THANOS
The World Organisation of Funeral Operatives
99
MAGAZINE
AUTUMN 2022
FACING
THE FUTURE
FUNERAL
EXCHANGE
PROGRAM
SUMMARY OF
THE FIAT-IFTA
ANNUAL MEETING 2022
IN BUDAPEST
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PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE
Dear colleagues and friends,
I
hope you had some time to relax after a very
busy June fulfilled with numerous international
trade fair meetings and our I.C.D. Meeting held in
Budapest. Our organization is not slowing down!
All these fantastic meetings were great sources of
new ideas that we will gradually implement.
Once again I would like to thank all attendees of
I.C.D. Meeting 2022 in Budapest and express my
sincere appreciation for the splendid organization
to The Hungarian Funeral Association OTEI and
The Hungarian Association of Funeral Service
Providers MATESZSZ, all sponsors – companies:
WFN – Grupo Albia, Anubis Group, Toyota, Crossing
World Group, Peleman, PW Studio. Their support
has given us the opportunity to meet face-to-face in
such a beautiful place as Corinthia Hotel. A special
thanks goes also to the exhibitors of V4 Funeral
Expo (TEMEXPO) for their commitment in preparing
an interesting range of funeral products and
services. I would also like to thank the conference
speakers for sharing their knowledge and drawing
new perspectives for the funeral industry. I invite
you all to enjoy the brief summary of our meeting,
which is published in this issue of THANOS
magazine.
This edition is focused on Education.This is one
of the core fields for our organization. After
the interruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,
we plan to relaunch the FIAT-IFTA’s Funeral
Exchange Program in association with the All Japan
Funeral Directors Co-operation. Therefore, I am
very glad that in this issue of THANOS magazine we
can learn about industry education from different
perspectives of our members and partners.
An important area of FIAT-IFTA’s work is also
the intangible funeral heritage. I am happy to
inform you that The FIAT-IFTA Heritage Committee,
chaired by Mrs Chen Yuayuan from China, held its
first online meeting of the year at the beginning of
August and we will start our work on the next issue
of the Heritage Report 2024 soon. Everyone who
is an expert on intangible funeral culture is very
welcome to contribute and share their knowledge
to this very unique publication.
I am sure that our international co–operation
can lead us to new business prospects and for
the growth of our organization.
Marek Cichewicz
FIAT-IFTA President
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 Organisation of Funeral Operatives,
Apolloweg 325, 8239DC, Lelystad – NL
All materials are copyrighted. Reprinting and use of materials requires
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
THANOS MAGAZINE
Marek Cichewicz
FIAT-IFTA President
Photo by Sándor Kerekes for OTEI
THANOS MAGAZINE | No. 99 – AUTUMN 2022
MEMBERS’ NEWS
Meet the FIAT-IFTA
Board 2022-2024 and join us!
Since the foundation of the FIAT-IFTA Federation in
1970 the delegates of the National Members elect
and nominate the Members of the FIAT-IFTA Board
at the biennial General Assembly of the Membership.
The term of the FIAT-IFTA Board is two years.
The Secretary and the Treasurer may be reelected.
Due to COVID-19 the 16th FIAT-IFTA Convention,
Yokohama, Japan, June 2020 was postponed to June
2021. However, due to restrictions still in place, an
online convention took place. It was not possible to
hold an election in Japan and from June 2021 to June
2022 the FIAT-IFTA Board operated as the FIAT-IFTA
Interim Board.
Members were finally able to meet in Budapest for
the I.C.D. meeting as well as the General Assembly.
The FIAT-IFTA Board consists of the following
members elected and nominated at the General
Assembly held in Budapest, June 2022:
• Marek Cichewicz, Poland (President)
• William Wappner, USA (1st Vice president)
• Johan Dextes, Belgium (2nd Vice president)
• Mylena Cooper, Brasil (3rd Vice president)
• Emerson De Luca, United Kingdom
(International Secretary)
• Atanas Argirov, Bulgaria (Treasurer)
• Hiroshi Kitajima, Japan
(Immediate Past President)
Caring for Intangible Cultural
Heritage
FIAT-IFTA is an International NGO and has a
Consultative Status with UNESCO Intangible
Cultural Heritage to safeguard World Funeral
Heritage in cooperation with its National Members.
From Tuesday 5 to Thursday 7 July 2022
Mr Emerson De Luca, FIAT-IFTA Executive Secretary
and Mr Johan Dexters, FIAT-IFTA Second Vice-
President attended the 9th session of the General
Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention
for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage, organized by UNESCO in Paris.
We invite all FIAT-IFTA members to contribute to
the next edition of the Heritage Report, which is
going to document the intangible funeral heritage
such as funeral traditions, funeral craftsmanship,
popular traditional customs and folklore.
Contact us: info@thanos.org
and fiatifta-magazine@thanos.org
Apply for FIAT-IFTA Membership and expand
your network to enhance global exposure of your
services. FIAT-IFTA is your unique international
partner in the world of funeral services.
