On March 11, 2008 the United States Congress passed a resolution naming this date as “National Funeral Directors and Morticians Day”. A day to acknowledge the important work of funeral service professionals and the care and service they provide to their communities. Professional challenges A recent CBC News article highlighted the passion of Funeral Director and Embalmer Sharlene MacDonald. The article notes the many challenges our profession is facing, include the recruitment and retention of… Read more »

The funeral profession is a combination of art, science, heart and soul. It is a demanding profession – physically, emotionally, spiritually and socially. It causes us to give pause and reflect on our experiences in caring for our Island community. Sometimes, we can feel isolated from others. We have chosen a profession that demands we respond with caring and empathy at moment’s notice. This often means cancelled plans, delayed holiday gatherings and little time for… Read more »

As summer ends and parents scramble to gather school supplies, sneakers and backpacks, we thought we’d take a moment to explore how the school curriculum relates to the funeral service profession. Music How many of us spent early mornings at band practice? Playing music has numerous therapeutic benefits. When we take time to listen to music, it can help transport us to memories of the past, provide solace and comfort, and perhaps even brighten our… Read more »

It’s Pride Week on PEI with a full schedule of activities on slate, and individuals, businesses and organizations preparing for the Pride Parade on Saturday. We are hearing lots of discussion about the importance of creating safe, inclusive spaces, whether at UPEI, Trinity United Church or elsewhere. Funeral homes can also be safe, inclusive spaces for all to express their authentic selves. As professionals we provide compassionate care to all we serve and have for… Read more »

It’s World Social Media Day (#SMDay) – a day to recognize and celebrate social media’s impact on global communication. As funeral service professionals, we use social media as a ways and means of communicating with families, our community, and colleagues from around the world. Our first foray with online communication was the development of our website, www.macleanfh.com almost two decades ago. Since that time, we’ve developed our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Google+ and Instagram pages,… Read more »