People are celebrated for accomplishments in a variety of fields, for making a lasting difference, and sometimes just for having that "je ne sais quoi" that sets them apart. But when it comes to remembering someone, celebrity or not, we focus on creating an experience as special and unique as they were.

In this year's post, we see how memorialization can be candlelit and private or explosive and out-of-this-world. Each experience is as unique as the life lived when it's carefully designed to commemorate what made that person important. Taking time to craft a memorial and to remember the people we care about allows us to keep them close just a while longer and demonstrate what they meant to us. After all: "The dead can survive as part of the lives of those that still live." - Kenzaburō Ōe (1935-2023)
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Celebrity entries appear in alphabetical order. Read to the end to see a special tribute to a mom from her sons on Mother's Day and discover how a pair of determined historians brought a Miracle to Santa Monica Boulevard.

DECEMBER 14, 1946 – JULY 16, 2023

​Jane Mallory Birkin, OBE was a French and British actress and singer, whose controversial collaboration with Serge Gainsbourg in 1969 on the song “Je t’aime…moi non plus” catapulted her into fame and jumpstarted her career. Birkin appeared in such films as Evil Under the Sun (1982), Blow-Up (1966), and Death on the Nile (1978). In 1983 she was seated next to Hermès chief executive on a plane, and after complaining she couldn’t find a bag that suited her needs, Hermès created the now iconic leather “Birkin bag” the next year. In addition to her career as an entertainer, Birkin was also a social activist her entire life – even when it came to her namesake – and donated the royalties she received from Hermès every year to charity.

Fans lined the streets outside of Saint-Roch Church to pay their respects, and Birkin’s funeral ceremony was screened for them while friends and family attended inside. Birkin’s daughters carried their mother’s casket on their shoulders while her song “Fuir le bonheur de peur qu’il ne se sauve” (“Running away from happiness lest it run away”) played. During the ceremony, Birkin’s daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, reflected "I see all your souls in pain without her. I can already see the void she has left in us. She is my mother, she is our mother." Birkin’s cremated remains were taken to Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris, the same cemetery in which her daughter, Kate Barry, and ex-husband, Serge Gainsbourg, are also buried.

​2010 - NOVEMBER 28, 2023

​Doug was adopted by the founder of the popular social media account WeRateDogs, Matt Nelson. Already 10 years old and suffering health and behavioral issues, Doug would have been euthanized in a shelter. Instead, he was named the CEO of the 15/10 Foundation – an organization inspired by his own story in an effort to assist dogs like him who are less likely to get adopted due to the cost of veterinary care or other unique needs.

Doug earned the #1 spot in the December 1st episode of WeRateDog’s “Top 5 Dogs of the Week” after the aging canine communicated to Nelson that it was time to go. When asked if Doug should have a communal or individual pet cremation, the response was immediate: "if you didn't know, Doug HATES other dogs... He'd be so [expletive: angry] if he had to share a furnace." Despite how he reacted to other dogs, inspiring a Foundation that helps the good boys and girls that need more care to find forever homes ensures Doug's legacy will live on. In the 15/10 Foundation's farewell post, they encourage everyone: "If you ever have the opportunity to adopt a senior dog, do it. The grief is never-ending, but so is the love."

MARCH 1, 1941 – JUNE 9, 2023

​Dr. Michael Logan Lampton, the first rocket scientist employed by University of California, Berkeley, worked for 54 years designing space optics and collaborating with NASA to train others on how to perform research experiments in space. In 1985 Lampton started his own software firm, Stellar Software, which sold the optical ray tracing software he developed when working with NASA. In 2015, the doctor decided to make this software free for anyone to download and use as a way of thanking the community for their many years of support.

Although there were plans for Michael to make a space flight, a variety of events prevented him from doing so during his lifetime. A celebration of life was held for him at UC Berkeley in August, and a portion of his cremated remains will be sent into space in late December, along with those of 233 others. They will be attached to a satellite’s cargo bay, where they will go on to make infinite loops around the sun, allowing Michael Lampton to travel through space for eternity.

