New on the blog this week: The transgender funeral struggle.
Holly Woodlawn.
The Transgender Funeral Struggle – A Report From the Frontier of Sexual Identity and Death: Earlier this month, transgender film star Holly Woodlawn died. A series of favorable and passionate tributes followed. But for many trans people, death can bring on heart-wrenching and traumatic disputes between family members and other friends and loved ones. Read the full story.
NEWS OF THE WEEK:
No easy task: End-of-life talks between doctors, patients
12/21/2015–sacbee.com: It was a death Dr. David Grube will never forget. One weekend more than 20 years ago, a neighbor’s son appeared at his front door near Corvallis, Ore., asking for help with his father, who was terminally ill with bone cancer. Grube rushed over to find a horrific scene: Unable to cope any longer, the pain-wracked neighbor had shot himself. Grube, a soft-spoken retiree, still remembers the vow he made that day: “I will never allow any of my patients to get to that point… Read the full story
Sean McCabe (wearing the cap) with wife Lisa and children Asia, seven, Summer, nine, and Kian, 12. via walesonline.co.uk
Brave dad who booked his own funeral and then re-booked the church for his wedding to ‘start living life again’
12/21/2015–walesonline.co.uk: Having faced organizing his own funeral a former cancer sufferer is telling people with the disease to “never give up” after he got married having been given the all-clear. Sean McCabe, 31, was told he had two months to live after being diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin Lymphoma. The father-of-three began planning his own funeral but, in a remarkable twist of fate, canceled the church service he had organized and booked it for his wedding. Instead, after he went into remission… Read the full story
The coffin trend that makes death more personal and more affordable…
12/20/2015–startsatsixty.au: We don’t often talk about coffins and death here at Starts at 60, but because we do see comments about the cost of funerals from time-to-time, we thought we’d share the latest trend in coffins with you. According to Sambo Sab, the boss of Coffin World, bereaved Australians are sick of paying too much for coffins and funeral arrangements… Read the full story
Exerpt from the letter Heather McManamy’s husband posted on her behalf. Click on the letter to go to the original post.
Wisconsin Mom Who Died of Cancer Writes Heartbreaking, Hilarious Letter
12/19/2015–nbcchicago.com: The husband of a Wisconsin woman posted his wife’s last words to social media which were written in a heartbreaking and hilarious letter. Heather McManamy, 36, died Tuesday of breast cancer. Her husband, Jeff, posted the letter on her behalf to Facebook, which begins “So…I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is, apparently, I’m dead… Read the full story
>>Related: The full Facebook posting of Heather McManamy’s letter.
Prison hospice program blesses both the living and dying
12/18/2015–theadvocate.com: According to Luke 23:42, a thief crucified alongside Jesus said to him, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom” to which Jesus replied, “Amen, I say to you today you will be with me in Paradise.” Hospice of Acadiana takes the verse to heart and annually sends volunteers to support inmates administering end-of-life caregiving to fellow prisoners. Volunteers bring bags of supplies to their prison hospice counterparts, inmates taking on death watches in addition to other prison duties… Read the full story
Related:Hospice in Prison? As Inmates Age, Louisiana’s Notorious Angola Prison Tends To Their Elderly
Sarah Stopyra taught a restorative arts class, which shows how to recreate a face with mortuary wax. via thebostonglobe.com
Death, dignity, and a calling to be a funeral director
12/18/2015thebostonglobe.com: The death industry is an extremely stressful undertaking. At Mount Ida College in Newton, mortuary school instructor Sarah Stopyra said she can teach students about pathology, embalming, and regulatory compliance. But it’s difficult to convey to aspiring morticians how all-consuming the funeral profession is. “It’s not just the long and often erratic hours,” said Stopyra, 34. “The deep sorrow of others takes an emotional toll as well.” Stopyra spoke about the “calling” to be a mortician… Read the full story
How secular Americans are reshaping funeral rituals
12/17/2015–religionnews.com: Before his death a few years ago, Jim Underdown’s father, James, requested that he be cremated — becoming the first in his family to do so. A month later, the family had a memorial luncheon in Chicago. In accordance with his wishes, his cremated remains were scattered in a favorite wooded area in Wisconsin. The decision to forgo traditional burial was in line with his father’s rejection of religion, Jim Underdown said. “He certainly didn’t want any churchiness surrounding his death… rel=”nofollow”Read the full story