Contact us at info@thanos.org
From left: Mr Johan Dextes, Belgium
(2nd Vice president), Mr Emerson De Luca,
United Kingdom (International Secretary)
FIAT-IFTA Board 2022-2024
(from left): Mr Johan Dextes, Belgium
(2nd Vice president), Mr Hiroshi Kitajima,
Japan (Immediate Past President), Mr Marek
Cichewicz, Poland (President), Mr William
Wappner, USA (1st Vice president),
Mr Atanas Argirov, Bulgaria (Treasurer),
Ms Mylena Cooper, Brasil
(3rd Vice president), Mr Emerson De Luca,
United Kingdom (International Secretary)
No. 99 – AUTUMN 2022 | THANOS MAGAZINE
MEMBERS’ NEWS
Remember Together
How will you inspire the families in your community
to pay tribute to people who have died during
the pandemic? Remember Together is a planning
guide which helps funeral directors plan a COVID-19
Day of Remembrance event that honors the losses of
families in your community and keeps the memories
of their loved ones alive. This program was created
by National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA)
and Remembering A Life.
On
the
dedicated
website
www.nfda.org/
RememberTogether you will find a range of
materials such as: Social Media Posts, News Release
Template, Postcards, Podcast Episodes, Blog Posts,
Let’s welcome new members
We are happy to welcome 9 new members of
our organization! Since May 2022 we have been
joined by 1 National Member, 1 Active Member
and 7 Associate Members. Please welcome:
National Members:
• Anemex from Mexico
Active Members:
• Collyfer from Spain
The World United for Life 2022
The International Cemetery and Funeral Industry
is once again joining people around the World in
the 2022 edition of “The World United for Life”,
a global movement that invites to exalt the value of life,
preserve the memory and remembrance of those who
have passed away.
On Sunday, 18 September, companies from
the five continents will carry out various activities
that will confirm once again the importance of
ritualisation when saying goodbye to a loved one
and the various forms that the Cemetery and
Funeral Industry can make to pay tribute to life,
generating greater closeness with families.
“The world united for life” is an initiative of ALPAR
– Latin American Association of Cemeteries and
Funeral Services, National Member of FIAT-IFTA, which
since 2012 promotes the union of companies, beyond
geographical borders, bringing together people in 36
countries and 114 cities, which motivates all funeral
profesionals to continue to unite, strengthen these
valuable tributes and continue celebrating life.
This year ALPAR will award the three most innovative
activities in the 2022 edition of “The World United for
Life”, taking into account the following characteristics:
• It has a differentiating factor: creativity in
execution.
• Conveys the objective: to celebrate life.
• Generates public participation.
Find out the competition rules
All companies of the International Cemetery and
Funeral Home Industry are invited to participate.
Would you like to join? Use the Planning Guide
Books, Booklets, Activity Ideas. FIAT-IFTA members
can use Remember Together tools for free to plan
an event or provide inspiration and support to
their community.
Associate Members:
• FNP CARE LLP from India
• Grupo Marchitto SRL from Argentina
• J. F. Knight Funerals from United Kingdom
• Pulvis Art Urns from Bulgaria
• Repatriaciones Peru Internacional from Peru
• Transfunebre Internacional from Portugal
• Zakład Pogrzebowy Hades from Poland
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. 99 – AUTUMN 2022
MEMBER’S NEWS
he 51st FIAT-IFTA I.C.D. Annual Meeting 2022,
which took place from 15 to 17 June in Budapest,
was unique in many respects. For the first time in
two years, it was possible to meet face-to-face
among international funeral industry entrepreneurs.
Participants
came
from
Poland,
Hungary,
the Netherlands, Spain, Greece, USA, Belgium,
the Netherlands, Ukraine, Germany, Estonia, Iceland,
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Panama, Mauritania, Japan,
New Zealand, Austria, Bulgaria, France, Ireland,
Italy, Malta, Portugal, UK, Israel, Cameroon, Mexico,
Slovakia, Philippines, among others.
The FIAT-IFTA I.C.D. Annual Meeting 2022
discussed all the major issues of the organization
– including the budget, welcoming new members
including national members from Mexico and
Cameroon,
discussing
marketing
activities
including the development of Thanos magazine,
the organization’s website and social media.
The work of the FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage
Committee and the FIAT-IFTA Funeral Education
Exchange Program was also addressed, as well
as the prospects for development in these areas.
New industry celebrations such as the Celebration
of Covid-19 Victims and the Funeral Director
Profession Celebration were also proposed and
discussed. During the FIAT-IFTA I.C.D. Annual
Meeting 2022, the third FIAT-IFTA Vice president
was elected – the position was taken by Mylena
Cooper from Brazil.
The Budapest meeting was a particularly important
event for Poland. During the gala dinner, Mr Marek
Cichewicz, president of BONGO International
Funeral Services, the first Pole on the FIAT-IFTA
board, officially received the presidential insignia
from the hands of the outgoing President,
Mr Hiroshi Kitajima from Japan. Marek Cichewicz
officially took over the position of FIAT-IFTA
President in 2022 – 2024.
