Page A2 july 2024 Published monthly by: Nomis Publications, Inc. PO Box 5159, Youngstown, OH 44514 1-800-321-7479 • fax 1-800-321-9040 www.NomisPublications.com info@NomisPublications.com Subscription: United States $30.00 - Canada/Mexico $60.00 - Outside North America $75.00 Circulation 21,000 per issue. Deadline for Press Releases: 5th of the Previous month. Advertising: Display Ad rates sent upon request. Classified and Shipping Directory rates published in each issue. All advertising must be received by the 5th of the previous month. Due to the vast amount of sources, the publisher is not responsible for the content of any news articles or advertisements. Nor is the publisher responsible for any loss of revenue by failure to insert an advertisement. The contents of any advertisement submitted for publication are only the publisher’s responsibility if the error is made by the publisher’s typesetting department, and then only to the extent of the typesetting charges. Advertisers are responsible for adhering to individual state regulations regarding advertising. The contents of any news article submitted for publication is subject to editing and is published at the sole discretion of the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any news article or advertisement. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or part, without the exclusive consent of Nomis Publications, Inc. Editor: Margaret (Peggy) Rouzzo © 2024 by Nomis Publications, Inc. ISSN 1944-1126 Funeral Home & Cemetery News online at www.NomisPublications.com Online Directories US & International Funeral Homes • Supply Companies Cemeteries • Pet Memorialization Companies Trade Associations • Plus Much More... www.NomisPublications.com NOTICE The FUNERAL HOME AND CEMETERY NEWS is sent in two parts. Section A, which includes pages A1-A32 and Section B, which contains the Classified Advertising and consists of pages B1-B28. 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Obituaries... etc. Columns Critical Thinking by Jon O’Hara.....................................................................A10 Embalming 101 by Wally Hooker......................................................................A8 HearseHub by Mike Jamar................................................................................B6 Klicker’s Krossword Korner.............................................................................B4 Last Writes by Jim Kurtz.................................................................................A22 Memoires des choix des Jacque by Kate Frediani-Gorman..........................B10 Museum Corner...............................................................................................A28 Musings with Marika by Marika McMeans......................................................A14 Observations by Steven Palmer.....................................................................A12 Powerhouse Marketing With Welton by Welton Hong.....................................A6 Random Musings by Nancy Weil......................................................................A4 Share This With Widowers by Fred Colby......................................................A26 Monthly Features Association News.......................................................................................... A26 Death Notices. ............................................................................................... A30 Suppliers News................................................................................................ B1 Educational News.......................................................................................... B14 Shipping Directory........................................................................................ B18 Classified Ads. .............................................................................................. B21 Correction Letter to the Editor “American Unity on Display on Wreaths Across America Day” from the February 2024 issue is corrected. Team Dodge Is committed to the Arlington Wreaths across America Project. If you are interested in joining the group in 2024 reach out to Sally Belanger at sbelanger@dodgeco.com. The following letter was sent to the Governor of New York on May 15, 2004. The author, Vincent C. Carey, has asked us to reprint it here. Dear Governor Hochul: Recently, I attended an industry meeting wherein some leaders spoke about the possibility of loosening national licensure requirements, thus making a national funeral board exam redundant. Many seasoned funeral directors were in attendance and all had opinions. Currently, in New York State, to become a licensed funeral director, an individual must attend an accredited mortuary school, register with the New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Funeral Directing, pass the National Board Examination (administered by the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards), and serve a 12-month post-graduate residency at a New York State registered funeral firm under the supervision of a licensed and registered New York State funeral director. Eight months into the residency, the New York State Funeral Director Law Examination may be taken. Upon passing this exam and completing the aforementioned residency, an individual is then deemed a licensed funeral director in the state of New York. Conversely, to become a funeral director in the state of Colorado, prior education or experience to enter the funeral service profession is not required. An individual may acquire on-the-job training in funeral directing, embalming and/or