ICCFA Magazine February 2016

8/15/2019 ICCFA Magazine February 2016

1/64

MAGAZ IN E

F e b r u a r y 2 0

CEMETERY FUNERAL CREMATION

Rivera Family Funeral Homes’game-changing

Kiva Chapel of Light

ICCFA ANNUAL CONVENTION & EXPO APRIL 13-16, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA WWW.ICCFA.COM

Lowell Cemetery’s new columbarium • Design: Lost in the ’50s? • Lemasters on crematiodos and don’ts • Cemetery Impossible: Where’s the cash? • Van Beck’s keys to success


2/6416 ICCFA Magazine “Like” the ICCFA on Facebook & friend “ICCFA Staff

[email protected]

DESIGN

It took Tim Rivera eight years to build a

new funeral home chapel. It wasn’t the

actual construction he struggled with.

First it was the economy, which tanked at the

same time he decided to build a new chapel,

and then it was the design philosophy.

It was bad luck that Rivera startedthinking about new construction in 2008, but

the economy has its cycles, and eventually

it improved. But that did nothing to solve

his philosophical dilemma about whether

the type of building he wanted to add to

his combination property in Santa Fe, New

Mexico, would be a game-changer or a huge

mistake.

This is what he was hearing: You need

to build a multi-purpose space that can help

you compete against the high-end hotels

and country clubs that threaten to take away

your funeral and memorial service business,

especially as cremation rates rise—and

they’re already plenty high in New Mexico.

The idea is that funeral homes that

don’t step up their game against these new,

sophisticated competitors used to handlingevents will nd themselves relegated to the

disposition business, handling the body but

handing off the service part of their business

to others.

Rivera had to admit it made sense, but it

didn’t set well with this second-generation

funeral director. Deep down, he felt like

something was being lost, something sacred.

In the end, Rivera went with his gut.

Though the building that resulted, Rivera

Family Funeral Homes’ Kiva Chapel of

Rivera’s Kiva Chapel of Lightinvites pause and reflection

➤Tim Rivera is

owner and president

of Rivera Family

Funeral Homes& Crematory and

Santa Fe Memorial

Gardens. He has

been a licensed

funeral director since

1981. He attended

San Francisco State

and graduated from

San Francisco College of Mortuary Science.

➤Rivera Family Funerals & Cremations

was founded by Tim Rivera’s father, Amos

Rivera. It includes three locations in New

Mexico: Rivera Family Funeral Home

n Taos; Rivera Family Funeral Home &Memorial Gardens in Santa Fe; and Rivera

Family Funeral Home and Crematory in

Espanola.

www.riverafuneralhome.com

interview by ICCFA Magazine

managing editor Susan Loving

ICCFA Magazine subject spotlightRivera Family Funeral Homes’ combo operation

in Santa Fe, New Mexico, needed new facilities.

A multipurpose space designed to host receptions

seemed like a safe bet, but what Tim Rivera really wanted

was a place to stir the soul. So that’s what he built.

[email protected]

The Kiva Chapel of Light set up for a large group. The Flower of Life (the skylight)

and the Seed of Life (the carpet and door) are the design motifs used in this nondenominational chapel. In the center of the circular space is a stone fountain. Around

the perimeter (outside the carpeted area), ossuaries are set into the foor.


3/64Start every day at the ICCFA Café at www.iccfa.com February 2016 1

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF JON DICK, ARCHAEO ARCHITECTS, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

The Kiva Chapel of Light, with the ceremonial/visitation room and lobby on either side. Niches are from Columbarium by De-

sign. Additional niches are being placed in a specially-constructed glass wall designed so that water can be run over it.

by architect Jon Dick

The Kiva Chapel of Light is a non-denominational funeral chapeldesigned to welcome individuals of all

faiths, as well as those not associated with

any religion. The chapel takes the form of

a circle, given that it is a universal theme

of unity found throughout most cultures

of the world. The space, like a theatrical

“black box,” can be ornamented with

various icons and images that the family of

the deceased deems appropriate.The seven-foot-deep perimeter walls

provide a sense of protection and are battered

out to draw the eye heavenward. The space is

also sculpted by way of natural and articial

light; lighting around the perimeter can

wash the plaster walls in limitless colors.