During the FIAT-IFTA Conference 2022 the impact
of Covid-19 on the industry was discussed in
detail (the panel discussion included FIAT-IFTA
members from the USA, Japan, Hungary, Latin
America and Portugal). The activities of the National
Heritage Institute of Hungary on modern ways
of cherishing national memory were presented,
Furthermore, participants were introduced to
the
Compassionate
Transportation
manual
prepared by the International Air Transport
Association (IATA). It was the first time we had
a presentation from IATA at our FIAT-IFTA meeting.
Representatives of funeral companies from all
over the world also participated in study visits to
the Fiumei Road Cemetery, the modern Nagytetena
Crematorium and the Dohány Street Synagogue.
The 51st FIAT-IFTA I.C.D. Annual Meeting 2022 was
hosted by the Hungarian Funeral Association OTEI
(Országos Temetkezési Egyesületés Ipartestület),
which also hosted a conference of the Visegrad
countries (Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic and
Hungary) as well as an international funeral trade
fair TEMEXPO which was fantastic opportunity for
the world funeral industry to get together and
share their knowledge, experiences and products.
Watch video from FIAT-IFTA Annual Meeting 2022
in Budapest
The next FIAT-IFTA I.C.D. Annual Meeting 2023
will take place in Varna, Bulgaria, and in 2024
representatives of FIAT-IFTA will come to Kraków
for the 17th FIAT-IFTA Convention and 53rd I.C.D.
Annual Meeting of FIAT-IFTA.
We cordially invite all funeral companies to join
the FIAT-IFTA – The World Organization of Funeral
Operatives – www.thanos.org / www.fiat-ifta.com
More photos are available at www.thanos.org
EXCEPTIONAL
NEW ENERGY
SUMMARY OF THE FIAT-IFTA ANNUAL MEETING 2022
IN BUDAPEST
By Katarzyna Supa, editor-in-chief of THANOS magazine and Emerson De Luca,
International Secretary of FIAT-IFTA
No. 99 – AUTUMN 2022 | THANOS MAGAZINE
MEMBER’S NEWS
© Sándor Kerekes for OTEI
FIAT-IFTA Board 2022-2024
(from left): Mr Johan Dextes, Belgium
(2nd Vice president), Mr Hiroshi Kitajima, Japan
(Immediate Past President), Mr Marek Cichewicz,
Poland (President), Mr William Wappner, USA
(1st Vice president), Mr Atanas Argirov, Bulgaria
(Treasurer), Ms Mylena Cooper, Brasil
(3rd Vice president), Mr Emerson De Luca,
United Kingdom (International Secretary)
(from left): Mr Dobos János, Vice president of
OTEI, Mr Marek Cichewicz, President of FIAT-IFTA,
Mr Puskás Béla, President of OTEI
THANOS MAGAZINE | No. 99 – AUTUMN 2022
MEMBER’S NEWS
INTRODUCING
MYLENA
COOPER
– 3RD VICE PRESIDENT
OF FIAT-IFTA
© Photo from the private archives of Ms Mylena Cooper
Mylena Cooper, Executive Director of Vaticano and
The Diamond company, 3rd Vice president of FIAT-IFTA
No. 99 – AUTUMN 2022 | THANOS MAGAZINE
MEMBER’S NEWS
n Budapest the I.C.D. Meeting elected Ms Mylena
Cooper from Brazil, Executive Director of Vaticano
and The Diamond company to be the 3rd Vice
president of FIAT-IFTA. We asked Ms Mylena Cooper
about her goals as a Board Member and her
beginnings in the funeral industry, as well as
the brief introduction of the Brazilian funeral
market.
I feel honored to be part of this select group of
people engaged in bringing higher quality services
and innovation to the funeral industry worldwide.
FIAT-IFTA also promotes the exchange of
knowledge and experience of funerals worldwide,
which enables a better service and even an
understanding of the services we offer to families.
I am truly honoured to be the first Brazilian
woman and the second in history to represent
to take the position of vice-president. Thus, I will
strive to encourage other women from Brazil and
the whole South America to take part in this great
organization and to work towards an even more
professional funeral industry, which truly reflects
the needs of the families we serve.
My career in the funeral industry started early.
My grandfather started the business and in time
my father took over. I have been working with
the company since I was 15 years old. I have worked
as a telephone operator, saleswoman, attendant
and even funeral director. Over time I graduated
in Communication and developed stronger ties
with sales and marketing, which helped me to
look at a market that used to be little explored
and poorly managed. I have also written a book on
children’s grief entitled “O dia em que a vovó do
Banzé morreu” (“The Day When Banze’s Grandma
Died”, still not translated). Today, I am the Executive
Director of Vaticano and The Diamond.
