what’s the good word? - ifdf.memberclicks.net...serenity meadows memorial park, riverview (813)...

What’s the Good Word?By Melanie Loyd

You would surely agree, “demon-strating” the best is required, to be competitive. When serving families we have to differenti-ate ourselves from

the competition in many areas. Lan-guage is one of them. Just make a ran-dom call to a nearby Funeral Home, ask what it costs to be cremated, and you will clearly see what a distinct difference you can make by using “compassion-ate” language.

So, what’s the good word? Actually the better question is, “What are the best words to describe the services we provide that speak care and compassion to our families

So often, when we talk to families we tell them they will receive “clo-sure” as a benefit of having ceremony. “Closure….closure.” Have you consid-

ered what that word could potentially communicate to a grieving family? The mother who lost her 16 year-old is cer-tainly not looking to “close” or be, “done with,” anything and there is certainly not anything that is going to be “closed” within the scope of 3-5 days of involve-ment with us or a funeral ceremony. Hearts are gaping wide, memories flood-ing, wishes it were a dream; but there is little that “closes” in these days.

The term, “closure” is often pre-scribed too quickly. Instead, it is more comforting to talk about how a service or ceremony can be the time when the family pauses in memory and honor of the one who has died. The ceremony is the first gathering without the presence of the loved-one where they experience a difference in the dynamics of the group. It is the beginning step in the changed life without that one. It is an intentional time to pause and acknowledge the life lived, garnering soul support of others who care. Rather than using the term “clo-sure,” it is more comforting and effective

to explain the benefits of the ceremony experience.

Intentionally breaking out of ha-bitual verbiage can be difficult. However compared to how the words may affect the one who has experienced death . . .

There is risk in misinterpretation in a word. Like the 8 year-old Preacher’s son whose kitty died. He was perform-ing the burial ritual as he had heard his dad do so many times. As the little guy sprinkled the dirt over the grave, he said, “Unto the father, unto the son, and unto the hole he goes!”

Let’s consider a few other “indus-try” terms and better, more compassion-ate expressions. First, is it better to say something followed by, “Well you know what I mean?” or is it better to explain the intended meaning, first-hand, leav-ing little to interpretation? Like tooth-paste, once we squeeze out a word, it’s nearly impossible to get it back . . . into the tube!

The Independent Reportermay 2012Association of Independent Funeral Directors of F loridaAn official monthly publication of the

Word, continued on page 5

2 Independent RepoRteR x may 2012

2011-2012 Board of Directors

President • Steve Futch Jones-Gallagher Funeral Home, Starke (904) 964-6200

President-Elect • Barrett Nelson Marion Nelson Funeral Home, Lake Wales (863) 676-2541

Vice President • Doug HasleyBeyers Funeral Home, Umatilla (352) 669-2146

Secretary •Howard Beckham Craig Funeral Home, St. Augustine (904) 824-1672

Treasurer • Charles DavisCharles E. Davis Funeral Home, Inverness(352) 726-8323

Immediate Past President • Don McLean Whidden-McLean Funeral Home, Bartow (863) 533-8123

Region 1 Director • Stephen Lewis Lewis Funeral Home, Milton (850) 623-2243

Region 2 Director • Stacy Adams Serenity Meadows Memorial Park, Riverview (813) 677-9494

Region 3 Director • Rick Williams Williams-Thomas Funeral Home, Gainesville (352) 376-7556

Region 4 Director • Lance Pauli Harden-Pauli Funeral Home, Eustis (352) 357-4126

Region 5 Director • Patrick Boyd Boyd-Panciera Family Funeral Care, Hollywood (954) 983-6400

Region 6 Director • Bill Shikany Shikany’s Bonita Funeral Home, Bonita Springs (239) 992-4982

Region 7 Director • Tony Zipperer Zipperer’s Funeral Home, Ruskin (813)645-6130

Region 8 Director • Bill Schichtel Heath Funeral Chapel, Lakeland (863) 682-0111

Individual Director • Brad Zahn Tillman Funeral Home, West Palm Beach (561) 965-4412

The IndependenT RepoRTeR

is an official publication of the Inde-pendent Funeral Directors of Florida. Published each month by the execu-tive office of IFDF, this newsletter seeks to provide valuable informa-tion to IFDF members and others in the funeral industry. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions regarding The IndependenT RepoRTeR, please do not hesitate to contact our office at: 1.800.386.8778

Editor: Michele A. Hood [email protected]