The interior rings are lit with ribbon light.

There are virtually no exposed light xtures

anywhere in the chapel.

The space is left intentionally spare, with

the one ornamental theme being “the Flower

of Life,” a symbol that predates Christ. The

overall intent was to create a space of light

and brightness as a way to help celebrate the

life of the individual and perhaps assuage the

darkness of death.

When a magician wants to work magic he

puts a circle around himself, and it is within

this bounded circle, this hermetically sealed-

off area, that powers can be brought into play

that are lost outside the circle.

An Indian chief once said, “When we

pitch a camp, we pitch a camp in a circle.When the eagle builds a nest, the nest is

a circle. When we look at the horizon, the

horizon is a circle.”

Then there is the deeper experience–the

mystery of the womb and the tomb. Very early

images of the Goddess show her as a mother

receiving the soul back again. When people

are buried, it’s for rebirth. That’s the origin of

the burial idea.

You put someone back into the womb of

mother earth for rebirth.—Joseph Campbell

The Flower of Life skylight seen fromthe rock fountain in the middle of the

chapel, which can be lit by candles or by

sunlight coming in through the windowspositioned to capture the solstice light.

Architect: Kiva Chapel of Light designed

as a space of light and brightness



D ES I GN

Light, is a multi-purpose building, it doesn’t

look or feel like anything you’ll nd at a

fancy hotel or an elegant country club. It’s

beautiful, but its beauty is more than skin

deep. It’s designed to appeal to the soul as

well as the senses.

So far, the reaction he’s received, from

Buddhist monks to Catholic priests to

spiritual-but-not-religious visitors to tourists

drawn by the building’s architecture, have

convinced him he was right.

ICCFA Magazine talked to Rivera about

the family-owned business; the decisionto build the chapel; the fascinating details

of the chapel’s design, which draws on the

Guggenheim Museum and local Native

American culture, among other inspirations;

and why he feels the idea behind the

Kiva Chapel of Light is important for the

profession.

Rivera Family Funerals & Cremations has

three locations in New Mexico?

Yes. We serve almost 450 people a year in

Santa Fe, almost 850 in the company as a

whole. We have a garden cemetery and

cremation gardens in Santa Fe. We also have

mortuaries in Espanola and in Taos, where

the main administrative ofce is located.

What are the demographics of the families

you serve?

In Santa Fe, we serve every element of a

very diverse community. We’re the primary

funeral home for the Jewish families; we

work with Hispanic Catholics, with Native

Americans. There’s a large Buddhist

community in Santa Fe. And of course there

are the people who don’t belong to any faith

but are in Santa Fe because they love nature.

It’s a very outdoorsy lifestyle.

The cremation rate with our families is

about 65 percent. We do have a crematorium,

but not at the Santa Fe location.

What exactly was involved in

this construction project at the

Santa Fe location?

The chapel is about 2,800

square feet, but all of the new

construction added up to about7,000 square feet. There are

two big lobbies. There’s a small

chapel, new garages, new care

facilities.

The entire building,

including ofces, prep area and

arrangement rooms, is almost

10,000 square feet. About 3,000 square

feet of it was an existing ofce building

and embalming room and refrigeration. We

knocked down a portion of the old building.

We’re a growing business, and we lacked

administrative space, so the project addressedthat, as well.

I bought the cemetery in 2006, and the

facility was inadequate. I needed to do

something, but I was really conicted.

You told me the project took eight years from

conception to completion. Why so long?

For two primary reasons. With the downturn

in the economy, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to

go forward with such a major project. Then

the economy started to turn around, but even

I do understand why people are moving toward more utilitarian spaces,

but sometimes I feel we’re stripping the sacredness, the spirituality, out of the funeral

or memorial event. The building is on a cemetery, and in Hispanic culture,

we use the word camposanto , which means “sacred ground,” for cemetery.

