Thanos magazine 1/2023 (101)

THANOS

FIAT-IFTA

ANNUAL MEETING

2023

WOMEN’S ERA

IN THE FUNERAL

INDUSTRY

DISCOVER

SLOVENIA AND

ROMANIA

NEW NATIONAL

MEMBERS

OF FIAT-IFTA

101

MAGAZINE

SPRING 2023

The World Organization of Funeral Operatives

Dear colleagues and friends,

e start this year with renewed energy

and new hopes that this year will be

a year of improving our competences, training,

development. May this year also be the one where

we strengthen our position and appreciate the

achievements of funeral culture.

All these topics will be discussed in Varna

(Bulgaria) during the FIAT-IFTA Annual Meeting,

which will take place from 7-9 June. Registration

for the event is already open and available at

fiatifta2023.spfbul.org . A special Early Birds offer

is in place until 31 March, while registration for the

event will be open until 1 May. I am very excited

that the first attendees have already registered and

I hope that we will meet soon at least in the same

numbers as in Budapest last year. I am personally

really looking forward meet all our colleagues and

friends from across the region, and all over the

world in person.

I invite you all to read this edition of THANOS

magazine, whose theme is women in the funeral

industry. I would like to thank all the remarkable

women we feature in this issue for accepting the

invitation and sharing their insights. I would also

like to thank all the women of the industry for their

contribution to the industry – an extraordinary

combination of sensitivity, strength, and courage

to bring innovation to the industry.

I also invite all FIAT-IFTA members to become

actively involved in the development of the Funeral

Heritage Report 2024 on the intangible heritage

of the funeral industry. This unique publication

preserves our history and funeral traditions

from all over the world. The report is part of the

commitment we have with our membership with

UNESCO to safeguard Intangible Funeral Cultural

Heritage and helps our industry to share, learn and

hopefully safeguard funeral traditions and customs

associated with death, funerals and bereavement

that still exist today around the world. All FIAT-IFTA

members are more than welcome to submit any

cultural expression within the funeral industry

which you believe is important and worth sharing

and preserving for future generations.

Let’s stay connected, let’s meet in Varna!

Marek Cichewicz

FIAT-IFTA President

Marek Cichewicz

FIAT-IFTA President

THANOS MAGAZINE

THANOS magazine, the official magazine of FIAT-IFTA

Editor-in-Chief: Katarzyna Supa, e-mail: fiatifta-magazine@thanos.org

Editorial Office: FIAT-IFTA – The World Organization of Funeral Operatives,

Apolloweg 325, 8239DC, Lelystad – NL

Design & DTP: PRZECINEK.studio

All materials are copyrighted. Reprinting and use of materials require

permission from the FIAT-IFTA Office. Editors reserve the right to shorten texts

and change the titles of submitted materials. FIAT-IFTA Office is not liable

for the content of advertisements and promotional materials.

Feel invited to create the Thanos Magazine together with us and advertise your products and services: fiatifta-magazine@thanos.org 

Photo by Sándor Kerekes for OTEI

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

THANOS MAGAZINE | No. 101 – SPRING 2023

FIAT-IFTA ANNUAL

MEETING 2023

n 2023, Varna (Bulgaria) will host the 52nd FIAT-IFTA

I.C.D. (International Council of Direction) Annual

Meeting as well as the meeting of the Union of the

Funeral Companies in Bulgaria on the occasion of

their 30th anniversary of the establishment of the

organization. It is certainly a significant milestone

in the history of the Bulgarian Association and

its contribution to the funeral industry in the

Country. The meeting will once again be a great

opportunity for FIAT-IFTA and UFCB members to

gather together and exchange knowledge and

experience.

The FIAT-IFTA meeting will focus on the latest

developments of the organization, funeral heritage

as well as the education project. In addition to the

UFCB and FIAT-IFTA meetings, a conference will

be held for the exchange of knowledge where we

can learn from industry experts. The conference

will explore new leads within the funeral Industry

to help our businesses and ultimately the families

we serve. More details will be available soon.

All this will take place in the beautiful city of

Varna, in INTERNATIONAL HOTEL CASINO and

TOWER SUITES located in the heart of the Golden

Sands resort, where the Bulgarian organization

is preparing a great experience with wonderful

Bulgarian hosting for all those attending from 7th

till 9th of June 2023.

REGISTRATION

Photo: https://www.varna.bg/bg/varna_photos

Don’t miss the Early bird offer

– register before March 31 and get a discount!

Registration deadline is May 1, 2023.

To register and book hotel please visit the official website

of the event: fiatifta2023.spfbul.org 

The 52nd FIAT-IFTA I.C.D. (International

Council of Direction) Annual Meeting as well

as the meeting of the Union of the Funeral

Companies in Bulgaria on the occasion of their

30th anniversary of the establishment of the

organization will take place in the beautiful and

sunny city of Varna (Bulgaria) on June 7-9, 2023.

JOIN US IN VARNA, 7-9 JUNE 2023

No. 101 – SPRING 2023 | THANOS MAGAZINE

LET’S MEET

Find out more

about the event venue

Bulgaria is located in southeastern Europe, and

occupies the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula,

on the coast of the Black Sea. The country has

been a member of the European Union since

January 2007.

Varna is the largest city in northeastern Bulgaria,

located on the shores of the Black Sea and lake

Varna, and is the administrative center of the

municipality and district of the same name. It is

the largest city in northern Bulgaria and along the

Bulgarian Black Sea coast. In terms of population,

the city ranks third in Bulgaria. Varna is often called

the "sea capital" or "summer capital of Bulgaria"

and is an important tourist and educational center,

starting point for the resorts along the northern

Black Sea coast. A brief history of the city 

Golden Sands is one of the three major Bulgarian

seaside resorts, located in the northern part of the

Bulgarian Black sea. It is located in the municipality

of Varna, 17 km from the center of the city of

Varna. The beach strip, covered with golden sand,

is 3.5 kilometers long and up to 100 meters wide.

