Seeing Death Clearly

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In this episode, Jill McClennen speaks with Philadelphia-area researcher and photographer Edward Snyder about abandoned and forgotten cemeteries and what they reveal about dying, grief, legacy, and conscious living. Ed explains how his interest in cemetery art grew into decades of documenting burial practices and the death care industry, including stories of cemeteries destroyed, built over, or only partly moved, leaving human remains under streets, playgrounds, and parking lots. He cites the Philadelphia Archaeological Forum’s map of 200 historic burial sites. He describes cases like Monument Cemetery near Temple University and the First Baptist Church burial ground, where thousands may still remain. They discuss what can happen legally when construction finds remains, the dumping of tombstones along the Betsy Ross Bridge shoreline, neglect and restoration efforts at Mount Moriah, Mount Vernon, and Har Hasetim, and how green burials and community events can fund long-term care. 

01:40 Cemetery Photography Obsession

04:51 How Many Hidden Burial Grounds

07:17 Monument and Lafayette Cemeteries

09:04 Construction Finds and the Law

11:09 Tombstones Dumped in Rivers

16:50 Grave Robbing at Mount Moriah

21:59 Turning Cemeteries into Green Space

27:48 Why Cemeteries Get Abandoned

29:12 Green Burial as a Lifeline

35:51 Camden Cemeteries and River Markers

https://thecemeterytraveler.blogspot.com/

Abandoned and Forgotten Cemeteries of Philadelphia and its Environs book on Amazon

“History Lives at Fort Mifflin” multi-author event

April 11, 2026, Fort Mifflin, 6400 Hog Island Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19153

“Abandoned Site Photography” Artist Talk Event with Ed Snyder and Veronika Schmude, April 15, 2026, Plays and Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey St, Philadelphia, PA 19103 

“The Challenge of the Abandoned Cemetery” presentation at the Spring 2026 Pennsylvania Chapter meeting of the Association for Gravestone Studies, May 2, 2026, Berks History Center, Reading, PA

Seeing Death Clearly episodes mentioned in this podcast:
How Natural Burial is Changing End-of-Life Planning with Ed Bixby

Reviving Philadelphia’s Forgotten Mount Vernon Cemetery with Brandon Zimmerman

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Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast. 

Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life. 

[email protected] 

https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call.

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In this episode my guest Cristian Cibilis Bernardes, founder and CEO of Autograph and I explore how preserving memories can become a powerful part of legacy and end-of-life planning. The conversation highlights why hearing a loved one’s voice and stories can bring comfort, healing, and deeper understanding during grief.

Autograph is a platform designed to preserve people’s life stories before they are lost. Autograph records weekly phone interviews with an AI historian named Walter, capturing real conversations about a person’s memories, relationships, and life lessons. The recordings are transcribed and organized into private, connected pages that map the people, places, and experiences that shape a life, creating what Cristian describes as a living library of family wisdom.

The platform also sets clear boundaries around technology. Instead of creating AI avatars or simulations of the dead, every story is grounded in real recordings to protect authenticity and avoid the ethical concerns that can arise when technology recreates a person who has died.

The conversation explores how documenting memories can support healing, strengthen family connections, and encourage more conscious living. 

01:36 Autograph Explained

03:22 Time Vault for Families

04:56 Grief and Boundaries

06:35 Stories Shape Identity

08:40 AI and Authentic Memory

13:06 How the Platform Works

16:02 Pricing and Access Model

17:28 Don’t Wait to Record

20:12 Christian’s Origin Story

21:56 AI Translation and Connection

24:02 Love Notes for Later

25:51 Kids Change Everything

26:58 Life Is Hard for Everyone

28:01 Authoring Your Own Story

28:51 Screens and Fading Memories

31:33 Why Walter Is Audio

34:34 Gratitude and Mortality

37:20 Measured Optimism as Founder

38:35 Escaping Algorithm Negativity

41:40 Doing AI Companions Right

44:36 Where to Find Autograph

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccibils

https://autograph.ai

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Support the show financially by doing a paid monthly subscription. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support 

Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast. 

Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life. 

[email protected] 

https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call.

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End-of-life doula Joy Rodriguez talks with me about death doula work and supporting people who choose medical aid in dying. Medical aid in dying is often misunderstood and can be hard to access even where it is legal, especially when it is difficult to find participating providers. Joy shares her path from hospice volunteering in Washington to serving as a volunteer client advisor with End of Life Washington, helping families locate eligible doctors, understand the process, and prepare for the day of death.

 She notes that hospice would not allow her to volunteer if she did that work. After moving to Hawaii, Joy saw how limited education and navigation support left many unaware of the law, so she now offers paid doula support with a sliding scale. They discuss emotional labor, the value of planning early, how a person’s “line in the sand” can change as illness progresses, and keeping clients as the “captains” of their own end-of-life choices.

00:00 Clients Captain Their Ship

00:20 Show Intro And Episode Setup

02:12 Joy Journey Hospice To Washington

05:34 Volunteering And Finding Providers

07:29 Pay Emotional Labor And Access

09:02 Paid Doula Work In Hawaii

15:24 Education Gaps And Public Awareness

17:16 Autonomy Misconceptions And Doctors

21:58 Planning Listening And Lines Shift

28:08 Doulas Versus Social Workers

33:52 Scope Of Practice And Captain Metaphor

41:18 Wrap Up And Where To Find Joy

42:24 Final Call To Action

honoluludeathdoula.com

Free bereavement group for aid in dying families:  Medical Aid in Dying Group Registration   

Community Care Events Medical Aid In Dying Bereavement Support Group

Support the show

Support the show financially by doing a paid monthly subscription. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support 

Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast. 

Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life. 

[email protected] 

https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call.

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In this episode, a palliative care physician explains how early support and thoughtful end-of-life planning can reduce fear, ease suffering, and improve quality of life for patients and families.

Dr. David Casarett, chief of Palliative Care at Duke Health, describes palliative care as whole-person support that relieves symptoms and helps people make difficult medical decisions, even while receiving aggressive treatment. He contrasts this with hospice, which focuses on comfort for those expected to have six months or less to live. 

00:17 Welcome to Seeing Death + Meet Dr. David Casarett

01:49 What Palliative Care Really Is (and What It Isn’t)

03:50 Palliative Care vs. Hospice: The Key Differences

04:39 How to Access Palliative Care Outside the Hospital

08:42 Misconceptions & Resistance: Why Palliative Care Gets Misread

10:38 Making Hard Choices: Ventilators, Odds, and Patient Goals

14:08 Age Isn’t the Whole Story: Function, Resilience, and Will to Live

16:15 Inside the Interdisciplinary Team: Social Work, Chaplaincy, Nursing & More

19:23 The Undiscovered Country: A Doctor’s Travel Guide to the End of Life

20:21 What People Fear About Dying (and What It Often Looks Like)

21:34 How Death Happens: The Body’s Timing, Physiology, and a Peaceful End

25:04 The Moment of Death: Quieter Than the Movies

25:57 What Comes After? Making Peace With the Unknown

26:34 Can People Sense Their Death? Monks, Intuition, and Timing

27:59 A Patient Who ‘Needed to Go Home’: The Botswana Story

31:43 Patterns Across Cultures: Visions and ‘People in the Room’

32:57 Terminal Delirium vs. End-of-Life Visions (and When to Treat)

35:47 Why Education Matters: Preparing Families for What’s Normal

36:36 Media Myths, Hospice Misconceptions, and Getting Support Sooner

41:45 Changing Care Earlier: Goals-of-Care Conversations + AI ‘Goal Coach’

45:23 Where to Find the Book + Final Thanks and Listener Support

Website: www.casarett.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/david-casarett

David’s TED Talk: A Doctor's Case for Medical Marijuana

David’s TEDxTalk: Gods, Munchkins & The Science Of Reviving The Dead

Support the show

Support the show financially by doing a paid monthly subscription. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support 

Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast. 

Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life. 

[email protected] 

https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call.

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In this episode, for Black History Month, Jill interviews her longtime friend Rashine Curry (Rah Rah), a mother of six from Atlantic City. Rah Rah describes how poverty, racism, and systemic bias shaped her life, including incarceration, untreated mental illness, and medical neglect in prison. She shares major losses: her daughter’s father was murdered when the baby was six months old, her longtime partner and father of her other children was murdered, and she was not allowed to attend his funeral while incarcerated. She also recounts her brother’s murder, being raped in prison, and witnessing incarcerated people die after requests for medical help were ignored. 

Rah Rah talks about how she welcomed a woman, who once sheltered Rah Rah and her children during homelessness, into her home for hospice. Rah Rah provided hands-on care, kept family visitors close, used music meant for hospice patients, and says Ms. Denise died peacefully on December 20. Rah Rah also speaks about her father’s ongoing incarceration: he received a 65-years-to-life sentence for snatching a bag of money from UPS, has been imprisoned about 35 years, is now 75, blind, and showing signs of dementia and being denied clemency despite petitions. 

00:00 From Prison to Peace: Rah’s New Life

00:15 Meet the Host + Black History Month Episode Setup

01:21 How Cathedral Kitchen Opened Jill’s Eyes to Systemic Bias

03:03 Rah Introduces Herself: Atlantic City, Motherhood, and Reentry

06:16 Grief Piled on Grief: Murders, Separation, and Mental Health

11:38 Survival, Crime, and the Inhumanity of Prison

14:29 Paying It Forward: Bringing Her Benefactor Home for Hospice

19:43 The Final Days: Love, Exhaustion, and Letting Her Rest

23:04 After Death: Signs, Spirits, and What Still Lingers at Home

24:01 Spirits at Home: Feeling Ms. Denise Still Around

25:12 Signs & Comfort: When the Spirit Tries to Calm You

26:10 Remembering Ms. Denise: The Life of a Beloved Friend

27:54 Show Up Before It’s Too Late: Visiting Loved Ones at End of Life

31:31 Her Father’s Prison Story: A Final Visit in Handcuffs

34:34 Aging, Dementia & Prison Reform: Why Keep Him Locked Up?

35:52 Clemency Denied & Life Inside Blind: The System’s Failures

39:51 Coping With Grief: Music, Grandkids, and Staying Busy

41:36 Cathedral Kitchen Changed My Life: Certificates, Community, and Purpose

43:50 Protecting Your Peace: Choosing Solitude Over Toxic Relationships

Support the show

Support the show financially by doing a paid monthly subscription. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support 

Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast. 

Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life. 

[email protected] 

https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call.

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In this episode of Seeing Death Clearly, host Jill McClennen, a death doula and funeral celebrant, speaks with Marcy Shrewsbury Lopez about her extraordinary love story and journey through grief. 

Marcy shares her experience being married to her husband, who was 46 years older than her, and the deep connection they shared until his death at 98 years old. 

She reflects on the challenges of caregiving and her path to healing through art, teaching, and nature. Marcy also discusses her memoir, 'A Place of Promise,' which portrays their love story and her personal growth. 

This conversation highlights the themes of love, aging, and the perseverance required to move forward after losing a loved one.

00:00 Finding a Place of Promise

00:21 Introduction to the Podcast

01:24 Marcy's Early Life and Background

03:40 Life in The Bahamas and Return to New Jersey

07:15 Pursuing Art and Medical Illustration

10:56 Meeting and Marrying Adrian

12:50 Caring for Adrian and Coping with Loss

16:19 Moving Forward and Embracing New Experiences

19:38 The Healing Power of Horses

21:24 A Healing Connection with Horses

22:30 Art as a Grieving Outlet

24:45 The Power of Nature in Healing

26:33 Teaching and Giving Back

29:21 Writing a Memoir: A Journey of Love and Loss

33:54 The Challenges of Publishing

41:07 Final Thoughts and Reflections

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578733719839

https://www.marcieshrewsburylopez.com

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Support the show financially by doing a paid monthly subscription. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support 

Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast. 

Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life. 

[email protected] 

https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call.

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In this episode of Seeing Death Clearly, host Jill McClennen, a death doula and funeral celebrant, is joined by Ken Biery, a seasoned funeral director and founder of the Funeral Service Collective. Ken shares his journey from military service into the funeral profession and the experiences that shaped his commitment to innovation and family-centered care.

Together, they explore how the funeral industry is evolving, including emerging ideas such as sustainable memorials, underwater cemeteries, and the growing role of live-streamed services. The conversation also highlights how younger generations’ desire for meaningful, personalized experiences is reshaping traditional funeral practices.

A central focus of the episode is the potential for collaboration between funeral directors and death doulas. Ken and Jill discuss how these roles can complement one another by offering emotional, spiritual, and educational support to families, and they outline practical ways death doulas can begin building relationships with funeral homes. This episode offers thoughtful insight into how collaboration can strengthen end-of-life care and better serve communities.

00:00 Introduction to Compassionate End-of-Life Care

00:39 Meet Ken Beery: A Journey from Military to Funeral Service

00:55 Innovations in the Funeral Industry

03:08 The Role of Death Doulas in Funeral Services

08:47 Challenges and Opportunities for Collaboration

17:59 The Importance of Personalized Memorials

24:02 Collaborating with Funeral Homes

25:02 Building Referral Partnerships

26:48 Addressing Certification Concerns

32:18 The Importance of Teamwork

35:25 Generational Differences in the Industry

38:14 The Role of Technology

43:24 Concluding Thoughts and Contact Information

https://thefunsc.com/

https://www.instagram.com/funeralservicecollective

https://www.facebook.com/funeralservicecollective

Support the show

Support the show financially by doing a paid monthly subscription. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support 

Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast. 

Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life. 

[email protected] 

https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call.

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In this episode, I’m joined by Thomas Dixon, a Philadelphia native with a powerful and deeply personal story. Thomas shares his journey from working in psychiatry research to teaching middle school in South Korea, and the life-altering shift that followed a near-fatal accident in 2010. After being hit by a car, Thomas developed epilepsy and a permanent episodic memory disability that reshaped his daily life—and his sense of purpose.

Living with memory loss led Thomas to write his memoir, I'm Sorry, That's Awesome, and to develop ME.mory, a digital memory system designed to help people record, organize, and recall their life experiences. In our conversation, we talk about what it’s like to live with an invisible disability, how memory loss impacts identity and independence, and why memory is something all of us, regardless of diagnosis, are slowly losing over time.

Thomas is currently raising funds to support the continued development and public relaunch of ME.mory. You’ll find links in the show notes if you’d like to learn more or support his work. This is a thoughtful, eye-opening conversation about memory, meaning, and what it means to adapt when life changes everything.

00:00 Introduction and Personal Acceptance

00:25 Welcome to Seeing Death Podcast

00:47 Guest Introduction: Thomas Dixon's Journey

02:32 Life After the Accident

04:11 Understanding Memory Loss

07:15 Career Transition and Acceptance

09:09 Building a New Life and Relationships

11:32 Creating Memory: The Digital System

14:01 Writing the Memoir: 'I'm Sorry, That's Awesome'

18:36 Discussing Death and Cultural Perspectives

20:18 Reflecting on Family Losses

21:48 Impact of Injury on Life Perspective

22:43 Living with Memory Disability

25:03 Navigating Social Interactions

32:25 Traveling with Memory Challenges

37:36 Upcoming Projects and Final Thoughts

https://biausa.org/brain-injury/community/speakers-bureau/thomas-dixon

I'm Sorry... That's Awesome!: Inventing a Solution for Memory Loss on Amazon https://a.co/d/1GXfKOZ

GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-combat-memory-loss-together

Support the show

Support the show financially by doing a paid monthly subscription. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support 

Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast. 

Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life. 

[email protected] 

https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call.

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In this episode of 'Seeing Death Clearly,' host Jill McClennen talks with Christian Millward, a mother of six from Idaho, about her journey with grief and spirit communication. Christian shares how the deaths of her mother and seven-week-old daughter, Indi, led her to discover her spiritual connection and create the Indie Star Cards, a tool to help people communicate with loved ones who have passed away. 

They discuss emotional awareness, generational trauma, and the importance of having an exit strategy for antidepressant use during pregnancy. Kristen also emphasizes the importance of normalizing discussions about death and spirit communication to facilitate the healing process.

00:00 Introduction to Spirit Communication

00:40 Meet Our Guest: Christian Millward

02:10 Kristen's Journey Through Grief

04:26 The Loss of Baby Indi

07:33 Generational Trauma and Healing

07:55 The Role of Antidepressants

11:26 Creating the Indi Star Cards

12:24 Normalizing Spirit Communication

15:05 Using the Indi Star Cards

19:43 Finding Peace Through Awareness

20:46 Sacred Tools and Their Significance

21:12 The Journey of Creating Handmade Decks

22:04 Communicating with Loved Ones Beyond

23:49 Personal Experiences with Spirit Communication

31:25 Teaching and Building a Community

34:33 Navigating Emotional Health and Medication

37:50 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

https://www.indistarcards.com/

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/indi.star.cards/

Support the show

Support the show financially by doing a paid monthly subscription. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support 

Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast. 

Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life. 

[email protected] 

https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call.

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In this episode, Michael Williams, the founder of Memoir Studio, discusses his transition from end-of-life planning to helping people write their memoirs. They explore the therapeutic power of storytelling, especially for older adults, and how sharing personal stories can offer emotional and historical value. Michael emphasizes the importance of acknowledging life's ups and downs, regrets, and failures in memoir writing. Michael shares touching stories of his clients finding their voices and the profound impact of preserving legacies through narrative.

00:35 Guest Introduction: Michael Williams

00:40 Michael's Journey: From End-of-Life Planning to Memoir Writing

00:46 The Power of Storytelling

00:55 Therapeutic Benefits of Memoir Writing

01:02 Fear of Judgment and Vulnerability

01:15 Welcoming Michael to the Podcast

01:36 Michael's Background and Passion for Memoirs

01:54 End of Life Planning Facilitator

02:55 Supporting Families and Addressing Practical Aspects

04:55 Transition to Memoir Work

05:10 Discussing End of Life Plans with Clients

06:07 Reassuring Conversations About Death

08:57 Legacy Work and Finding Meaning

12:30 Recording and Transcribing Stories

13:34 Helping Clients Find Their Voice

18:12 The Importance of Preserving Stories

18:48 Personal Reflections on Family Stories

22:09 The Value of Listening to Elders

23:19 The Importance of Journaling

23:41 Family Stories and Names

25:00 Everyone's Life is Interesting

29:38 The Power of Group Writing

30:10 Therapeutic Benefits of Writing

32:38 Challenges in Writing Memoirs

34:47 Honesty and Universal Themes in Memoirs

38:59 Dealing with Regrets and Mistakes

42:54 End of Life and Legacy

43:07 Conclusion and Resources

Links: My Substack page: https://memoirstudio.substack.com

The Memoir Studio at https://memoirstudio.ca

My personal website: https://www.michaelwilliamsstoryteller.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storycatcher/

Support the show

Support the show financially by doing a paid monthly subscription. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support 

Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast. 

Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life. 

[email protected] 

https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call.

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