Layout and Design: Jill Runyan runyanjl@gmail. com

STAFFExecutive DirectorMark O’Connell [email protected]

Associate Executive Director/Legislative ConsultantM. Juhan Mixon, Ed. D. [email protected]

Pat C. Mixon [email protected]

Vice President of Trust ServicesMichele A. Hood [email protected]

IndependenT FuneRal dIRecToRs oF FloRIda

PO Box 10969119 E. Park AvenueTallah assee, FL 32302-2969Phone: 850.222.0198Fax: 850.425.5268I-TRUST: 800.386.8778 www.ifdf.org

2011-2012 Committee ChairsConference PlanningRick Williams

I-TrustCharles Davis

LGA/PACHoward Beckham Robin Williams

Past PresidentsDon McLean

IFDF Scholarship FoundationPresident, Doug Hasley

Florida Independent Purchasing AllianceChairman, Brad Zahn

Call these numbers for significant savings to IFDF members and for support of our Association.

Adfinity (877) 251-1222

Aurora Casket Company(800) 457-1111

B&L Cremations Systems Inc. (800) 622-5411

Bowers Publications, Inc.Bowers Publishing Co., Inc. d/b/a/ Christian Clippings www.ChristianClippings.com

C&J Financial, LLC (800) 785-0003

Cardinal Casket Company(800) 425-0583

Clamp Memorials(706) 213-9339

Deaton-Kennedy(800) 435-4068

Eagles Wings Air (866) 550-1392

Eterna Urn Company Inc.(800) 647-8767Institute for Stress Management & Performance Improvement (ISMPI)(850) 668-0696

Matthews Casket (Milso York)(866) 435-1930 or (866) 616-4576

Pierce Royal Bond(727) 526-8027

Southeastern Funeral Directors Service(217) 525-1712

Superior Bronze and Granite Company of America(770) 887-7872

The Whitmore Group(888) 747-3343

Zeigler & Ames(360) 305-5500

Independent RepoRteR x may 2012 3

Make a HealtHy Start

otHer lineS

lifediSability

workerS’ coMpoffice package

ContaCt us for a no-obligation health insurance checkup for your family or office. 866.822.1753 • www.ifdf.org • [email protected]

Insurance services are provided by FDA Services Inc., a Florida insurance agency that focuses on providing insurance solutions for small business needs.

We are a full-service health insurance broker – with cost-saving options from all the major carriers in Florida. IndIvIdual HEaltH Plans: aetna • american Medical security • Celtic life Insurance Co. Humanaone • Fortis • Golden Rule Insurance Co. GRouP MaJoR MEdICal Plans: aetna • avMed • Blue Cross/Blue shield • Capital Health Plan Florida Health Care Plans • Health First • Humana • neighborhood Health • Pacific life united Healthcare • vista Healthplan

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We are pleased to inform you that the Board of Directors approved an increase in the crediting rate for Investment

Option #6 from 3.75% to 4.0% beginning April 1, 2012. Regions Bank has advised they will no longer be accepting

any prior versions of the “Certificate of Fulfillment” Form for Death Claims. If you have a supply which indicates a trustee other than Regions Bank, please contact IFDF for the updated forms.

Your I-Trust Team will be presenting a one hour continuing education course at the IFDF 20th Annual Conference & Trade Show, Trust Panel Discussion – You Can Trust Us, scheduled for 11 am on Friday, June 8. Panelists include our resident experts on Preneed Trusting:

Second, do we learn our “lines” by occasionally practicing or only when “on?” Behind the scenes, off-site, and as a part of our daily exchange, is “rehearsal.” Remember we practice for perfor-mance. If we are using clinical, industry terms among staff, when not speaking to families, the risk of using the same language is much greater when meeting with them.

We provide many tasks and services for families that have a common industry term. To begin with, there is the “first-call.” Someone unfamiliar with our “lingo,” (a family) may not under-stand that it means, “We received a call notifying us your loved-one had died.” Does that sound better; more compassionate?

Our next service response is the “pick-up,” er, I mean the “removal,” what I meant to say is the “transfer.” Hmmm. Is one of those terms any more compassionate than the other? I’m from Wyoming. A pick-up is what we drive that has a bed in the back, er, I mean a truck bed . . . “Well, you know what I mean!” Or, of course, we pick up a cat by the back of its neck or we pick up dry cleaning! Removal is what I do to take off fingernail polish or a spot on a suit. Transfer . . . generally from checking to savings or college to university. Wow, what do I say? “We brought your loved-one into our care.” Yes, just like a member of our own family!

