult and time-consuming; often, disaster teams are deployed to help. Tim Schramm, owner and CEO of Howe-Peterson Funeral Home and commander of the Michigan Mortuary Response Team is sometimes among them.

Katarina Blom is not one to shy away from the topic of death. As co-host of Peacock's hit show, "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning," Katarina is passionate about helping people open up about the objects they have collected over the years, inviting them to consider how sharing or giving away some of those items might help them both clear out the clutter and establish a meaningful legacy.

Susan Reising had the story of Lola and the Tree of Life in her for decades, but it finally came to life during the pandemic when she published this beautiful children's book that helps children prepare for the death of a loved one or pet. Through the lens of a young girl, her dog, and a wise old tree, she helps children understand that while death is permanent, meaning and connections live on.

Put away your hiking boots and canoe paddles and get ready for a new kind of summer camp! After Life Mortuary Services in Memphis offers a camp that packs plenty of fun while teaching campers about cremation, restoration, serving families, and more. Funeral directors Madeline Lyles and Dana Taylor hope the experience opens up a world of possibilities for the young people who participate.