funeral service
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Winterbottom & Sons: A Funeral Home in the Tenderloin
New York’s funeral homes have always held remarkable stories—some solemn, some surprising, all deeply human. And unearthing old stories from the colorful early days of funeral service in NYC is one of my writing pleasures. This month in American Funeral Director, I explore one of the most colorful: Winterbottom & Sons on Sixth Avenue. It’s…
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Women in Funeral Service: Breaking Barriers Together
An article I read recently about the growing visibility of women in funeral service gave me a deep, unexpected sense of satisfaction. It hasn’t always been that way. For so long, a woman’s face in this profession was a rarity, and the idea of young women entering the field with the support of other women…
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My Life as a Funeral Director: Embracing the Unspoken
I’ve been reading through old funeral trade magazines lately, flipping through interviews with funeral directors who’ve written books about their careers — mostly self‑published, some genuinely compelling, others… less so. As I read, I found myself thinking about my first book. When it came out, it felt groundbreaking — though I didn’t fully realize that…
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Where the Famous Rest: Reflections from the Front Row of Farewell
I’ve stood in cathedrals, temples, and on city streets, notebook in hand. As a funeral director and writer, I’ve seen public grief become performance, legacy woven into ritual, and iconic lives distilled into final acts. Attending and writing about the funerals of public figures—Mayor Ed Koch, Governor Hugh Carey, Joan Rivers, Justice Antonin Scalia, Celia…
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Personal Style and Remembrance: A Funeral Director’s Insight
“My mother’s signature color was emerald green. She said it both honored her Irish heritage and made her feel like royalty,” the daughter of the deceased told me a few days ago. At the arrangement conference, when she handed me a silk wrap dress –one of her mother’s favorites–in that color, I knew exactly what…
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Creating a Beautiful Summer-Themed Memorial Service
My colleague, Michael Rizzotto, the manager of a Brooklyn, New York, funeral home, recently shared a story about a family he served. During the arrangement conference, he asked, as he always does, about the deceased’s interests and hobbies. The funeral home aims to personalize each funeral. “They told us about her passion for the beach,”…