The Flower of Life and Seed of Life de-

signs appear on the skylight and doors

of the building. The Flower of Life,drawn with circles, is an ancient symbol

found in most religious traditions.


5/64

Paradise Pics ADFULL PAGEpage 19

4-COLOR


6/64

Great Western AD

FULL PAGEpage 2 (C-2)4-COLOR


7/64

Johnson AD 1 o 2

FULL PAGEpage 3

4-COLOR


8/644 ICCFA Magazine “Like” the ICCFA on Facebook & riend “ICCFA Staff

Custom Air AD1/2 H

Passages AD 1 o 21/2 H

4-COLOR


9/64

Affordable Funerals ADFULL PAGEpage 5

4-COLOR



Rivera Family Feral Hmes’ strik-ig Kiva Chapel f Light. The feralhme additi ad revati icldes

a ceremial/visitati rm, ly frreceptis, the chapel ad iche walls

tside the chapel. Stry, page 16.

14 CREMATION

Landscaping dos & don’ts you can apply to cremation

Cremation providers can learn something by studying the basic

principles of good landscape design. It’s time to weed out the

problems and encourage new growth in your cremation program. by Poul Lemasters, Esq.

16 DESIGN

Rivera’s Kiva Chapel of Light invites pause and reection

Rivera Family Funeral Homes’ combo operation in Santa Fe, New

Mexico, needed new facilities. A multipurpose space designed to host

receptions seemed like a safe bet, but what Tim Rivera really wanted

was a place to stir the soul. So that’s what he built.

interview of Tim Rivera by Susan Loving

30 CREMATION/DESIGN

Adding a ‘wow’ cremation area that ts into a historic cemetery

How can you ‘wow’ cremation families while honoring the traditional

landscape of a 175-year-old New England cemetery? That was the

challenge facing the trustees of Lowell Cemetery.by Susan Loving

36 INTERIOR DESIGN

If your facility is ‘lost in the ’50s,’ you’re sending the wrong message

You and your staff can be dressed to the nines, but if you’re working

in a building that looks shabby or simply tired and dated, families are

not going to perceive your organization as one that provides excellent

service.

by MaryAnne Scheuble

42 MANAGEMENT

Cemetery Impossible: Cemeteries have long relied on advance sales,but sometimes they can be a two-edged sword. If your sales commission

policies are not set correctly, an otherwise strong advance sales program

could leave you cash poor.

by Dan Isard, MSFS

44 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The keys to service: Being an active funeral director

The days of funeral professionals using the ‘indirect method’ of dealing

with families is long gone—or should be.

by Todd W. Van Beck, CFuE

10 President’s Letter

The same ... yet so different

by Darin Drabing

12 Washington Report

New for 2016: IRS mileage rates;

Important notice to ICCFA members

by Robert M. Fells, Esq.

51 New Members

52 Update

54 History museum exhibit

features Olivewood Cemetery

56 Supply Line

61 Calendar

62 Classifieds

62 Ad Index

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6 T a b l e o f c o n t e n t s

International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association ®:Promoting consumer choices, prearrangement and open competition

Providing exceptional education, networking and legislative guidance and supportto progressive cemetery, funeral and cremation professionals worldwide

fCheck us out on Facebook!

“Like” us and friend

“ICCFA Staff.”


11/64

Merendino ADFULL PAGE

page 74-COLOR



ICCFA news

47 Lasting Impact Award

Jim Darby to receive 2016 award

48 Something for every professional

at Annual Convention

Green Burial sessions

PLPA sessions

49 ICCFA convention

Get behind-the-scenes looks at a localfuneral home and cemeteries on April

16 tour in New Orleans

50 Wide World of Sales

scholarship winners

50 ICCFAU Go back to school in July

at the 2016 ICCFA University

www.iccfa.comDirectories

www.iccfa.com/directories

• Web Expo directory of suppliers and

professionals

• Association directory

• Industry event calendar

Cremation Coaching Center

www.iccfa.com/cremation

ICCFA Café

• Links to news and feature stories from all over

the world

• Blogs by ICCFA membersModel guidelines

ICCFA Government and Legal Affairs

Committee’s model guidelines for state laws

and regulations

ICCFA calendar

2016 Annual Convention

& Exposition

April 13-16

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center& Hilton New Orleans Riverside,New Orleans, Louisiana Co-Chairs: Jay Dodds, CFSP, and Lee Longino