So, “Into our care, we brought the remains, uhm, the body. No that isn’t it.” Let’s keep it simple. Whenever referring to the

I-trust news

Audrey Bybee, Regions BankCharles Davis, Chas. E. Davis Funeral HomeTina Herrick, Administrative Systems, Inc.Michele Hood, IFDFEric McKenna, Gables Capital ManagementPaul VonSchoeler, Administrative Systems, Inc.

If you have not registered for the event, we invite you to visit us at www.ifdf.org for more information. We look forward to seeing you at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, June 6-9! n

deceased, use their name or the relationship with whomever you are speaking. When we care for our families, keep in mind, that everything we do is relationship based. In that, respecting the relationship of them and their loved-one is reflected in our acknowledging the person, rather than what is left . . . remains, body. So, “Into our care, we brought your mom.” The way we treat the memory of a person can build a valuable, subtle trust we require from each family.

When speaking of interment, do we, “dig the hole,” or, “do the opening and closing?” Don’t we actually, “Prepare the site for your Uncle Ron’s final resting place?” To really build value and provide complete details of what is involved; we review the records to identify the exact location, mark the boundaries, verify the property with the family and finally with the cemetery super-intendent. In time for the committal, the sod and earth are moved away from the site to allow for the placement of the burial vault. Then, there is the tent, chairs, water . . .

Stretch beyond what comes so easily when communicating to families. Rise above the competition as a professional that leaves the others in the vernacular vortex.

As you are creating your statements and providing explana-tion, listen to how your words will be heard. What kind of “feel-ing” and “images” are you creating? If an 8 or 9 year-old would be comfortable and understand your word choices, you too can feel confident it is being heard . . . free from, “Well, you know what I mean.” n

Word, continued from page 1


IFdF president’s message

Steve Futch, President

Hello Everyone

This is your President writing you from our

IFDF office in Tallahas-see. Our Board meeting in Lakeland last month went well. Thanks to Bill Schichtel for the use of the Tribute Center at the Health Funeral Chapel for

our Board meeting. It’s a great place to meet. Our sympathies go to Bill and his Wife, Caroline for the loss of her Dad, Mr. Foster Heath. I also want to ex-press my sympathies to the family of Steven Risch, Aurora Casket Company, for their recent loss. I’ve known both these great men for most of my life.

As you know it’s happened. I was warned of this, but didn’t think it would occur this soon. It snuck by and surprised me. My tenure as President is quickly coming to an end. What a challenging and fun year. I did a lot of traveling, which Cindy and I both enjoyed. Sorry that I didn’t get to all of your Business locations to visit, but now I’ll have something to do this next year as Past President. I did make it to Tallahassee 14 times and I now know Tallahassee much too well. I also know around ten ways to travel in and out of Tallahassee.

Our IFDF Association is alive and doing well. Thanks to our new Executive Director, Mark O’Connell and our seasoned worker, Michele Hood. I promise you, they are taking care of us.

Your Board and the Staff are working to stay in tune with your needs and the needs of our Indus-try. We are working on your behalf and to do what is best for the good of the Association. In case we

missed something, please let us know what your wants or needs are.

This June at the Annual Conference we will be recognizing firms with our annual Generations Awards. In the past if you have not been recog-nized as a multi-generation firm, or if you have re-cently added another generation of working family members to your staff, please let our office know, so that you can be recognized for this honor. We will also be recognizing firms that have been long term members of IFDF. We are going to be sending out notices very soon to let you know you are being recognized. If you think you should be and do not get a letter, call the IFDF office. We need to confirm the total number of years (in case there are some gaps) that you have been a dues paying member. This will help a bunch, because we want to pin you at the Conference.

This year’s conference at the beautiful Orlando Omni Champions Gate Resort, near Kissimmee, will be a great place to take your families to hang out, meet, and greet. For your viewing and listen-ing pleasure, we have a packed full exhibit hall, and many great speakers & classes. Class room atten-dance can be used to get credit hours for renewal of our licenses next year. Thank you for your kind consideration to the matters above. Cindy and I look forward to seeing you in June at our 20th An-nual Conference. n

Take Care and Be Safe,Your President,

Steve


Thank You to Our Conference Supporters

IFDF would like to thank the follow-ing companies for their support as 2012 Conference Exhibitors:

• 4A AUTOPSY SERVICES,PA• ABM Funding, Inc• Accident Cleaners• Air Flite Containers• American Crematory