More information about the resort 

The event will be held at the INTERNATIONAL

HOTEL CASINO and TOWER SUITES, which is

located in the heart of the Golden Sands resort

and is only a few meters away from the beach.

More information about the hotel 

Registration fee

• Members: 550 EUR/person

(early bird fee: 500 EUR) (without accommodation)

• Accompanying guests: 500 EUR/person

(early bird fee: 450 EUR) (without accommodation)

The registration fee for members includes all

conferences, event catering and invitation to the

Gala dinner. The registration fee for accompanying

guests doesn't include conferences. A panoramic

tour of Varna and an evening of Bulgarian grill and

rakia are also included for all attendees.

Payment for registration is made only by direct

bank transfer to the specified account.

Currency

The currency in Bulgaria is the Bulgarian lev

(currency code BGN). Each lev is divided into

100 stotinki.

You’ll find Bulgarian banknotes in denominations

of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 – although the 1 BGN

note is seldom used. There is also a 1 lev coin.

The stotinki comes in coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50.

Payment by card is widely accepted.

Early bird registration

by 31st March 2023

To register and book hotel

please visit the official

website of the event:

fiatifta2023.spfbul.org 

Photo: press service of INTERNATIONAL

HOTEL CASINO and TOWER SUITES

Registration deadline

May 1, 2023

THANOS MAGAZINE | No. 101 – SPRING 2023

LET’S MEET

Change of Leadership at NFDMA

Natisha Webb Raines is the new Executive Director

for the National Funeral Directors and Morticians

Association in the USA, active member of FIAT-IFTA.

Natisha is a native Atlantan and a graduate

of Georgia State University, where she

received numerous scholarships and a

Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism.

Natisha obtained her Master of

Business Administration (MBA)

from Strayer University with

a concentration in Management

and graduated top of her class.

She also holds a Digital Media

and Marketing Certification

from Duke University’s Office of

Continuing Studies.

Natisha is a results-driven

professional with more than

15-years of proven success

providing leadership and strategic direction for

core programs focused on strengthening customer

relationships, improving key metrics, increasing

sales, enhancing marketing results, and driving

business growth. She is an experienced customer

care leader, strong team leader, senior marketing

and communications executive, event planner,

skilled presenter and former property management

professional. She served in numerous executive

capacities such as Sr. Director of Marketing, Director

of Preneed Customer Care and Chief Attraction

Officer (just to name a few) during her almost

20-year tenure at the historic Atlanta Life Insurance

Company and its subsidiaries.

As a nationally sought-after Emcee,

motivational speaker and image

consultant, Natisha is grateful for her

God-given talents and skills. She has

produced extraordinary events all

around Georgia, teaches others

how to “dress to impress” and

mesmerizes audiences all

over the U.S. whenever she is

handed the microphone.

Despite her hectic schedule,

Natisha still makes herself

available to give back to her

community, volunteer and has

served on several boards and

committees throughout Atlanta to

include the National Coalition of 100 Black Women,

Inc. – Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter. She is a proud

member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and has

been a praise team member at her church-Atlanta

Berean SDA for over 15-years.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending quality

time with her husband (J. Raines) and other

family members, singing, pageantry, jet skiing and

shopping. When asked what inspires Natisha, she

responds, "It's simple. I can do ALL things through

Christ who strengthens me."

Natisha Webb Raines is the new

Executive Director for the National

Funeral Directors and Morticians

Association in the USA

Mr Hiroshi Kitajima awarded

The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver

Rays Awarded to Mr Hiroshi Kitajima, Former

Vice President and Immediate Past President of

FIAT-IFTA. Ceremony was held November 11, 2022,

at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

As Chairman of the Block Representative Directors

Conference, former Vice President Kitajima worked

to promote disaster relief agreements between

the

government,

federations,

and

affiliated

cooperatives in order to speed up support activities

in the event of a large-scale disaster. In addition,

he was appointed President of the Fédération

Internationale des Associations de Thanatologues

– International Federation of Thanatologists

Associations (FIAT-IFTA) in 2018, and has received

this award for his longstanding efforts to develop

the funeral service industry in Japan and abroad

and to expand and strengthen its organization,

including establishing the Japanese funeral service

industry's position in the world through numerous

exchanges with countries around the world.

Photo: All Japan Funeral Directors Co-operaqtion

No. 101 – SPRING 2023 | THANOS MAGAZINE

MEMBERS’ NEWS

Call for entries

to Heritage Report 2024

We have already started working on the next

edition of the Funeral Heritage Report, which

will be published in 2024. The publication will be

translated into Chinese, Spanish and French. All

FIAT-IFTA members and those with knowledge

of intangible funeral heritage are invited to

contribute to this unique publication and

submit any cultural expression within the

funeral industry which you believe is important

and worth sharing and preserving.

The report is part of the commitment we have

with our membership with UNESCO to safeguard

Intangible Funeral Cultural Heritage and helps our

industry to share, learn and hopefully safeguard

funeral traditions and customs associated with

death, funerals and bereavement that still exist

today around the world. UNESCO recognised as

Intangible Cultural Heritage: oral traditions and

expressions; performing arts; social practices,

rituals and festive events; knowledge and practices

concerning nature and the universe; traditional

craftsmanship.