Today there are around 15,000 funeral homes and
more than 10,000 cemeteries in Brazil. The funeral
industry expansion in recent years has increased
further due to the growth of Crematoriums and Pet
Crematoriums in the Country. Such developments
have been noticeable despite our huge territorial
extension,
with
great
cultural
differences.
While the south of the country is already more
“accustomed” to cremation, for the north and
northeast burial is still the most used mode for
disposition of remains. In addition to the traditional
customs of each region, there are religious beliefs.
We are a predominantly Catholic country, but with
a wide variety of religions is commonly found.
Some of the funeral customs are equal to those in
many parts of the world such as flowers, urns and
funeral chapels (viewing rooms). However, we have
a very fast service process; unlike other countries
such as Germany and the USA, in Brazil if a person
dies one day, there is often a vigil for around 24hrs
through the night and cremation or burial takes
place the next day. This makes the process quite
challenging for the funeral directors who need to
be prepared for every eventuality at very short
notice.
Brazil is a country with exponential growth in all
sectors, but I can say that the funeral sector has
never grown so much as in recent years. Therefore,
what used to be seen only as a cemetery and
funeral home has evolved as the possibility of
human and pet crematoria, funeral plans, and of
course special products and tributes. The sector
has expanded, is studying, developing, learning
from its audience and offering more possibilities
and comfort to its customers.
Thanatopraxy as a service has grown, along with
the number of professionals in the area. There are
several types of training: in company, in person
and even remotely. The pandemic encouraged
the latter; however, without much effectiveness
when it comes to more complex aspects that
require the physical presence of the student.
I believe that a Funeral Exchange Programme is an
efficient way of obtaining knowledge and learning
techniques not yet explored here. On average,
a three-day Thanatopraxy training in person costs
between BRL 1,500 and BRL 2,500, depending on
the type of service. These training programs have
been very important to meet both the demand
for this kind of service and the client’s need as
to the final result, since there are still those who
do not believe in this service and consider it little
reliable.
At Vaticano, we are constantly training our employees
and keeping our laboratory doors open to programs
that need to make use of this resource, which brings
us closer to great and future professionals.
I will strive to encourage
other women to take part
in this great organization
and to work towards an
even more professional
funeral industry.
THANOS MAGAZINE | No. 99 – AUTUMN 2022
MEMBER’S NEWS
© Photo by fer gomez on Unsplash
DISCOVER MEXICO
ANEMEX – NEW NATIONAL MEMBER OF FIAT-IFTA
By Andrés Burzaco Malo, Director General ANEMEX, Mexico
No. 99 – AUTUMN 2022 | THANOS MAGAZINE
10
MEMBER’S NEWS
he Funeral Industry in Mexico is characterized
by a very rich and rooted tradition of honoring
the dead. This can be most easily seen in
the Day of the Dead festivities that take place all
throughout Mexico on November 2nd. In Mexico
that day is a national holiday and there are no
schools or banks. The importance of this is that
the choices a family makes regarding its final
destination takes this into consideration.In rural
places long standing traditions are followed more
closely while in the urban space, innovation is
easier to encounter.
Mexico has 130 million people in its own borders,
making it the 10th most populated country1, and
close to 25 more million living abroad, mainly (more
than 95%) in the USA, which makes it the country,
not at war, with the most repatriations in the world,
with over 6,5 thousand in 2019.2
Mexico is the 13th country in the world by land
mass, the 15th by GDP (72nd by GDP per Capita).3
It has an average age of 29 years, a life expectancy
of 75 years and a mortality rate of 6‰.2 In 2019,
the last year before the pandemic, there were
735
thousand
deaths,
that
number
was
1,13 million in 2021. Preliminary data in 2022
show us that the rate is returning to pre pandemic
numbers.2
In the funeral Industry Mexico has 4,200 Registered
Funeral Homes (and quite a few unregistered
ones).2
Anemex was founded in Mexico 21 years ago.
Its initial driver was to help collective groups have
dignified funeral services. Mainly with registered
funeral homes, in an affordable way.
Most people in Mexico are economically
challenged and live paycheck to paycheck
and are not subject to credit. Anemex created
a subscription type funeral service for companies
so that its employees (and in many cases
their families) have a funeral service included
as an employee benefit (like a dental plan,
but in our industry). This perk was greatly
appreciated by employees and unions, and soon
the insurance industry decided to start including
our services to those individuals or groups who
acquired life or medical insurances with them
as a loyalty benefit. After them some finance
and banking institutions and some commercial
chains started including this service as a loyalty
program. Today Anemex has 14.5 million
affiliates in Mexico under these different
programs.
The Funeral Industry in
Mexico is characterized
by a very rich and rooted
tradition of honoring the
dead. This can be most
easily seen in the Day of the
Dead festivities that take
place all throughout Mexico
on November 2nd.
Last year we gave around 10,000 full funeral
services and countless orientation and planification
orders.
To do that we have 695 affiliated funeral homes, all
around the country from the very best and most
advanced like Gayosso in the major cities, to family
owned funeral homes in small rural areas of low
population.