Equipment Company• AmericanaTile,LLC• Astral Industries, Inc.• Aurora Casket Company• B&L Cremation Equipment• Batesville Casket Company• C&J FINANCIAL, LLC• Cardinal Casket Company• Catholic Holy Family Society• Columbian Financial Group• Crain MM Sales• Deaton-Kennedy• Dove Urns, Inc.• Eagle’s Wings Air• EckCo Products• Eco-Green International• Federated Funeral Directors of America• Final Embrace, LLC• Florida GraphTech• Florida Postmortem, LLC• Funeral Service Credit Union• G & D International, Inc.• Great Western Insurance• Hicks Industries, Inc.• Homesteaders Life Company• Hought Wahl WoodTurner• ICCFA• Jetblue Airways• LifeNet Health of Florida• Lion’s Eye Institute• Matthews Funeral Home

Products• Memoriams.com

• Memory Glass, LLC• Messenger• Passages International, Inc.• Pierce Companies• Quality Vaults• Southeast Tissue Alliance• SPS Funding• Star Seed Gems Studios• Starmark Funeral Products• Sun Casket Company• The Complete Financial Group• The Dodge Company• The Whitmore Group• TransLife• U.S Cremation Equipment

* (registered as May 4, 2012)

The following companies have gra-ciously sponsored events or items for the IFDF 20th Annual Conference.

Platinum Sponsors• Metropolitan Funeral Service, Inc.

Gold Sponsors• Batesville Casket Company

Silver Sponsors• Astral Industries, Inc

Bronze Sponsors• Aurora Casket Company• Sun Casket Company• C&J Financial, LLC

Friend of IFDF Sponsor• Pierce Companies

Badge Lanyards Sponsor• Cardinal Casket Company• Sun Casket Company

Hotel Key Card Sponsor• The Whitmore Group

Hospitality Suite• Matthews Funeral Home Products

Roaring 20’s Theme Party• Administrative Systems, Inc.• Gables Capital Management• Regions Bank

Golf SponsorsGold Sponsor

• Aurora Casket Company

Prize Sponsor• Accident Cleaners

Closest to the Pin Sponsor• Starmark Funeral Products

Longest Drive Sponsor• Southeast Tissue Alliance

Longest Putt Sponsor• Deaton-Kennedy

Hole Sponsors• Gables Capital Management• Passages International, Inc.

(as of May 4, 2012)


2012 IFdF Conference Schedule

Wednesday, June 68:00 am – 1:00 pm Golf tournament

1:00 – 6:00 pm Registration

1:00 – 5:00 pm exhibitor Set-up

3:30 – 4:30 pm Blazing a Trail to Understanding Personality Styles Cynthia Krosky 1HourCE•Course#77885

4:30 – 5:30 pm Digging into Personality Traits: Different Styles are Buried in the Past While Others are Blazing into the Future Cynthia Krosky 1HourCE•Course#77886

5:30 – 6:30 pm opening Reception in exhibit Hall

7:00 pm dinner on your own

8:00 pm Hospitality Suite open Sponsored by Matthews Casket Division

Thursday, June 78:00 am – 5:00 pm Registration

9:00 am – 11:00 am opening Breakfast

10:15 am – 11:00 am You and Your Staff Unstuck Keynote Speaker, Libby Gill 1HourCE•Course#80089

11:00 am – 12:00 pm Cremation – What Will it Urn You? dan Isard 1HourCE•Course#78299

12:00 – 1:30 pm Hot Station Lunch In exhibit Hall

12:00 – 4:00 pm exhibits open - 1 Hour Ce for attendance at either exhibit session. Course #80088

4:00 – 5:00 pm Benefits of Preneed Trusting Dan Isard

1HourCE•Course#78296

3:00 – 5:00 pm Spouses’ event

7:00 – 10:00 pm Roaring 20’s Theme Party


IFdF Conference Schedule continued

Friday, June 88:00 am – 5:00 pm Registration

9:00 – 10:00 am Continental Breakfast In exhibit Hall

9:00 – 11:00 am exhibits open - 1 Hour Ce for attendance at either exhibit session. Course#80088

11:00 am – 12:00 pm Trust Panel Discussion - You Can Trust Us 1HourCE•Course #79887

12:00 – 2:00 pm exhibit Breakdown

12:00 – 2:30 pm awards Luncheon/Prayer Memorial

2:30 –3:30 pm Update on Florida Practice & Procedures for Funeral Homes John Rudolph 1HourCE•Course#78298