The deadline for submission is 31st May 2023, this

enables us to review the information received, make

necessary changes, translations and start working on

the graphic design for publication in 2024. However,

please do not wait until then. The earlier you submit

the better it is.

Please send your entry to info@thanos.org

or fiatifta-magazine@thanos.org

Exceptional opportunity

for FIAT-IFTA members

The challenges we face as a sector with the evolution

of the mortality rate, make it necessary to develop

management talent to be the industry itself to

lead the solutions. Only with quality, certified and

prestigious training will we be able to prepare

today's leaders, and very importantly, those of the

future. The first generation of the “International

Academy for Funeral Homes Directors” which

will take place from March 1st 2023 to July 31st 2023,

will undoubtedly serve to develop managerial talent

in the funeral services. This exceptional training

program was created by Grupo Gayosso the well

renowned funeral brand in America and imparted

by the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores

de Monterrey. 8 prestigious TEC professors and 8

international speakers of recognized prestige in the

industry will be responsible for the online training of

students from three continents.

Let’s welcome new members of FIAT-IFTA

We are happy to welcome 9 new members of our

organization! Since October 2022 we have been

joined by 2 National Members, 2 Active Members

and 5 Associate Members. Please welcome:

National Members:

• Anthony Assistance from Romania

• Balkan Repatriation Babajic Ltd. from Slovenia

Active Members:

• ANTEA International Funeral Assistance

from Hungary

• Kings Funeral Home Repatriation and Cremation

from Ghana

Associate Members:

• Ahorn AG, Abt Horizont International

from Germany

• Connex Assistance from Egypt

• Fair Farewell ApS from Denmark

• Servizi Funebri Pozzoli from Italy

• Setabis Training S.L. from Spain

If you wish to expand your network to enhance

the global exposure of your services, apply for

FIAT-IFTA Membership by sending us an e-mail

at info@thanos.org.

THANOS MAGAZINE | No. 101 – SPRING 2023

MEMBERS’ NEWS

DISCOVER

SLOVENIA

BALKAN REPATRIATION

BABAJIC LTD.

– NEW NATIONAL MEMBER

OF FIAT-IFTA

By Jasmina Babajić, CEO

Balkan Repatriation Babajic Ltd.,

Slovenia

Jasmina Babajić

CEO Balkan Repatriation Babajic Ltd., Slovenia

Photo of the private archives of Ms Jasmina Babajić

No. 101 – SPRING 2023 | THANOS MAGAZINE

MEMBERS’ NEWS

n Slovenia, almost 70 private and 33 public

companies deal with the funeral service. In 2016,

the Government adopted a new law on funeral

and cemetery activities, which requires that

every undertaker of funeral activities must

obtain a permit from the Ministry of Economic

Development to carry out funeral activities

and meet many conditions. Without it, you cannot

work as a funeral company in Slovenia.

We have 1,199 active cemeteries, which is

quite a lot considering that the population of

our country is only 2.1 million. There are two

crematoriums

(both

owned by the state) – one

in Ljubljana and a second

in Maribor. We can say

without

a doubt

that

crematoriums in Slovenia

are operating non-stop,

as 95% of people decide

to be cremated and only

the remaining 5% want

to have a classic burial

(mostly

Muslims

and

Orthodox).

Balkan

Repatriation

Babajic Ltd. was founded

during the war in the

Balkans;

was

1995,

when my father thought

about helping refugees

with

repatriating

their

loved ones back to their

home country and giving

them a proper goodbye.

At first, we were only

handling repatriations to and from the Balkans,

which means we were covering countries such

as Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina,

Serbia, N. Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo,

Albania etc.

After many years of successful operation of the

company, we started to expand our business.

During the years of our existence in the

funeral industry, we have organized numerous

repatriations worldwide. Today our experience

and global network of funeral partners allow us

to help families and companies everywhere, no

matter where the death occurred.

In the field of repatriations, back in 2009 we

became the exclusive representative for memorial

diamonds Algordanza in Slovenia and Croatia.

Also known as ash diamonds, an Algordanza

memorial diamond is grown from the cremated

remains of a human, basically your loved one is

turned into a diamond.

Experience in the international field, and with it

also the representation of Slovenia in FIAT-IFTA,

we are one of the few who strive to bring

innovation to Slovenia. I have to say that I am

honoured to become a national member of

FIAT-IFTA for Slovenia. By

joining this organization,

our desire is to exchange

information

from

the

funeral industry with our

colleagues

around

the

world and bring news

and knowledge on the

Balkan field. I am positive

that with the help of

FIAT-IFTA we will be able

to raise the standards of

funeral services to help

families ensure they have

a dignified

funeral

for

their loved one.

I can say that I was

practically born into the

funeral family. Our father

started

the

business

a couple of years before

I was born so everything

connected to death was

somehow familiar to us.

My older sister Elvina was the first one who

took over some of my father's work. Through

the years, she managed to take our company to

a higher level. As she was older and had a lot of

experience, I learned a lot from her. Over time,

whilst also working at our company, I graduated

in Economics. Because of my degree, I gained a lot

of insight into different aspects of marketing and

management, which I am trying to apply not only

to our company, but also to the funeral business

in Slovenia as a whole. 

Balkan repatriation Babajic Ltd.

www.pogrebne-storitve-babajic.si 

I am honoured to become

a national member

of FIAT-IFTA for Slovenia.

By joining this organization,

our desire is to exchange

information from the funeral

industry with our colleagues

around the world and

bring news and knowledge

on the Balkan field.

I am positive that with the help

of FIAT-IFTA we will be able to

raise the standards of funeral

services to help families

ensure they have a dignified

funeral for their loved one.