We have tried to standardize a good funeral
service for all and we try to help our funeral home
affiliates by giving them access to our coaching
and continuous learning platforms as well as
lawyer and fiscal guidance for those funeral
homes that require it.
We are now trying to bring more funeral homes to
the international stage via FIAT-IFTA, as we believe
that the funeral industry in Mexico as a whole will
benefit from more funeral homes opening up and
learning from our global colleagues.
With the help of our funeral home partners and
the guidance we can get from our colleagues
in FIAT-IFTA around the world we believe that
the future is encouraging for the funeral industry
in Mexico.
ANEMEX
“You are with your loved ones, We are with you”
https://www.anemex.com.mx/
Contact us:
anemex@anemex.com.mx
aburzaco@anemex.com.mx
1 from www.datosmundial.com
2 INEGI (Mexicos statistical government office) www.inegi.org.mx
3 www.datosmacro.expansion.com (leading business newspaper in Spanish)
THANOS MAGAZINE | No. 99 – AUTUMN 2022
11
MAIN TOPIC
EDUCATION
AROUND
THE WORLD
FIAT-IFTA’S FUNERAL EXCHANGE
PROGRAM
By Katarzyna Supa, editor-in-chief of THANOS magazine
No. 99 – AUTUMN 2022 | THANOS MAGAZINE
12
MAIN TOPIC
Funeral profession has
no borders. Exchange of
knowledge and worldwide
learning will maximize the
quality of our profession
and raise the excellence of
the services provided by
funeral professionals.
IAT-IFTA – The World Organization of Funeral
Operatives strives to promote high standards
for continuing mortuary education for students
and funeral professionals around the world. We
believe that funeral entrepreneurs and institutes
for mortuary education share our vision that
our profession has no borders. The exchange
of knowledge and worldwide learning improves
the quality of our profession and help the pursuit
of excellence in the services provided by funeral
professionals. Thus in September 2017 we
officially launched FIAT-IFTA’s Funeral Exchange
Program dedicated to our members – employees
of funeral homes and students of mortuary
education institutes. After years of experience,
interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, we plan to
relaunch it and improve its formula in cooperation
with our partners.
Discover the value of the Funeral
Exchange Program
The first international exchange was put into
action under the guidance of Past President,
Mr Akinori Matsui with the All Japan Funeral
Directors Co-operation. Japan Funeral Directors
have received the first participant in this pilot
program – prior to the full initiation of this fantastic
educational opportunity and set its standards.
KOUEKISHA-KYOTO Company enthusiastically
received Bolivian colleague, Mr Nicolas Andrade,
CEO of Parque de Las Memorias. The training was
focused on all aspects of working of a Japanese
funeral
company:
management,
ceremony
practice, decoration and art of the Japanese
traditional and modern flower altar, cleansing of
the body and ceremonial for body placement in
the casket, embalming practice in Japan, guidance
to cremations as well as Bone and Ash Collection
Ceremony and tree burials. The Funeral Exchange
Program was a great opportunity to take a closer
look at mourning in Japan, Employee Training
for the Funeral Company, Education and Testing
System for the Funeral Director authorized
by the Ministry of Labor and Welfare.
“I had a lot of expectations
as to how this experience
would
work
and
how
relevant
and
applicable
it could be, considering that
our countries have vast
cultural differences. Today,
I am fully convinced this has
been the best and most eye-
opening training one could
have! It has given me not only the opportunity to learn
different aspects of Japanese Funeral Culture but to
find that in the exchange of knowledge there is also
an opportunity for all involved to think, to apply or
modify aspects of our services”, said Nicolas Andrade
in THANOS magazine no. 83.
In 2018, thanks to a partnership with OFSA
– Ontario Funeral Service Association, a three-week
Funeral Exchange Programme training session
was held in Montreal in Canada. It was attended
by Mr Max Michal, a funeral director from
Germany, whose family has run the Michal OHG
Funeral Home in Schweinfurt, Germany, since 1833.
The training was enthusiastically hosted by Magnus
Poirier Funeral Home. It was a great opportunity to
get familiar with the Canadian funeral industry and
the daily work of a funeral director in Montreal. And
it wasn’t just theoretical knowledge.
“Funeral business is not
only about experience and
tradition. You always must
keep an eye on the market
to see new things that can
make your daily work easier
or to follow the desires
of
the
customers.
And
that is why I took part in
the
FIAT-IFTA’s
Funeral
Exchange Program. To collect some new ideas for our
funeral home and to see what funeral business is like
somewhere else in the world. So I went to Montreal
in Canada and visited the Magnus Poirier Funeral
Home. There I spent three weeks getting an overall
look at how the daily work of a funeral director
in Montreal looks like and seeing every part of
the Magnus Poirier funeral home. The funeral home
in Montreal is a lot bigger than the one of my family
which in my opinion was a good thing because from
an economic perspective you always want to grow.