3:30 – 4:30 pm Closure or Exposure? Focus on the Real Purpose of At-Need or Advanced Planning Melanie Loyd 1HourCE•Course#78297

4:30 – 5:30 pm HIV/AIDS & Communicable Diseases Roy Weimert 1HourCE•Course#79886

5:30 – 7:00 pm Charity auction

7:00 pm dinner on your own

8:00 pm Hospitality Suite open Sponsored by Matthews Casket Division

Saturday, June 99:00 – 12:00 noon IFdF Board meeting

Libby Gill, Keynote SpeakerYou and Your Staff Unstuck(1CE),Course#80089

An entertainment industry veteran, Libby Gill spent fifteen years heading public relations and corporate communications as senior vice president at Universal Studios; and vice president at Sony Pictures Enter-tainment and Turner Broadcasting. She was also the PR/branding brain behind the launch of the Dr. Phil Show.

Libby is an internationally respected executive coach, brand strategist and bestselling author. With a focus on getting individuals and organizations unstuck by pre-serving the best practices of the past and moving courageously into the future, Libby will help you take the first step towards creating a culture of risk-taking, innovation and bold leadership. Her proven “Clarify, Simplify & Execute” process will inspire you to maximize your “Leadership DNA,” build high-passion/high-performance teams; and increase employee engagement. n

Cynthia KroskyBlazing a Trail to Understanding Personality Styles (1CE),Course#77885

Digging Into Personality Traits: Different Styles are Buried in the Past While Others are Blazing Into the Future (1CE),Course#77886

Funeral Directors are expected to be “car-ing experts”. Get a sense of how your com-munication style fits your personality and meets expectations. Cynthia Krosky, is an expert on how people work together, she uses her diversity of knowledge, experi-ences, and understanding of group dynam-ics to help leaders be more effective and improve the way people work together.

Her programs are interactive and loaded with high content and you will learn practical, easy to apply information.

Cynthia’s energy is endless. She will keep you entertained as you learn, but her energy and time does not end there. Cynthia understands the importance of building relationships, so her pro-gram is not a one-day experience; it is a life-changing event. Her numerous areas of expertise, make her a great speaker to work with and one you will forever remember. n

Conference SpeakersDaniel IsardCremation- What Will It “Urn” You? (1CE),Course#78299

Preneed Trusting Benefits (1CE),Course#78296

Daniel M. Isard is nationally recognized as an authority on valuation, succession plan-ning, business management, mergers and acquisitions, and preneed. Dan Isard is con-stantly striving to provide you with educa-tional opportunities that reflect a thorough understanding of the latest consumer trends and industry changes and how they will impact you as a business person.

Dan’s passion for this industry is the driving force that converts the critical (and sometimes mundane) industry funda-mentals into an entertaining and informative source of informa-tion that you can put to work immediately. From profitability to preneed, cremation to valuation, Dan is committed to making your business more efficient. And through that effort, he con-tinues to experience a growing clientele base and requests for encore performances through the years. n

Melanie LoydClosure or Exposure? Focus on the Real Purpose of At-Need or Advanced Planning(1CE),Course#78297

For over 10 years, Melanie Loyd I has been involved with caring for families who have experienced a death. She has coached and equipped funeral directors and support staff. And before that, as a Chaplain, she encouraged families to reflect and reach for meaningful ceremony experiences.

Her convictions and passion help strengthen her message of equipping professionals in caring for families when death occurs, to assist at-need and advance plan-ning staff, discover effective and meaningful ways of leading families to an intentional pause to reflect. Changes in the funeral industry are occurring. Perceptions of those who choose crema-tion need understanding. Communication is critical and know-ing how to respond is essential. Melanie will share techniques, principles and inspiration to address these topics and more. n


Dear IFDF Members,

The first thing I want to do is pay special tribute to one of our founding members and a long-time IFDF supporter who recently passed. Foster Heath of Lakeland passed away on April

14th. The IFDF Board of Directors had scheduled its Board Meeting for April 19th at the Heath Me-morial Chapel. We fully expected to move the location of the meeting out of respect for the family, but they insisted we keep our plans. Foster’s son-in-law, Bill Schichtel, told us Foster was honored that IFDF was coming to his facility and he would have wanted us to be there. We all mourn the loss of a very special man. Our thoughts are with the Heath family and we offer our expressed gratitude for their kindness and generosity.