THANOS MAGAZINE | No. 101 – SPRING 2023

MEMBERS’ NEWS

DISCOVER

ROMANIA

ANTHONY ASSISTANCE

AND FUNERAL HOME

– NEW NATIONAL

MEMBER OF FIAT-IFTA

By Cristian Neagoe,

General Manager

of ANTHONY Assistance

and Funeral Home, Romania

Photo of the private archives of Mr Cristian Neagoe

Cristian Neagoe

General Manager of ANTHONY Assistance

and Funeral Home, Romania

No. 101 – SPRING 2023 | THANOS MAGAZINE

MEMBERS’ NEWS

omania is a country with a rich culture

and history, with characteristics that

vary depending on the region, religion,

and other factors. Funerals in Romania

are often steeped in tradition and ritual.

For example, it is common for a wake to

be held in the deceased's home, and for

close relatives and friends to wear black

clothing for a period of time after the

funeral.

The funeral industry in Romania is characterized

by several features. Romania has a large

Orthodox Christian population, and the Orthodox

Church has a significant influence on funeral

customs and practices in the country. Funerals

are typically religious ceremonies and traditional

burials are the most common form of final

disposition. The rate of cremation in Romania

is relatively low compared to other European

countries. Cremation is not a common practice

in Romania due to cultural and religious beliefs.

The majority of the population are Orthodox

Christians, and the Orthodox Church does not

approve of cremation. According to Eurostat, the

cremation rate in Romania in 2019 was just 0.7%

and the mortality rate was 11.3/1000 people.

As funerals are usually religious ceremonies and

traditional burials are the most common form

of final disposition, cemeteries are everywhere

throughout the country, in both rural and

urban areas, and many are maintained by local

authorities.

Funeral service providers in Romania are mainly

private companies and the price for their services

can vary. Funeral costs can be significant, and

some families may find it difficult to cover

expenses.

ANTHONY Assistance is a leader in the Romanian

market for funeral services and repatriation of

Romanian citizens who died abroad and foreign

citizens who died in Romania. We provide

a wide range of services and products for any

religious denomination. We have partners in

many countries thanks to our membership in

FIAT-IFTA – The World Organization of Funeral

Operatives and EFES – European Federation of

Funeral Services. ANTHONY Funeral Home puts

its 30 years of experience in funeral services at

your disposal. Our company is authorized by the

Ministry of Health and the Directorate of Public

Health of Bucharest and benefits from all the

facilities necessary to perform at the highest

standard:

embalming

room,

refrigerating

equipment for storage etc. We work according to

the standards ISO 45001 and ISO 9001 and are

available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

Our activity is guided by high principles and values

that have built us an unquestionable reputation,

always being close to the grieving family with

both advice and recommendations, but also

with prompt, safe and high-quality services. The

relationships we build with the people utilising

our services are based on respect, ethics, and

professionalism. We have great respect for

every belief and religion, and we pay attention to

every detail, every request or specific desire and

guarantee an impeccable service at the agreed

time. We strictly comply with all legal provisions

to ensure an excellent funeral service. 

ANTHONY Assistance and Funeral Home

“A spirit of hope in moments of hardship and pain”

www.anthony.ro 

cristian.neagoe@anthony.ro

Our membership in FIAT-IFTA

– The World Organization

of Funeral Operatives and

EFES – European Federation

of Funeral Services supports

us in attracting reliable

partners worldwide, allowing

us to provide our services

at the highest level.

THANOS MAGAZINE | No. 101 – SPRING 2023

MEMBERS’ NEWS

WOMEN’S ERA

IN THE FUNERAL

INDUSTRY

OR AT LEAST AN ERA OF EQUAL

OPPORTUNITIES

Photo by krakenimages

on Unsplash

By Katarzyna Supa, funeral innovation researcher,

editor-in-chief THANOS magazine

No. 101 – SPRING 2023 | THANOS MAGAZINE

MAIN TOPIC

he funeral industry is a man's world.

This was, until recently, the common

social belief. Reading numerous reports

from different countries and talking to

women working in the funeral industry

around the world leads to the reflection

that we have similar experiences all over

the world. Women, although not inferior

to men in terms of knowledge and

preparation for this demanding industry,

still face a 'glass ceiling'. As a result, they

find their own niche and specialize in it,

set up their funeral businesses and run

them effectively and efficiently on their

terms. In some countries all-female funeral

teams appear. Women are speaking with

one voice today – equal opportunities

regardless of gender and complementing

each other's best competences is the way

forward for the industry.

Not only the number of women working

professionally in this field has changed, but also

their role. Now they are not exclusively in charge

of administrative tasks but develop all kinds of

functions. Women account for around 20-50%

(differs from country to country) of all employees

in the funeral industry. Women are involved in

customer service, preparation of the deceased,

administration, and sales. They are celebrants

of secular ceremonies, grief counsellors and

end of life doulas. Only about 3% of women are

in business management and 18% are in senior

management positions. The number of women

graduating funeral education is steadily increasing

each year. Figures from the USA National Funeral

Directors Association (NFDA) show that by 2022,

as many as 77% (and up to 90% in some schools)

of funeral profession students were women. It

can therefore be assumed that a female era in the

funeral industry is coming.

In the beginning funeral industry was

common for women

Going back to when there was no formalized

funeral industry, the preparation of the body for

burial was done by the family. Women took care

of the deceased – washing the bodies, applying

herbs, dressing, keeping watch and lamenting.