Like this, I could see what kind of options but also
THANOS MAGAZINE | No. 99 – AUTUMN 2022
13
the exchange even more interesting. I am very happy
that I took part in the FIAT-IFTA Exchange Program
because I learned a lot for myself and I made some
contacts which will hopefully last for a lifetime”, said
Max Michal in THANOS magazine no. 87.
In 2019 the Funeral Exchange Programme was
back in Japan. Ms Laura Cavero Cortés, a funeral
employee at Funeraria La Montañesa in Cantabria,
Spain attended three-week training at the Hokusein
Funeral Home in Kuwana, Japan.
“The Board of our company
decided
to
participate
in the Funeral Exchange
Program because we saw an
interesting way to look for
new ideas and to see how
funeral services are delivered
in another country. I applied
to go to Japan where I went
to Kuwana, a small city in
Japan, to work at the Hokusein Funeral Home. I spent
three weeks to know all the procedures of Japanese
funeral services. I saw how Japanese funeral homes in
larger and smaller cities receive the bereaved families
and how they are in dialogue with the family. I also
attended the ceremony and finally the cremation.
I have learned a lot of things from them. Some of this
we can implement in our company and others are
not possible because of the differences in culture and
traditions. In my opinion going abroad opens your
mind and you will be able to see different perspectives.
I recommend this experience to all the funeral
MAIN TOPIC
problems will maybe wait for me in the future and
exchange knowledge with people who have already
been at this point.
I was able to look into every section of the funeral
business in Canada. I experienced the similarities and
the differences between the work of a funeral director
in Montreal and Schweinfurt. I worked in embalming
and transportation. I took part in some arrangement
talks. I did some cemetery work and saw how to run
a cemetery. They even allowed me to spend some
days with the management to see how you arrange
so many funerals at a time and how you organize all
the things around a funeral to make the most out of
the resources you have got. Montreal is a city with
a lot of different ethnicities and religions. This made
© All Japan Funeral Directors Co-operation
© All Japan Funeral Directors Co-operation
The first international exchange was put
into action under the guidance of Past
President, Mr Akinori Matsui with the All
Japan Funeral Directors Co-operation.
This edition was attended by Mr Nicolas
Andrade, CEO of Parque de Las Memorias
from Bolivia.
In 2019 the Funeral Exchange Programme
was back in Japan. Ms Laura Cavero
Cortés, funeral employee at Funeraria La
Montañesa in Cantabria, Spain attended
a three-week training at the Hokusein
Funeral Home in Kuwana, Japan.
FIAT-IFTA believes that the
international experience
during the unique Funeral
Exchange Program will
enhance the impact of
local services as it makes
it possible to meet people
with other funeral cultures
and traditions as well
as enriches professional
experience.
No. 99 – AUTUMN 2022 | THANOS MAGAZINE
14
MAIN TOPIC
© All Japan Funeral Directors Co-operation
© All Japan Funeral Directors Co-operation
© All Japan Funeral Directors Co-operation
Even as computers and printers become more
accurate and common, Japanese culture still
highly values the genuine handwriting.
Altars are a very important part of Japanese
funerals – they can be made of flowers, but
also use acrylic and LED lights.
Exchange of knowledge and worldwide learning helps to look at our daily work from different perspectives.
professionals that have the opportunity because you
can grow professionally”, said Laura Cavero Cortés in
THANOS magazine no. 89.
Further perspectives
FIAT-IFTA believes that the international experience
during the unique Funeral Exchange Program
will enhance the impact of local services as
it makes it possible to meet people with other
funeral cultures and traditions as well as enriches
the professional experience. It also extends
the future professional options for students of
mortuary education institutes. Although there
might appear some challenges, for example
communication, translation and logistics we are
sure that working together in solving problems
and in delivering a high-valued program will bring
benefits to the Funeral Industry as a whole. So
the FIAT-IFTA Board would like to create a special
Education Committee to create knowledge-based
educational programs supporting international
the exchange of know-how and cultural customs
in daily funeral practice.
We invite all Members to participate, comment or
put forth ideas to strengthen this endeavor as our
profession needs to be in constant development.
THANOS MAGAZINE | No. 99 – AUTUMN 2022
15
ll directors are inevitably asked why
they wanted to become a funeral
director. According to the 841 students
participating in this year’s NFDA Funeral
Service
Student
Expectations
Study,
the main reason was they “want to
help people,” cited by two-thirds of
respondents. Placing second was “honor/
care for the deceased’’ (59.2%) and funeral
service was a “calling” or “they’d always
wanted to do this” (53.8%). These three
reasons form a consistent thread through
past surveys as the top reasons students
decided to enter funeral service programs.
