Everyone is tired of hearing the phrase “These are unprecedented times,” but a worldwide pandemic that has affected our profession and our lives as much as this one has is truly unprecedented. As a result, this makes for a very difficult time, both physically and emotionally. We all rose to the call—and still are. Some in different ways and some with different needs. And we are coming out better on the other side. As we often hear, “The more difficult the situation, the higher the reward.” I truly believe we will be better funeral directors and better cemeterians and better cremationists as a result of this pandemic. This was very much a positive learning experience for us all. As an industry, we pushed to new levels and encountered unchartered territory. During all of this, the creativity and resourcefulness of those in our profession does not surprise me. It is our job to respond to families on a daily basis, to listen to them carefully and explore effective ways to serve their needs while protecting everyone’s safety. But we can’t do it alone. We rely on the collaboration and generosity of our colleagues and the stamina and ingenuity of our staff. Professional associations play an important role, too. It is CANA and it is organizations like CANA—be they national, state, provincial, or local—that have been tremendously resourceful on behalf of funeral directors and cremationists. In a crisis such as this, we are so busy in the field that we often do not have the time, the energy, or the means to educate ourselves and our staff with the most current information. We benefit from expert guidance to learn how to properly protect ourselves. It’s really helpful to hear what professionals advise and what other colleagues are doing to cope. One year in, we asked some industry leaders to share their reflections and pass along what they’ve learned during the past year. I’ve added my own story from Texas as well. Knowing how busy everyone is, we’re grateful for these responses and send our support to everyone as we all continue to meet the challenges of this pandemic. - W. SCOTT SMITH, CANA PRESIDENT MIKE LANOTTE |
W. Scott Smith comes from a long line of funeral professionals. As a third-generation funeral director/embalmer, he has been licensed in the state of Texas since 1993. He is very passionate about the death care profession and involved in every aspect of the funeral industry. Appointed by Governor Perry in 2014, Scott continues to serve on the Texas Funeral Service commission. A past president of the Texas Funeral Director Association, the Dallas County Funeral Director Association, and the North Texas Funeral Director Association, he currently serves as vice chair of the Texas Disaster Response Team and responded to the West, TX plant explosion and the Oklahoma City bombing. Scott had the distinct honor to be chosen by the state of Texas to handle the cremation of the first Ebola death in the United States. CEO/President of All Texas Cremation, Scott is very involved in the evolving and changing environment of our business. |
Michael A. Lanotte is Executive Director of the New York State Funeral Directors Association and serves as President of the New York State Tribute Foundation, a charitable organization pursuing goals of charity, knowledge and education for both consumers and funeral directors. Mike previously served as Senior Vice President of Association Services at the New York Credit Union Association where he was responsible for compliance, community development, education and training, governance, governmental affairs, member services, the New York Credit Union Foundation, and legal and regulatory affairs. |
Sandra Walker is a licensed Funeral Director and Life Insurance agent in the State of Washington and Idaho. Sandra's career in funeral service began in 1999 after graduating from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Political Science. Currently, Sandra is the Vice President, Strategic Business for Fairmount Memorial Association, a local community owned organization in Spokane Washington. She is the current President of the Washington Cemetery, Crematory, Funeral Association (WCCFA) and joined the CANA Government and Legal Affairs Advisory Group in 2020. Sandra Walker was one of three panelists during the first Virtual CANA convention in August 2020 |
Robert H. Goff, CFSP is Executive Director of the Washington State Funeral Directors Association. Rob has served as a WSFDA Board Member and a WSFDA Executive Board member. He is a Past President of the WSFDA. He is a licensed Funeral Director & Embalmer in the States of Washington and Idaho and has served in funeral service for over Thirty years. Rob also owns and operates Dignified Assurance Planning. This insurance agency specializes in advanced funeral planning and pre-purchasing of funeral, cremation, terramation, and Alkaline Hydrolysis services. |
Larry Stuart, Jr. is a past member of the CANA Board of Directors. Larry has spoken at numerous industry events and has conducted crematory operator training classes across North America with a mission to advance the safety of cremation facilities and their employees and to more positively impact our community and our environment. Larry Stuart, Jr. is the Founder of Cremation Strategies and Consulting, and the former President of Crematory Manufacturing & Service, Inc., a leading manufacturer of technologically advanced cremation equipment. |
Industry Term |
Words Consumers Use |
Funeral director |
“The guy,” “the funeral home,” “the mortuary” |
Columbarium |
Mausoleum, vault, wall, “that thing with the drawers |
Niche |
Drawer, “the little thing they put the ashes in” |
Urn |
Box, bag |
Cremated Remains/Cremains |
Ashes |
Scatter |
Dump, drop, spread |
Body removal/first call |
Pick up/take away the body |
Pam Kleese joined Homesteaders in 2005, bringing research and analytics experience gained through positions with the Maytag Corporation and Gateway. In her current role as Director—Research & Insights, she leads the company’s business intelligence functions and provides custom research services for Homesteaders’ customers.
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Barbara Kemmis is Executive Director of the Cremation Association of North America where she promotes all things cremation through member programs, education and strategic partnerships. After more than 20 years of experience in association leadership, Barbara knows that bringing people together to advance common goals is not only fun, but the most effective strategy to get things done.
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