They also cooked and served meals for arriving

guests wishing to pay tribute to the deceased and

took care of the cleanliness of the house, whose

inhabitants were in mourning. Men, on the other

hand, were responsible for preparing or ordering

the coffin, organizing the transportation of the

body to the cemetery, and digging the grave. Over

time, in different countries, for different reasons,

the situation gradually changed. In the USA, it is

said that such a turning point was the Civil War

and the initiation of embalming of bodies on the

battlefield. In England, it was the Victorian era

which heralded a major change in the way in which

a body should be handled. It was not deemed

'proper' for a woman to be involved in touching

the body of a man (dead or alive...). Gradually,

professional funeral homes run by men and

employing men mainly because of their greater

strength, required for body transport or care

procedures, took shape. For many decades, the

profession of Funeral Director was only really open

to men. Nowadays, strength is no longer crucial,

and women are able to cope with heavy physical

work by using mechanical hoists, for example.

Women are stronger than we all think.

Changing trend

The funeral sector is constantly evolving and,

in our experience, Grupo ASV – with more than

90 years of experience and presence in Spain,

Germany, Colombia and the United States – is

working very hard to adapt to the times in many

areas. Parity is one of them. Although it is true

that it has been a typically male sector in Spain

(73% compared to 27% women), this trend is

changing. The number of women is already equal

or even higher in administrative positions and is

rising rapidly in the commercial area. The gap is

still widest in specific funeral work, but even there

this disparity is beginning to narrow as a result of

greater awareness and the incorporation of tools

that facilitate funeral work.

Mary Carmen García Balmaseda

Head of the Foreign Business Department at

GRUPO ASV, Spain

THANOS MAGAZINE | No. 101 – SPRING 2023

MAIN TOPIC

Women's communities

As women, we are aware of the origins of the

funeral industry and our role in shaping it. Over

the past 3 decades, we have more consciously

taken our place in the industry by bringing our

best selves to the industry with a firm belief in the

power of partnership.

In June 2018, the 1st Women World Summit for

Funeral Professionals was held in the Chinese city

of Wuhan. Ladies from Asia, Europe, North America,

South America, Australia, and Africa discussed the

role of women and their impact on the development

of the funeral industry. The meeting culminated in

the establishment of the first Wuhan Declaration,

addressed to all women funeral professionals

worldwide, highlighting their unique contribution to

shaping the industry. The declaration emphasized

the importance of equal opportunities between

men and women in the funeral profession to provide

better care for the deceased and their families.

Today, there are various women's initiatives where

women support each other – groups on social

media, clubs, regular meetings of women working

in the funeral industry are organized, for example:

National Coalition 100 Black Women of Funeral

Service in USA, #YoSoyFuneraria in Spain. The

next edition of the NFDA's Professional Women's

Conference will take place on 5-7 May 2023, and

a dozen days later, on 18-19 May 2023, more than

300 women will attend the 1st Meeting of Women in

Together we provide the best possible service

In Slovenia the funeral industry is still dominated by men but not 100%.

There are around 30% of funeral homes run by women and more than half

of them are involved in this industry because it’s a family business for them.

They are mostly managing the companies, communicating with clients, and

organizing funerals.

I believe that women have a different level of empathy and patience for the

families who lost their loved ones. Men are more physically capable, that is

why they take care of the aspects that women cannot manage. My opinion is

that we have to help each other and together provide the best possible service.

There is no such thing as communities of women working in the funeral

industry in my country, but we have a community of funeral directors in

Slovenia, and it is meant for all providers.

Jasmina Babajić

CEO of Balkan repatriation Babajic Ltd., Slovenia

Women are the strength

of the industry

In Sweden, the funeral industry is not a typically male industry. About

50% of all employees are women. Most of them are funeral advisors and

meet with relatives making funeral arrangements. One of the strengths

of women in the funeral industry is a slightly softer approach to work

and to relatives, while the power of men lies in their strength. I believe

that employing women in the funeral industry does a lot of good and is

a strength of the industry.

Ulf Lernéus

Headmanager, CEO of Swedish Funeral Directors Association,

President of European Federation of Funeral Services (EFFS), Sweden

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the Funeral Sector in Brazil. All these initiatives offer

strong support for continuing education, leadership

development and mentoring programmes, as well

as scholarship awards, and networking.

To emphasize the female role and to give

encouragement to girls in choosing the profession

of funeral director Ms Sarah Brown-Derbah,

manager of "Haley Funeral Directors" Funeral

Home in Michigan, USA asked Mattel for a Barbie

doll dedicated to her profession. Anyone with

a phone or computer with internet access can help

make Barbie funeral director doll come true. To

sign the petition: www.change.org/p/mattel-tell-

mattel-to-create-a-funeral-director-barbie 

This doll can help the public see entrepreneurs as

caring and compassionate towards the community.

She could also inspire the younger generation and

help little girls discover this profession. It would

also be a nice tribute to women working in the

business.

The biggest challenge

In preparing this article, I was also looking for

answers to the question of what women consider

to be the biggest challenge for them and the

industry. I was curious to know whether it would be

gender parity or rather values that go completely

beyond that. Among the challenges, for example,

there was the issue of inspiring confidence in

employers, contractors, and clients. Often, women

who do not come from families with traditions

related to the funeral industry, face tremendous

resistance to being hired – they are seen as too

educated and lacking in experience. Sometimes

women in management positions are taken

less seriously than men, not only by their male

Role of women in the UK funeral industry

Historically

women

have

always

played

an important role in the care and preparation of

the deceased, the women would be responsible for

washing, dressing, and laying out the deceased and

the men would be responsible for the making of the

coffin, pallbearing & burial.

During the Victorian era there was a shift in

these duties and the UK funeral industry became

predominantly male orientated, with the women

taking a step back from duties they historically

were involved with and their male counterparts

managing all aspects of the funeral & preparation

of the deceased.