Also cited were:
• Learn techniques/industry: 34%
• Want to own a funeral home someday: 33.8%
• Get a license/degree: 30.6%
• Personal experience at a funeral home: 29.3%
• Interested in science: 27%
• Job security: 24.7%
• Get a job/change careers: 19.6%
• Previous experience at funeral home: 14.2%
• School reputation: 13.6%
“TO
HELP
PEOPLE”
CITED AS TOP
REASON STUDENTS
ENROLLED IN
FUNERAL SERVICE
SCHOOL
By Deana Gillespie
and Edward J. Defort, USA
Other key findings
Funeral service seems to be trending away from
the multigenerational business it once was. Of note,
having family in the business was cited by just 9.5%
of respondents.
Further supporting this trend are the most recent
statistics from the American Board of Funeral Service
Education (ABFSE), which found that in 2021, only
9.4% of new enrollees had a parent in the business,
1.1% had a spouse, 0.8% a sibling, 0.7% an inlaw, and
2.5% said “other” relative. ABFSE data identify this as
a consistent trend. In 2018, 13% of all new enrollees
were carrying on or entering the family business;
the figure was nearly 18% in 2017.
The most and least expected job responsibilities
students plan to have at a funeral home have
remained essentially the same over the past
three survey waves. Once hired, they expect to be
embalming (89.2%), arranging funerals (86.8%),
directing funerals (85.4%) and doing removals
(80.4%). At the bottom of the list were fleet
No. 99 – AUTUMN 2022 | THANOS MAGAZINE
16
MAIN TOPIC
maintenance (18.7%), owning a funeral home
(17.4%) and information technology (22.4%).
In general, student expectations of receiving job
benefits have increased somewhat from 2019.
The top benefits students expect to receive once
employed include an annual salary increase
(71.5%; an increase from 67.5%), medical insurance
(71.2%; up from 69.1%), sick time (71%; up from
67.8%), paid vacation (63.4%; up from 62.7%),
dental insurance (63%; up from 57.9%) and license
renewal (61.5%; down from 62.5%).
Similar to prior survey waves, fewer than 10%
of responding students expect to receive living
quarters, loan services and/or paid military
leave.
Sixty percent of student respondents plan to take
the National Board Exam because their schools
require it to graduate; an additional 38.1% plan to
take it even though their schools do not require
it. Furthermore, 84% of students plan to take
the National Board Exam within one to three
months of graduation.
Over the past three survey waves (2022, 2019
and 2016), there has been a noticeable increase
in the number of funeral service students who
expect to have jobs secured upon graduation. This
year, nearly 60% of respondents said they expect
to have a job when they graduate (up from 57.9%
in 2019 and 54.4% in 2016); 25.6% expect to have
a job within one to three months post-graduation,
which is up from 22.6% in 2019.
THANOS MAGAZINE | No. 99 – AUTUMN 2022
17
MAIN TOPIC
MAIN TOPIC
Survey respondents put the median expected
annual salary at $50,000 in 2022. This is up from
$45,000 in 2019 and $40,000 in 2016. The mean/
average expected salary is $59,968.
Similar to past survey waves, students expect to
work 40 hours per week (or more as needed), which
is less than the 45-hour figure that has held steady
since 2010. The mean/average number of hours
students expect to work is 46.
Another study result has remained consistent since
2010 as well – almost all students expect to be on
call as part of their job. Only 5% don’t expect to be
on call, this year’s survey found.
Most students surveyed will be first-generation
funeral directors (90.2%). Of the 9.8% of students
who are second-generation or earlier directors,
46.2% had one family member who was a funeral
director and 25.6% had two family members who
were directors.
Of the students who are second generation or earlier,
61.2% plan to work in the family funeral home.
Sixty-two percent of responding students had
a career prior to enrolling in a funeral service
school/ program, which is up from 51.3% in 2016.
Only 16.4% of student respondents did not have
any college experience prior to enrolling in funeral
service school, 44.6% stated they had completed
some college course work prior to enrolling in
funeral service school but did not earn a degree,
and 15.7% held an associate degree or higher.
Demographics
In 2022, 32.8% of student respondents were 25
years old or younger, and 46.2% were between
No. 99 – AUTUMN 2022 | THANOS MAGAZINE
18
As part of the 2022 NFDA Funeral Service Student
Expectations Study, students were asked several
openended questions. One, focused on school
curriculum, asked, What do you think is needed for
curriculum changes/ additions to better prepare
you for a career in funeral service? Below is
a sampling of the responses received:
• A general social studies class (like speech). A class
to help one understand social cues and how to
deal with altercations in the workplace. Problem-
solving skills.
• A lot of students are making a career change, so
online classes are in desperate need. Most people
have families and children, and since this is
the only public school in the state, the commute
can make it so that we can’t even attend classes
and have to spend five years or more trying to
graduate from the program as the classes cannot
work around our schedule.
• Add a course in résumé and interview
preparation.
• A workshop on audiovisual skills. In the times of
COVID, there has been a shift to virtual viewings
and funeral services. It would be nice to have
a better understanding of AV equipment for these
uses.
• Actual applicable skills that are required to
do the job, such as how to do a removal and
the different techniques in the challenging
circumstances.
