themortegirls

“The Morbid Truth About Working as a Mortician”

This recent piece on Ranker, titled “The Morbid Truth About Working as a Mortician” was called to our attention. Apart from the redundant terms funeral director/mortician (an antiquated term, as well), the author is on the mark in titling item #1 It’s Hard to Break Into the Death Industry. A couple of our colleagues came…
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A Funeral for the Ages

I was honored and humbled to be among the thousands of mourners inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral this morning for the funeral Mass of Det. Steven McDonald. The police office, who was paralyzed in a 1986 shooting became a symbol of forgiveness and compassion, inspiring so many. There was not an empty seat in St. Pat’s,…
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Funeral of Det. Steven McDonald: A Symbol of Forgiveness and Compassion

I was honored and humbled to be among the thousands of mourners inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral this morning for the funeral Mass of Det. Steven McDonald. The police office, who was paralyzed in a 1986 shooting became a symbol of forgiveness and compassion, inspiring so many. There was not an empty seat in St. Pat’s,…
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Mario Cuomo’s Funeral: A Touching Scene at St. Ignatius Loyola Captured in American Funeral Director’s March 2015 Cover Story

A scene from the funeral of former New York State Governor, Mario M. Cuomo, as his casket is being carried to the hearse after a Mass at Park Avenue’s St. Ignatius Loyola. Read more about Gov. Cuomo’s life and death in my profile which is in the March issue of American Funeral Director. Celebrating Mario…
Read more: Mario Cuomo’s Funeral: A Touching Scene at St. Ignatius Loyola Captured in American Funeral Director’s March 2015 Cover Story
Exploring Sleepy Hollow Cemetery: A Perfect October Visit

My profile of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is in October’s “American Cemetery & Cremation,” magazine. October is the perfect month to visit the legendary graveyard, as the entire town is in Halloween Mode. A sidebar to the article lists a number of the cemetery’s unique events for the month.
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Remembering Joan Rivers: Insights from the September 7th Memorial Service

Outside Fifth Avenue’s Temple Emanu-El after the memorial service for Joan Rivers. I was there to cover it for Kates-Boylston’s “Funerals of the Famous” series. The experience was rather surreal as we were sitting in the second row, right behind Howard Stern and his beautiful wife, Beth. Howard Stern is not listed on the program,…
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An Undying Passion

In the August issue of American Funeral Director, my article “An Undying Passion,” chronicles three women and their quest to find employment as funeral directors. Two career coaches weigh in, along with a profile of a fourth woman who has made a successful career for herself as a funeral director in a less traditional way.…
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Funerals Matter

The media is full of hype these days about the changing face of funeral service. While articles about green burials, home funerals or no funerals at all, proliferate, this is not the reality. Funerals matter and this book makes that case. A “must read” for anyone interested in a career as a funeral director. The author…
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New York City’s Preeminent Jewish Funeral Director

The March issue of American Funeral Director contains my long and eagerly-awaited profile of Charles S. Salomon. He is a most interesting person whose career as a funeral director has been one that most people only dream about. In his 50 years as a funeral director, he’s handled the funerals of many prominent New Yorkers including Leonard Bernstein,…
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My Favorite Funeral

The funeral for Mayor Koch was a true celebration of his life! Each and every speaker shared memories –both personal and public–as well as anecdotes which made the entire audience laugh. Mayor Bloomberg, especially, was in top form regaling everyone with amusing quips and heartfelt praise. The signature moment came at the end of the…
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