​APRIL 9, 1931 – MAY 28, 2023

Highly regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of magic, Milt Larsen co-founded The Magic Castle with his brother Bill in 1963 and served as President until his death in May 2023. The Magic Castle has become an iconic, world-renowned private club for magicians and fans alike. Prior to opening The Castle, Larsen worked as a writer for audience participation shows like Truth or Consequences. It was while working on this show that Larsen spotted the building that would become The Magic Castle from his office window. The club became so beloved by the magic community that Dai Vernon, 1968 Magician of the Year, was rumored to have had his cremated remains interred on a shelf at the castle for some time after his death.
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A public memorial, complete with magic and live music performances, was held at Los Angeles’s Wilshire Ebell Theatre in July, the same theatre where Larsen launched his first magic show, It’s Magic!, in 1956. The show is still running today. In September, Arlene, Larsen’s wife of 34 years, ensured he got the farewell he’d always wanted. Around 100 of Milt’s family and friends held a Viking funeral for him, an appropriately-sized sendoff for a larger-than-life personality. Milt’s cremated remains were contained in an urn made of sugar (to better dissolve in the ocean) and placed on a longboat that was then exploded to cheers from the watchers 500 feet away on the California shore. Afterwards, Arlene held a “Knowing and Loving Milt” celebration at the Magic Castle Cabaret.

DECEMBER 25, 1957 – NOVEMBER 30, 2023

Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan was a British-born Irish punk musician who founded The Pogues, the famed band that infused punk with traditional Irish music, in 1982. The Pogues released four albums before ultimately letting MacGowan go in 1991 due to the many issues caused by his severe substance use disorders. The band officially reunited in 2006 and would go on to sell out live tour runs through 2009. Their most well-known song – “Fairytale of New York” – achieved quintuple platinum in 2022.
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Fans, friends, and family gathered to participate in MacGowan’s funeral procession despite the fact that, as his wife Victoria Mary Clarke said, “Shane hated funerals and he refused to go to them with a few rare exceptions. So it’s incredible to think that so many people want to come to his.” A variety of beloved musicians from Nick Cave to Glen Hansard performed their own moving renditions of MacGowan’s songs while a horse-drawn carriage carried his coffin through the streets of County Tipperary, Ireland, where MacGowan lived as a child. After the funeral, MacGowan was cremated and his remains were scattered over the “The Broad Majestic Shannon” River, which appeared in a song on The Pogues’ third album.

JANUARY 31, 1935 – MARCH 3, 2023

​Critically acclaimed author Kenzaburō Ōe began gathering accolades for his writing when he was still a college student. He won the Akutagawa Prize in 1958 for a short story he wrote while studying French at The University of Tokyo, and the awards continued mounting throughout his life. A lifelong activist and father of three, Ōe’s works were heavily influenced both by the sociopolitical issues of his time and by his eldest son, Hikari, who was born with a herniated brain. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1994 for being a writer “who, with poetic force, creates an imagined world, where life and myth condense to form a disconcerting picture of the human predicament today”.Ōe’s family held a private funeral in March. In September, close to 300 people gathered for a public memorial to honor the literary giant who influenced so many. Music composed by his son Hikari was played and participants were encouraged to pay tribute with flowers. As a journalist, Ōe met with hibakusha (atomic-bomb survivors). Along with his son’s birth condition, these experiences contributed to his unique perspective of hope and despair:

AUGUST 27, 1952 – JULY 30, 2023
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Paul Reubens (born Rubenfeld) was an actor and comedian most widely known for his iconic character Pee-wee Herman. Reubens successfully debuted the character in a stage show in 1981, but he didn’t garner international fame until the release of Tim Burton’s film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure in 1985. The following year, CBS launched the Saturday morning program Pee-wee’s Playhouse, which earned 12 Emmy awards over five years.
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Reubens had chosen to keep his cancer diagnosis private and only released a statement after his death: “Please accept my apology for not going public with what I've been facing the last six years. I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.” A celebration of life was held for Reubens on what would have been his 71st birthday: August 27, 2023. Over 350 of his friends and family and fellow comedic stars showed up to share stories and songs. Guests were asked to sign postcards instead of a guest book and were offered a chance to interact with some of Reubens’ memorabilia. It was a very fitting tribute to such a whimsical and colorful personality. Reubens urn was interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where his legacy continues to bring laughter and joy during film screenings of his 1985 cult classic.