• Arrangement conference education. Learn to talk
to people. Grief counseling.
• Classes on balancing life and work, managing our
own mental health and general life skills.
• I do feel there is a lot of gray area when it comes
to serving your apprenticeship about what you
can and cannot do as an apprentice.
• I have always felt there should be at least one
class that teaches the death practices of multiple
cultures and spiritual beliefs, as well a class about
the psychology of grief/grief counseling.
• I think that anatomy and physiology should be
a requirement before taking any embalming
classes.
• I understand the grading system is rigorous, but
not being able to review or know what we got
wrong on tests is not helpful whatsoever. It’s
setting students up for failure. They are unable
to review what they did wrong.
• I wish there was a seminar prior to admission
to the program that discusses the realities of
our industry – meaning the late nights, oncall
schedule, difficult families, groundskeeping, etc.
I think there were a lot of people that entered
the program without prior experience in funeral
service, and that can be a big shock to them once
they are out in the industry, especially if they
work for a smaller firm.
• More scenarios of a funeral home setting in class.
• Update books, dealing with topics we deal with
currently. A lot of the books we have were written
many years ago and don’t pertain to what’s going
on now.
THE STUDENTS’ SAY
MAIN TOPIC
ADVERTISEMENT
ages 26 and 39. Approximately 21.1% were 40 years
old or older.
Just under half of respondents were in their first
year of the funeral service program.
Most respondents were white (63.8%), followed
by African American (19.9%) and Hispanic (11.7%).
Almost 80% of student respondents were female
(78.8%); 21.1% were male.
About the study
The purpose of the NFDA Funeral Service Student
Expectations Study is to survey funeral service
students in order to determine their expectations
upon graduation. Among the expectations
measured are salary, hours, job responsibilities
and benefits. In the future, these results will be
compared to the expectations of funeral home
owners who participated in a separate study
conducted in spring 2022.
This study is a follow-up to previous Funeral Service
Student Expectations surveys. In 2010, the survey
was redesigned to be more comprehensive but
still maintain the longitudinal integrity of previous
surveys that had been conducted beginning in
1990. Where applicable, the results presented
track student expectations over the past three
decades.
The American Board of Funeral Service Education
(ABFSE) provided NFDA with a complete list of U.S.
funeral service schools. All schools were invited
to participate. School administrators were sent
a survey link to be posted on the school’s website
or be emailed directly to students by a school
administrator. A reminder email was sent to
these administrators encouraging them to send
out reminders to students to help encourage
participation.
In addition, survey invitations were emailed directly
to students who are also NFDA members.
The surveys were administered from March
21- April 18. A total of 841 students completed
the survey, representing 48 different schools.
The article was originally published in “Memorial
Business Journal – the weekly resource for progressive
funeral directors, cemeterians and cremationists”.
June 23, 2022, Vol. 13 No.25 www.nfda.org
MAIN TOPIC
n an ever-changing world, the international
funeral industry is no stranger to the changes that
are gradually cementing around the bereavement
process.
The range of funeral products and services
currently available on the market has expanded
enormously, resulting in a shift from a standardized
manufacturing process to a more personalized,
custom-made production system. Companies
in the industry are now working within an
international setting, having thus to face previously
unknown competition, as well as being required to
adapt and evolve to keep abreast with a fast-paced
environment.
As a result of these initiatives, new funeral industry-
oriented concepts have emerged. And in this
context, training and continuous education is
paramount, not only to adapt to change, but also
to renew the knowledge and skills of the existing
human capital in order to target these emerging
needs. Regular knowledge updating is necessary
for different reasons: because of competitiveness,
as a means of contributing to professional
development and to upgrade and build skills,
ultimately leading to an increase in motivation.
The integration of new skills and training areas
that are of a particular interest to all professionals
operating in the international funeral sector is
one of Sortem’s most defining characteristics.
Sortem proposes these training actions with
a very strong user-oriented hands-on approach.
A clear example of this are our top-of-the-range
Thanatopraxy training courses, exclusively aimed
at funeral professionals from all over the world.
At Sortem, we have fully equipped premises in busy
business hubs. Barcelona, Lisbon and Budapest
are just some of the locations where first-rate
embalming and restoration training is delivered to
professionals from Italy, Denmark, Portugal, France,
Spain, Chile and Colombia, among other countries.
Does your business require training in embalming
and thanatopraxy techniques?
There is a wide range of training possibilities.
Furthermore, the training format can be catered
to suit the needs of each individual group or
professional, with special conditions for companies
linked to FIAT-IFTA. The main objective is that each
participant implements what they have learnt in
their own setting, adjusting their responsibilities
accordingly.
IT IS
TIME FOR
CHANGE.
IT IS TIME
TO LEARN
SORTEM´S INTERNATIONAL
TRAINING FOR
THE FUNERAL PROFESSION
By Carlos Callizo Castro, SORTEM, Spain
No. 99 – AUTUMN 2022 | THANOS MAGAZINE
20