It seems like our schedule should have slowed just a little after the end of our legislative ses-sion but that isn’t the case. In just a few weeks we’ll be at The Omni ChampionsGate in Orlando for our 20th Annual Conference. We’re busy here finishing the plans for the conference and putting together all of the information and materials we’re going to need. It’s a major undertaking for us every year but truly a labor of love. It’s the one time of year we get to visit all of you face to face. An association needs to provide value for its members but, equally as important, it needs to build and embrace relationships.

The conference will kick off on Wednesday, June 6th with our annual golf tournament. I know the golfers in our group will enjoy the world class facilities at ChampionsGate. Even if you’re not an avid golfer, you can participate and enjoy the experience. The scramble format for the tourna-ment gives everyone on the team a chance to contribute.

We’re really excited about the programing for this year’s conference. We have a full cast of en-tertaining and informative speakers and our sold-out Trade Show will showcase the latest industry products and services. Thursday we’ll host our annual Theme Party – this year it’s the Roaring 20’s. You dress the part and we’ll do our best to make you feel like you’ve traveled back in time and discovered a 1920’s style night club without the restrictions of prohibition. We figured you’ll have way too much fun at the party so our first CE session on Friday isn’t until 11:00.

Don’t wait until the last minute—the special room rate of $149 will only be honored at the Omni as space allows after May 9th. We will see you there. n

Sincerely,

MarkMark O’Connell, Executive Director

IFdF executive director Mark O’Connell


I-Trust News

In memoriam

Edna Varnes Shadd, 89, of Raiford passed away peacefully at the Macclenny Nursing and Rehabilitation Center after a

long illness. She was the mother of IFDF Member Mary Archer (Doyle), co-owner of Archer Funeral Home, Lake Butler.

She was a life-long resident of Raiford, Florida. She was the daughter of the late Lacy Varnes and Mama Harris Varnes. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 57 years, Elvin Shadd, Brother; Dick Varnes and Sisters; Altie Mae Raulerson and Ruby Griffis. Mrs. Shadd worked with Big Dads Sewing Fac-tory as a seamstress until she retired. She loved quilting with the Evergreen Baptist Church Quilting Group. And she was member of the New River New Congregational Methodist Church. She loved cooking, and spending time with her children and grand-children.

She is survived by 2 Sons; James Edward Shadd and Elzey Allison Shadd (JoAnn) both of Raiford, 3 Daughters; Mary Nell Archer (Doyle) and Audrey Wilson (Jerry) both of Lake Butler and Linda Butchmann (Bill) of Perry, 13 Grandchildren and 19 Great grandchildren. n

Steven Vern Risch, 59 of St. Petersburg passed Thursday, April 12, 2012 at his home surrounded by his loving fam-

ily. Born in Connersville, Indiana to Albertus “Bert “and Janice Springer Risch, he moved to St. Petersburg in 1956. After high school, Steve attended St. Pete Junior College and married his wife of 38 years, Kathy Armendinger. They have two sons, Jason Paul and Mark Jacob (Meaghan) Risch and a sister Sharon Tray-lor. Steve was a second generation sales rep for Aurora Casket Company for over 30 years and owner of J.R. Distributers, Inc. A mariner, who loved boating and fishing, Steve was a member of St. Jude’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

Steve will be greatly missed by all and remembered for his kind generosity. In lieu of Flowers, donations in his memorial may be made to the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, 3962 South Delaware St. Englewood, CO 80110. n

Foster Eugene Heath, Sr., died peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of April 14. Born on May 14, 1919, in Pulaski,

Georgia, to Lena Waller and George Moore Heath, he was the eighth of nine children. His family moved to Ft. Meade, Florida in 1920. The family struggled through the Great Depression and the young Foster worked a paper route and was employed by the local pharmacy, among other jobs.

In 1938, he met his future wife, Doris Purcell, the minis-ter’s daughter, on the steps of Ft. Meade Methodist Church. The chance meeting blossomed into a courtship. However, in August 1941, Foster was called into military service, so the romance continued long distance. He served first in the Coast Artillery Corps in Antigua, British West Indies, then in the U.S. Air Force in Europe. In 1944, he was a tail gunner on a B-17 (305th bomber group), flying out of Northamptonshire, England. On the fourteenth mission, after his plane had dropped its bombs and turned towards England, enemy flak caused the airplane to catch fire. The crew bailed out over the Baltic Sea, and the twenty-five- year-old Foster was one of two who survived the icy waters. Plucked from the sea by a German boat, Foster spent the next eleven months as a prisoner of war, until liberation in April 1945. In 2000, he received the Purple Heart Medal, complementing other honors for his military service.