Looking at the UK funeral industry today it is good

to see that both women and men hold positions

in all areas of the profession and at all levels.

Unfortunately there are no national figures that

provide an exact % however researching published

articles as of 1991 there appeared to be a 15%

rise of women choosing to build a career within

the funeral industry and as of 2011, 34% of jobs

were held by women. As of today, this % will be far

greater with more women taking on all roles from

embalming through to conducting funerals.

Many independent firms within the UK are family

run, often husband and wife, with their children

often joining in the family run business, with the

entire family working in all areas of the profession

and at all levels. We also have an increase in the

number of female funeral directors across the UK.

I do not believe that women are better than men

in any particular role or vice versa, I believe it

entirely rests on the skill set of each individual &

their ability to succeed in the various tasks, have

the right attributes, are empathetic and dedicated

to caring for the deceased and bereaved families.

If you were not born into the funeral profession

(i.e. family run business) being a Funeral Director

or working in the funeral profession may not have

been the first choice that would come to mind

when deciding on your career options, however,

it is a rewarding, meaningful career with a wide

selection of roles & you will often hear the words

“I have found my vocation in life”, I for one have

certainly found mine.

Fiona Greenwood

Operations Director at Rowland Brothers

International, United Kingdom

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colleagues, but also by clients. It is still the case

that clients expect a man in the role of undertaker

and do not consider women as conversation

partners. My female interviewees also pointed

out the resistance to making changes in the offer,

introducing

innovations,

challenging

existing

practices and implementing modern solutions.

It is in the nature of women to be caring, gentle

and.... multitasking (!). Women are excellently

organized, as I also discovered when writing

this article. The natural talents of women are:

the ability to listen empathetically to families

experiencing loss, to be sensitive, attentive to the

emotional needs of the client, to act with care

and dedication to clients, to be thorough, to be

systematic. Women make excellent use of their

intuition and empathy resources, so they react

more sensitively in complex situations. They often

"read" facial expressions and gestures and the way

an interlocutor speaks. They are primarily oriented

towards dialogue and cooperation. A consequence

of women's sensitivity and care for customers

is that they can easily recognise customers'

needs and seek answers to these needs, making

customers feel important, noticed, cared for and,

consequently, more satisfied with the service,

which entails an increase in income. Female

bosses (often their mentors were fathers and

grandfathers running a funeral business) tend to

rely on partnership, are curious about the opinions

of others, share ideas and empower subordinates,

which translates into loyalty and increases work

efficiency. When negotiating, they strive for

compromise. In the design of office spaces, women

sometimes show a greater aesthetic sense and

pay great attention to detail, for example smell

and a cosy atmosphere. Women are courageous

in setting goals and stubborn and persistent in

achieving them, ready to take risks and implement

innovations, creative in finding solutions, open to

community connection.

Balanced talent growth

Families experiencing loss and bereavement

indicate that the funeral profession needs more

care and less sales talk. More compassion and less

pressure. It's not just a matter of women taking

charge. It's a matter of embracing the softer, more

human aspects of death... and not just when we

are with families. But also when we write business

plans and create products and services.

In order to offer the best, well-balanced services

to society, the optimal combination is to combine

the best talents of women and men at all levels

of the organization. Many funeral companies

in Spain are working to maintain a gender

balance, although much depends on the size of

the company and the area of the country. The

commitment of most companies in this sector

to equality is strong, not only in the integration

of women, but also in the adaptation of all

employees to the new working environment.

An example of this upward trend of women in the

funeral sector is Grupo Albia, as 48% of its new

employees in 2020 were women. The company

is also committed to raising the level of women's

professional development and a balanced ratio of

men and women at all levels of the organization.

And this can be seen as a path towards an era of

equal opportunities. 

Contributing to eliminating gender

and age preconceptions

Nowadays, millions of women work in jobs that

were traditionally considered “for men”; however,

their desire to grow professionally and economically

resulted in a female population increase in several

industries, including the funeral business. Only

in Mexico, during 2022, approximately 10.4% of

this sector was female driven. At Gayosso, the

search for gender equality brought job offers

and opportunities for both genders alike. Recent

numbers show that 57.75% of our colleagues are

women in responsibilities ranging from operative

to high management, in the last year the company

hired 1,083 women and 45.3% are over 50 years

old. This is our way of contributing to eliminating

gender and age preconceptions, strengthening and

empowering our co-workers with day to day actions.

Lucía López

Head of Internal Communications

of Grupo Gayosso, Mexico

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Photos courtesy of Tanya Kenevich

OH, THE POSSIBILITIES!

GERALDINE OLIVERIE

CHANGES THE GAME WITH NEW FACILITY

By Tanya Kenevich with permission to reprint

from the Director magazine, USA

Geraldine “Geri” Oliverie Hennicke in the new

location’s library.

eraldine “Geri” Oliverie is a feat of strength

in the deathcare profession. On Geri’s

personal side, she is married to Michael

J. Hennicke, and they have three children:

Marissa (a licensed funeral director), Bridget

(a licensed OB-GYN), and Michael (an Officer

of the United States Navy).

Professionally, Oliverie is the manager and owner of

both Oliverie Funeral Home locations (Manchester,

NJ, and the new location in Jackson, NJ), is a charter

member of the Funeral Ethics Association, a member

of the NJ State Funeral Directors Association, and

current Treasurer of the Monmouth-Ocean Funeral

Directors Association. She is also a member of the

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National Funeral Directors Association, serves on

their Scholarship Committee, and is also a Pursuit

of Excellence recipient since 2014. Oliverie is also

an Order of the Golden Rule (OGR) member and

was a Community Award Recipient twice (2015

and 2019). She is also a Certified Celebrant, the

2020 American Funeral Director of the Year, and

the 2021 Order of the Golden Rule Golden Light

Recipient for Professional Excellence (among

many other positions within the community).