JULY 30, 1940 – MAY 13, 2023

Heralded as a trailblazer for women’s rights, Patricia Nell Scott Schroeder became the first woman elected to represent Colorado in Congress in 1972. She would go on to retain her seat in 11 subsequent elections before stepping down in 1997. Schroeder’s most recognized achievement was enacting The Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993, ensuring that Americans can take unpaid leave from work for qualified medical and family reasons. After leaving Congress she became a professor at Princeton and continued working in politics, mentoring candidates, and pursuing her lifelong advocacy for women by campaigning for Hilary Clinton in 2016, amongst other female politicians.

The House of Representatives held a moment of silence for Schroeder on March 22, 2023 – the anniversary of the day Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment process for states ratification in 1972, which Schroeder championed. In April, over 200 of Pat’s colleagues and friends attended a public memorial for her in Denver to remember her legacy. In an interview with NPR’s All Things Considered, Schroeder said “I always wanted to be cremated and made into a doorstop so I could hold a door open because basically what I want to do is hold doors open for people. And I figured that's what I was trying to do in my political career. So why not try and do it in the afterlife, too?”. Instead, Schroeder’s legislative legacy continues to prop up people in need, but her urn is among her peers at the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

Tina Turner embodied the definition of a “rock star” – eventually being dubbed the Queen of Rock ‘n Roll. She started her career performing as a duo with her ex-husband, Ike Turner, in 1958. They disbanded in 1976, and Tina released her now iconic solo album What’s Love Got to Do with It in 1984 to critical acclaim. Tina would go onto become one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, acquiring 12 Grammys and list of honors and accolades much too long to detail here. She was a powerhouse performer on stage and also appeared in several documentaries and films, including the 1993 film based on her life.
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Per her wishes, details around Tina’s memorial have been largely kept private and her final resting place somewhere near and dear to her heart. Those closest to her held a memorial in Switzerland, where Turner had been residing with her husband Erwin Bach since 2013. Fans paid tribute to the artist with so many flowers lining her Swiss estate that the gates were opened to allow for everyone to be able to pay their respects. Her hometown of Brownsville, Tennessee, saw a surge of visitors after her death, and the Tina Turner Museum hosted its own twilight memorial to acknowledge what her life and work meant to so many.

SEPTEMBER 26, 1877 - SEPTEMBER 6, 1959
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Despite a career that pre-dates talking pictures, Edmund Gwenn was praised for his understanding of the medium. After entering Hollywood in 1935, he was a sought-after star of stage and screen, appearing beside Laurence Olivier in Pride and Prejudice, playing a would-be assassin in Alfred Hitchcock’s Foreign Correspondent, and portraying Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street, for which he won the Academy Award.

After his death in 1959, his cremated remains were placed in an engraved bronze urn that was then mislaid for 64 years. The persistence of Arthur Dark, producer and host of “The Hollywood Graveyard” and Jessica Wahl, Hollywood historian, led to the recovery of his urn in March 2023 as they cataloged the vaults of the Chapel of the Pines where he was cremated. The pair organized a GoFundMe campaign to purchase a permanent place for Gwenn at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, which reached its goal in just 24 hours. On December 3, Gwenn was inurned and celebrated at the Cathedral Mausoleum before a standing-room only crowd—some in Santa hats to commemorate one of his most beloved roles.
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Read the full story of this journey to find Edmund Gwenn in "On the Road: Los Angeles A Christmas Miracle" published by CANA Member Kates-Boylston Publications in American Cemetery & Cremation, with thanks to them for letting us share this incredible discovery.