One year after the war, he and Doris Purcell married. Also at this time, he earned a degree in mortuary science from the University of Minnesota (1946), and subsequently, a B.A. in business administration from Florida Southern College (1949). After working for several years in funeral homes in St. Peters-burg, the couple moved back to Lakeland where Foster worked for Sherwin-Williams as a bookkeeper. In November of 1959, he opened Heath Funeral Chapel.

In the first decade, the business struggled, but with dedica-tion and hard work it would survive. The funeral home of today remains in its original location, managed by Foster’s son-in-law, Bill Schichtel. Up to the day before he died, Mr. Heath remained a presence at the funeral home. He would sometimes assist in the day-to-day work or offer the counsel of experience. The purpose of a business such as this, he often said, is “to serve people—the rest is secondary.”

Dedicated to his family, profession, and community, Foster served as chapter chairman of the American Red Cross for two years, and he was a stalwart and active member of the Polk County Funeral Directors Association, as well as the Florida Funeral Directors Association, Independent Funeral Directors of Florida, and the National Funeral Directors Association. He was also an active member of College Heights United Methodist Church, as well as such organizations as The Lakeland Rotary Club, American Legion Post No. 4, Disabled American Veterans Chapter No. 28, and the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce.

Memoriam, continued on page 16


Memoriam, continued from page 15

Foster will be remembered as a loving, caring, and generous husband, father and grandfather. He was blessed with a sense of humor and loved to tell funny stories. A man of strong convic-tion who valued education and loved his country and commu-nity, he retained his wit and good sense until he end.

Foster Heath died but one month from his 93rd birthday, having recently lost his beloved wife, Doris, in early January of this year. His seven brothers (George, Edward, Samuel, Herman, Frank, Curtis, and Charles) pre-deceased him, with Charles pass-ing away just this past month. He is survived by his daughter, Caroline Heath Schichtel (Bill), Lakeland, and grandchildren (Matthew, Katherine, Leslie, and Olivia Schichtel) and his son, Foster Eugene, Jr. (Reva Wolf), New Paltz, New York, and by his sole sister, Frances Jones, Asheville, North Carolina, as well as nieces and nephews residing in numerous states, including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Mas-sachusetts and California.

The family wishes to express its gratitude to the women who, in these last years, were wonderful caregivers and friends: Ida Armogum, Rita Butler, Kathy Dees, Gloria Etienne, Virginia Frame, Rosa Morgan and Dena White.

Memorial gifts may be made to Florida Southern College (111 Lake Hollingsworth Dr., 33801) in memory of Foster E. Heath, or to VISTE of Lakeland (1232 E. Magnolia, 33801), or to the College Heights United Methodist Church.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.heathfuner-alchapel.com. n

IFDF Members, Are You

Receiving our Emails?

To ensure that you don’t miss out on important information that may be transmitted via Email,

Please send an Email to [email protected]

with your request to add that information to your membership file.

Generations Celebration

If you, or someone you know are members of IFDF, have served as a licensed funeral profession-al for two or more generations (Father/Mother & Son/Daughter), and have not previously re-

ceived this award, please contact the Association office as soon as possible at 800-386-8778. Please provide the number of generations, names, and relation of family members, and the name of the funeral home represented. As part of the 20th Annual Conference of the Independent Funeral Directors of Florida, we wish to recognize and honor your service to the families of Florida. n


SeeKInG appRentICeSHIp Preparing for a mid-life career change. February graduate of Gupton Jones seeking apprenticeship. Please contact [email protected] or call 678-447-2436.

FUneRaL dIReCtoR WantedBi-lingual or English speaking licensed funeral director wanted for Central Florida Area Funeral Home. We have five funeral homes and are privately owned. Looking for a highly moti-vated team player to join our team. competitively salary with excellent benefit package and a set schedule. Send resume to [email protected] or call 321-624-9508.

mICHaeL e. Hyde, BaGpIpeR FoR aLL oCCaSIonS Professional, licensed, full-time bagpiper. Available seven days a week, any time of day or evening. Full formal attire. All the tunes of glory played on either the Great Highland Pipe or the Shuttle Pipe (suitable for chapel setting). Attention Veterans: Michael is available to pipe at the National Cemetery in Bushnell and the South Florida National Cemetery in Lake Worth. Affiliate member of IFDF. Please visit my website at www.Michael-HydeBagpiper.com to see Michael and hear sample tunes. Email: [email protected] or call (772) 696-3568.