cremation under the supervision of an experienced funeral professional at a licensed funeral establishment or crematory. There is NO state license for funeral service practitioners in Colorado, voluntary certification is available through the Colorado Funeral Service Board in lieu of licensing. Passing the national board exam is required for mortuary science practitioners (under title protection statute) and for Certified Mortuary Science Practitioner (CMSP) certification. According to The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), each state has its own apprenticeship and licensing requirements. So why does it matter if a funeral director possesses National Board Certification. National Board Certification is “…specifically designed to provide licensing boards with a content-valid examination of applicants for licensure in the funeral service profession” by “determining which candidates possess the minimum knowledge necessary to perform tasks on the job safely and competently as an entry-level practitioner, evaluating whether or not a candidate meets the threshold of knowledge required to serve the public safely as one competent of the licensure process.” National Board Certification would likely have helped the consumers of Apollo Funeral and Cremation Services, Sunset Mesa Funeral Home, and Return to Nature Funeral Home- all located in the state of Colorado. Miles Harford was the owner/ operator of Apollo Funeral and Cremation Services for ten years before his business license expired in May 2022. According to his aunt, Donna Pilcher, Harford embalmed bodies himself though he had no formal training, ordering formaldehyde solution online. He is charged with two counts of forgery, one count of theft, and one count of abuse of a corpse stemming from the discovery of a dead woman’s body left inside an inoperable hearse for two years. Cremains of at least 30 people were found in his rental home after his eviction. Additional charges are expected. Megan Hess, former director of the Sunset Mesa Funeral Home and her mother, Shirley Koch sold body parts from their funeral home via their business, Donor Services, to customers who used the remains for scientific, medical, or educational purposes. Reportedly, some remains were tracked to the United Arab Emirates and others were plasticized for museums and medical students. Initially charged with 18 counts of frauds and swindling, six counts of mail fraud and two counts of shipping hazardous materials, both women eventually pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud each and received the maximum penalty. In November of 2023, Jon Hallford and his wife Carie were arrested upon the discovery of 189 decomposing bodies improperly stored at their funeral home, Return to Nature Funeral Home. They are now charged with 190 corpse abuse counts, over 50 forgery counts, 5 theft counts, and 4 money laundering counts. Hallford was never a licensed funeral director. Colorado is a state with weak funeral home oversight providing no routine inspections or qualification requirements for funeral home operators. A report from the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies’ Division of Professions and Occupations states, “It is clear that the public is harmed by the general lack of regulation of the funeral service professionals in Colorado.” In light of this national attention, Colorado lawmakers plan to propose a bill that would require people in the industry to be licensed. Certification can assure a funeral service consumer that the funeral director has been vetted and has met the requirements of the profession. An active license in good standing indicates that the funeral director has demonstrated the knowledge, skill, and abilities to perform the services and has agreed to abide by the laws and regulations governing the profession. A certification board is responsible for vetting all applicant qualifications, issuing licenses, holding all licensees accountable to the laws governing that profession, investigating consumer complaints and sharing valuable information to protect the public and their health and safety. By using licensed professionals, consumers are assured that regulation is there for their protection and that the professional completes ongoing competence, maintains high standards of practice, and serves the best interest of the consumer and the profession. A licensed professional is also answerable to the governing body and subject to sanctions (including forfeiture of license) for violation(s) of the standards of professional conduct. The NFDA currently has more than 20,000 members with each state ordaining its own apprenticeship and licensing requirements. Most states also require funeral directors to graduate from an accredited college or university program. But these recent headlines point to an industry that is vulnerable, especially in states with limited oversight. Disparity, in the different regulatory bodies of each state, makes consumers vulnerable to predators since protections are not uniform. The recent suggestion that New York’s mortuary students graduate from programs and start working without being required to pass the National Board Exam is dismaying, in my opinion. I also wonder who is most likely to benefit from such a suggestion. Independent brick and mortar funeral homes have vested interest in the communities that they serve, their local citizens, and the local economy and therefore take pride in boasting nationally certified owners and funeral director employees. Continued on page A21
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