It's safe to say that Oliverie is busy. However, being

busy didn’t stop her from her dream of building

a state-of-the-art funeral home in Jackson, NJ.

After years of appeals and complications, the

new location finally opened in spring 2022.

“A lot of funeral homes are from generations.

In order to make changes, it's very difficult.

Some [funeral homes are] so old they're

grandfathered – if they do changes, they have to

do a lot of changes, whether it be ADA [changes]

or bathrooms… it's very expensive,” Oliverie

said. “So, the ability to build this from the ground

up, how much money was I willing to spend…

my idea was to make it like a hotel. My first

funeral home in Manchester has the layout

and everything that a funeral home needs, and

then there are a couple of things we were like,

‘I wish we did this.’ So, when we came here, we

were like, ‘remember those things we wanted to

change?’ and then the technology had advanced

so far… I can't even do some of the technology [at

the Manchester location] because I live upstairs;

I can’t get all of this to be wired in.”

Oliverie had already seen success with her

Manchester location. “When I built that [location

in Manchester], I broke the mold because I did

bright colors – I have greens, peaches, even my

building is soft yellow with peach shutters. Even

my mom said it didn’t look like a funeral home,”

she said. “I said, ‘look, I have to live here. I can’t

have my kids going to a house and feel like it’s

a funeral home. They have to be comfortable

saying, ‘this is my home”

Visitors seemed to love the brightness and

colors in Manchester, so when Oliverie and her

husband started the process to build another

location, they decided to avoid dark colors once

again.

“When you come in, are you going to be agitated

or did I calm you down when you walked into

the funeral home? The goal is to calm you down

when you come in – if you’re agitated when you

come in and the colors make you more agitated,

you’re angry at me and I’m trying to help you.

If something’s not 100% right, you’re already

agitated and it’s going to escalate,” she said. “If

we can keep everybody calm, it’ll go a lot easier.

That’s the goal – to keep the family comfortable.”

A Never-ending Journey

The process for the new location started several

years ago, and the decision to even build and

open a new location was “a leap of faith,”

Oliverie admitted. However, the idea to open

it in Jackson had good merit. Oliverie grew up in

Jackson; she was noticing that as time went on,

her friends’ parents were dying, and her friends

were going all the way to Manchester for her

services; she was also losing business to closer

funeral homes in the area. Oliverie knew that if

she built a funeral home in Jackson, she would

reclaim this business.

The outside of the Oliverie Funeral

Home in Jackson, NJ.

Photos courtesy of Tanya Kenevich

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“I graduated with these people. I played soccer

with these people. They just don’t want to go

that far out of their way,” Oliverie said.

The location was precisely picked – it’s close

to Interstate 195 and highly populated roads;

in addition, it avoids notorious parts in Jackson

that are known for gridlock and traffic woes.

However, the decision of where to build the

funeral home was not without its problems.

People in a local adult community (located near

the proposed location), as well as a husband and

wife behind the community, complained about

the sought-after location. Then, the couple

starting filing appeals.

“In the very beginning, we told [the couple], ‘We

don't care if we pay double what your house is

worth or triple because we’re losing time. Time

is money to us; we'll buy your house – just name

your price.’ They were against the fact that there

was a funeral home that would be across the

street that would remind them of death,” Oliverie

said. While enough wooded area blocked any

significant view, Oliverie said that they refused

to sell.

“We went from appeal, to appeal, to appeal, all

the way to the state Supreme Court. Just the

state Supreme Court costs me a year and a half

to get on the docket,” Oliverie said. “They weren’t

only suing me; they were suing the town for

approving everything.”

Added Oliverie: “It took us from 2014 to 2021

– seven years to start building – and then COVID

hits.”

A Dream Facility

After all its trials and tribulations, Oliverie

Funeral Home’s second location finally opened

in spring of 2022; the building is an impressive

19,000 square feet “and that doesn’t count the

garage in the back,” she said.

The location is unique because it provides features

and products from Life Celebration Inc., a vendor

that provides custom and memorable life

celebration experiences. While the company uses

talented designers to create unique memorial

components (like prayer cards, memorial folders,

and 3D displays), it also provides Envision,

an immersive digital wall projection system,

to its exclusive members. According to Life

Celebration’s website, “as Envision paints the

walls with a touching storyboard, loved ones will

be in awe of how your home blends traditional

practices with innovative technology.”

“It's a territory,” Oliverie said, who has a contract

with Life Celebration for both of her funeral

homes. This means that no funeral home firm in

the contracted mileage of those territories can

just get this service installed. “If everybody can

do it, what’s the value in it?”

Another impressive feature is The Wisteria,

which is a fully functional banquet room and

kitchen. Oliverie spared no expense when

designing The Wisteria – after all, if she was

going to provide this service, she was going to

provide it in the best way possible.

Oliverie often takes trips to see other funeral

homes around the world, and this is where

Viewing rooms in Oliverie Funeral Home have a Life Celebration feature

called Envision, an immersive digital wall projection system.

Photos courtesy of Tanya Kenevich

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she gets ideas on how to better her business.

“Whatever’s happening, even just in the west

coast, it’ll eventually happen here,” she said.

This is when she decided to take a risk.

“I’m going to try something different. I’m going

to broach the food,” she told her industry

friends.

They all had the same thought: “You’ll never get

around it.”

“I will in time,” she responded.