MAY 25, 1969 - AUGUST 11, 2022

​Anne Celeste Heche got her break when, at just 18 years old, she was offered a dual role in the long-running NBC soap opera Another World, for which she later won an Emmy. Her acting career spanned decades and included Donnie Brasco, Volcano, Six Days Seven Nights and John Q, before being tragically cut short when she died at the age of 53.
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Nine months after her death, Heche's sons decided to place her urn in Hollywood Forever Cemetery among her peers. On their first Mother’s Day without her, the family held a small private ceremony to remember what she meant to them. As her son, Homer Laffoon, said: "She was our Mom, but the kindness and the outpouring of the past few days reminded us that she also belongs to her fans, to the entertainment community, and now, to the ages."

Catch up on posts from other years: 2019 ● 2021 ● 2022 ● 2023 ● 2024

Today, families are seeking new, creative options for their funerals, and green values are a key influence. As the world becomes more eco-conscious, people are taking steps to do right by the environment wherever they can – and taking those values to the grave. So, your environmentally-friendly families are growing in number, but there’s no single, right way to serve them. Finding attractive options for your families and your business can leave you with a lot of questions and ideas, but not a lot of solutions and plans.

The 2022 Green Funeral Conference brought together funeral professionals from across the spectrum of green funeral practice at the Sandia Resort & Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico over September 13-15, 2022. Hosted by CANA and Passages International, more than 50 funeral professionals from across the country – from all stages of their careers, a variety of backgrounds, and representing many different businesses – attended to get ideas on incorporating green practices into their operations. Whether that’s expanding cemetery offerings, adding new disposition techniques, or considering new products, everyone left inspired to serve their communities in new ways.
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We’ve condensed the insights from presenters and discussion into a downloadable pdf to help you explore ways to incorporate eco-conscious values into funeral services. Here’s some highlights:

CANA Executive Director Barbara Kemmis led participants through an interactive presentation and discussion about common language regarding green funeral practices.
Key Takeaways:

• Terms like conventional or traditional burial are being reclaimed by natural and green burial practitioners for the simple fact that these practices have been used throughout human history.
• Participants preferred using environmentally-friendly, as opposed to the terms green or eco-friendly, to encompass the spectrum of options for burial which may include or forego the casket, liner, embalming and more.
• They noted the commonalities of cremation, alkaline hydrolysis, and natural organic reduction are the reduction of human remains in a facility and a vessel/chamber and quicker than any type of burial. However, both the manner and results of the processes are uniquely different from a practitioner standpoint. These similarities and differences require further consumer – and practitioner – education.
• While the accurate term for the bone fragments remaining after a cremation of a body is cremated remains, the general public still uses the word ashes. Cremation professionals agreed that mirroring that language to connect and not correct during conversations is valid, but it can cause confusion when what’s returned to the family does not resemble fireplace ashes. Similarly, the use of the term alternative container begs the question “alternative to what?” and causes the need for more consumer education.
• Participants all agreed that language matters, and engaging in conversation about these terms with the profession and in education to the community is important. Having these conversations now helps funeral professionals find commonality and agreement to move positively toward the future and avoid the mistakes of the past which created division and defensiveness.

Want to keep reading? Download the Insights from the 2022 Green Funeral Conference paper now and kick-off the conversation in your business!

Consumers are choosing environmentally-friendly solutions for a variety of reasons: concern for the environment, enthusiasm for innovative ideas, the desire to do something new or to adhere to cultural or religious tradition going back centuries. The variety of reasons is only outnumbered by the variety of options for them to personalize their experience. As a funeral professional dedicated to serving your community where they are, you will meet people across the green spectrum. Being informed about these practices is why they chose you to offer guidance and expertise in their funeral plans. 

Be sure to mark your calendars for February 14-16, 2024 when we resume the green conversation at CANA’s 2024 Symposium in Las Vegas! There, CANA will bring together expert practitioners, innovative suppliers, and curious professionals to continue exploring and discovering environmentally-friendly options and how we can make a difference in our communities.