ImmedIate Fd openInG In CentRaL FLLarge, family-owned funeral home seeks licensed Funeral Direc-tor/Embalmer. Great work environment and schedule. Must be able to work independently, multi-task and demonstrate exceptional integrity and customer service. Call Pamela Gage at 386-736-0021, or e-mail her at [email protected].

SeeKInG CemeteRy SaLeS peRSonCemetery operation is seeking an energetic and ambitious sales person. The candidate will have sales and death care industry knowledge. Some of the responsibilities for this position include, but are not limited to: assisting families with at-need and pre-need cemetery arrangements, networking, making sales presen-tations and becoming active in the community. Great communi-cation skills are required. Compensation is commensurate with experience. Please e-mail all questions and resume to [email protected].

SaLeS HeLp Wanted

Constellation Casket Company is seeking a sales representative to cover the east coast of Florida. Benefits to include a protected territory, drawing account, multi-line products, and favorable commissions. Contact Mr. Michael Fuller or Mr. Augie Bottiger via e-mail [email protected].

StaFF FUneRaL dIReCtoR/emBaLmeR

Independent Pensacola funeral home with cemetery has an im-mediate opening for a highly motivated Staff Funeral Director and Embalmer. Applicant should be outgoing, familiar with current industry funeral trends and creative when working with family to plan a variety of services. Applicant must be able to follow management directions when needed, but capable of operating independently when required and be a team player; mutli-tasking a must and should demonstrate exceptional integ-rity and customer service. Applicant must have a solid com-puter background. Work schedule will include some evenings, weekends, on call, daytime removals. Funeral directors may work more than a 40 hour week. Knowledge of military funer-als/honors is helpful. Embalming a must; cosmetics and hair styling is required. Health benefits package available.E-mail resume to: [email protected] 850 944-0355.

LICenSed FUneRaL dIReCtoR/emBaLmeR:

Independently owned funeral and cemetery operation is seeking a Florida Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer. The candi-date’s expected responsibilities will include, but not be limited to: arranging and conducting all aspects of a funeral, embalming, maintaining involvement in the community and have excellent communication skills. Compensation and benefits are commen-surate with experience. Candidates are subject to a background check. Please e-mail any questions and resumes to [email protected]. n

Classifieds


FREE ADS the Independent Reporter

Classified ads are Free!

there is no cost to place ads for funeral home or

supplier job openings, or for those who are seeking

employment.

to place an ad, send your ad copy to [email protected] call 1-850-222-0198

The Funeral Service Credit Union (FSCU)

Welcomes IFDF Members, their Families and their Employees

FSCU is a credit union for funeral professional swith the added benefit

of knowing your needsand finding solutions to meet those needs.

• Low interest loans with optional payroll deduction and electronic payment

• Long and short term savings, CDs, Bonds• Business and personal checking, VISA• Pay your bills with On-line Bill Pay

Call Today(866)701-3728

Independent Funeral Directors of FloridaPO Box 10969119 E. Park AvenueTallahassee, FL 32302-2969

The IndependenT RepoRTeR

WWW.IFDF.ORG

the Independent Funeral directors of Florida is established to set high ideals among independently owned and operated fu-

neral homes in Florida. In a spirit of sharing and working together members are encouraged to conduct themselves with honor and dignity as they serve families in their communities.

IFdF mission

Calendar of eventsIn this Issue

Presort Standard

U.S. PostageP A I D

Tallahassee, FLPermit No. 801

What’s the Good Word?........................... 1

I-trust news ............................................... 5

IFdF president’s message ...................... 6

thank you to our Conference Supporters ..................................................7

2012 IFdF Conference Schedule ........... 8

Conference Speakers ..............................11

IFdF executive director’s message ......13

In memoriam.............................................15

Generations Celebration ........................16

2012 IFdF annual Conference and trade Show Registration ................ 17

Classifieds .................................................19

June6-9 IFDF Annual Conference & Trade Show

7 497 Board Conference Call

28 497 Board Meeting, Annual PNL Renewals

July12 497 Board Conference Call

August2 497 Board Meeting, Tampa

September6 497 Board Conference Call

19-21 IFDF Leadership Retreat, Plantation Inn, Crystal River

what’s the good word? - ifdf.memberclicks.net...serenity meadows memorial park, riverview (813)...

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