Sure enough, during a sleepless night, she had

an epiphany. “The property is always owned

by an LLC. I live there [in Manchester] and the

funeral home pays me rent to the LLC that

owns the property. I said, ‘that's no different

than a strip mall. If I make it a fancy strip mall

because you can have a restaurant and own it

in a strip mall, the state doesn’t say you can’t

own a restaurant – it says you can’t serve food

on the premises. I'm going to separate the

premises – I live upstairs, and I serve food [at the

Manchester location]. So, what’s the difference if

that food went up or down?”

Oliverie’s gears were turning; a plan was in

action. “So, now I’m trying to put the two

together. The only way around it is I know food is

allowed – it just can’t be on the word ‘premises.’

So, if I make it a strip mall, and each section

is a different LLC, they are paying rent to the

property,” she said. “I own the property, I own the

funeral home, my husband owns the store [the

atrium café], my children own the restaurant.

Well, now they’re paying rent to MIB Properties.

This is a strip mall, no matter how you look at

it. They have funeral homes with restaurants

in strip malls. If there’s something in between,

what’s the difference?”

Although

Oliverie

had

complied

with

all

guidelines from the board (and the LLCs were

valid), the original couple from the appeals

process reported her to the board.

After deliberation, it was decided that food could

be prepared and served, but the way into the

atrium café and the banquet room could not

have a door; people were going have to walk

outside to go into these parts of the facility. She

agreed, but knew she wasn’t going to put up

a cement wall.

She would tell her architect to create a beautiful,

etched glass wall. “And when the time comes and

they say we can have food in there, those are

going to be sliding doors,” Oliverie said.

The New Jersey laws changed in 2019, relating to

food being served at funeral homes – with the

additional delays because of COVID, Oliverie was

essentially able to go with the original plan for

the facility.

Since New Jersey law has changed on serving

food in funeral homes, other funeral homes are

converting spare viewing rooms into a room to

serve food; however, updating these rooms for

serving food presents its own problems. “It’s

hard to do – you can have people bring food

in, you can have some catering brought in, you

cannot make it look like [The Wisteria],” Oliverie

said. “It was purposely built with a built-in bar

and everything.”

Response to The Wisteria has been extremely

positive. “People love the food,” Oliverie said.

“I got a good caterer.”

Photos courtesy of Tanya Kenevich

The atrium café in Oliverie

Funeral Home.

The banquet room,

which is called The Wisteria.

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The caterer does a lot of big functions and has

his own restaurant in The Asbury Hotel in Asbury

Park, NJ. “He’s busy but I mean, he's here… I give

him two days’ notice, a day sometimes – he’s top

notch, ready to go.” Options for catering at The

Wisteria include classics like eggplant rollatini,

fried calamari, penne vodka, and more.

According to Oliverie, 1.5 out of every three

funerals use the banquet room and catering.

However, every funeral uses the atrium café.

Since Oliverie loves eating al fresco when she’s

out and about, she wanted to bring that feeling

to her atrium café. A fountain was installed in

the atrium café to provide soothing sounds, the

windows let plenty of natural light in, and even

the tile floor has a cobblestone look; it truly

reminds you of a beautiful café in a picturesque

town. “I want you to feel like you’re outside,

like maybe you want to feed a pigeon. It’s your

escape,” Oliverie said.

The atrium café provides bistro-like seating

and various options for refreshments, including

cookies, chips, coffee, sodas, and more.

In addition, having a place to escape, have

a snack, or enjoy a hot coffee also extends the

time that visitors stay – all while creating a more

positive experience at the funeral home.

Continuing Community Outreach

Community connection has always been a big

focus for Oliverie in Manchester – this focus has

continued at the new Jackson location.

According to Oliverie, 100th, 95th, and 90th birthday

events are free at the funeral home for up to

20 attendees. “They just have to get the person

here. We provide the cake, the food… they can

have more [people], they just have to pay for the

extra,” Oliverie said. “We figure that’s a way to

give back to our community.”

Being a NFDA Pursuit of Excellence recipient

since 2014, Oliverie is always trying to think

of new things to do every year. Some of the

community outreach that Oliverie provides

include Hot Dogs for Heroes and Veteran’s Day

events at the funeral homes, as well as holiday

remembrance

events.

These

remembrance

events are for families who have had services at

the funeral home. Families (up to three people)

can come and have a full meal (beer and wine

are available and served by the bartenders);

attendees are also encouraged to speak about

their loved ones and share stories and memories.

Each family also receives a glass remembrance

ornament. Oliverie said that these holiday

remembrance events can be an emotional affair,

but many of the shared stories are funny and

provide a beautiful look into the lives lost.

Many families comment that most funeral

homes don’t provide such an involved event.

Some clergy and a candlelight ceremony might

be provided at other firms, but “[families] don’t

walk away with a $30 ornament for free… and we

give them the first one free; they buy three, four,

five after [receiving the free one],” Oliverie said.

The holiday remembrance is usually just once

a year; however, since a year was missed with

COVID, two events were held in December 2022.

What the Future Holds

So far, the new location has been busy and

the response from families has been great. It’s

hopeful that her daughters will want to take over

the business when Oliverie is ready to retire (her

son is busy with his Naval career and doesn’t

currently have an interest in funeral service) and

that her long-term employees are involved in its

future. For the time being, Oliverie still has a lot

she wants to accomplish.

“In the next decade, I will still be here – although

my husband would love to be gone, we will still

be here,” she laughed. “I told him we have too

much invested here right now, so we will still be

here.” 

The library at Oliverie Funeral

Home in Jackson, NJ.

Photos courtesy of Tanya Kenevich

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