2016 ICCFA University

July 22-27 Fogelman ConferenceCenter, Memphis, TennesseeChancellor:Jeff Kidwiler, CCE, CSE

2016 Fall Management

Conference

October 5-7 Kiawah Island GolfResort, Kiawah Island, South Carolina

2017 Annual Convention

& Exposition

March 29-April 1 Charlotte Convention Center &The Westin Charlotte, Charlotte,North Carolina

Sscrie t ICCFA MagazierOne-year subscription (10 issues) for just $39.95*

rTw-year subscription for just $69.95** These rates for U.S. subscriptions only. In Canada: $45.95 U.S. per year; out-

side U.S. and Canada: $75.95 U.S. per year.Name

Company name

Address

City State Zip

Phone ( ) Fax ( )

e-mail

Paymet ifrmati

rCheck enclosed (please make payable to ICCFA)

rCredit card; please circle: VISA MASTERCARD AMEX DISCOVER

Name as it appears on cardCard # Exp. date

Security ID (3-digit # on back of card or 4-digit # on front of AmEx)Sed frm ad paymet t: Magazine subscription, ICCFA Magazine,107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20164; or Fax 703.391.8416

nSend it in:

➤ E-mail yr Wrd dcmet as a attachmet t [email protected], r write yr release i the dy f yr e-mail. Please

iclde yr fll ame ad title ad the cmpay’s ame ad lcati i the dy f yr e-mail.

➤ Phts—high-reslti pgs—ca e e-mailed. Rememer y mst adst digital camera settigs t take high-reslti im-ages efre takig the phts! Check the wer’s maal fr istrctis. (If y’re scaig i glssies, they mst e scaed i

at a miimm f 300 dpi at prit size.)

Submit your news to ICCFA Magazine

Cemeteries • Crematories • Funeral homes • suppliers • pet loss proFessionals

n W dw. i d’ v b w fcy (’ wy w v d)— j d cd fc. rb bc: W, W, W, W & hw (d Wy).

Questions? Need some guidance? E-mail ICCFA Magazine Managing Editor Susan Loving at [email protected].

hv y d gdbkg gd g f w fcy? hd d ? i y cy ffg w dd

dc c d/ f ? hv y cy d vc ccf y c? addd grief therapy dog to your staff? s y w w cg v wd—d iCCFa mgz! i’ wy cvsome well-deserved publicity for you and your staff and to share ideas with peers. h’ w g y w iCCFa mgz:


13/64

US Metalcraf ADFULL PAGE

page 94-COLOR



nTo apply for ICCFAmembership:

➤Download an applicationat www.iccfa.com , or

➤Call 1.800.645.7700

The same ... yet so different

[email protected]

➤Drabing is presidentand CEO of Forest LawnMemorial-Parks &Mortuaries.

www.forestlawn.com

by ICCFA

2015-2016

President Darin

B. Drabing

Cemeteries and funeral establishments

are special places. I realize this isn’t

a revelation to the reader. But what,

exactly, makes them so special? They perform

the necessary acts of handling human remains

and serve as the ultimate repository for society’s

dead. These are practical denitions for certain,

ones without any emotional context. However, we

all possess a deeper sense that they are so much

more.Cemeteries and funeral establishments are

special places, indeed, possessing a spiritual

quality that transcends time, religion, ethnicity,

borders and politics. They are gathering places

for families and communities, places to turn to

for solace and meditation, links to our heritage,

sacred places lled with history, memories,

stories and love.

Unied as they may be in purpose, cemeteries

and funeral establishments vary widely in size,

design, appearance and consumer offerings. From

the humble country churchyard surrounded by

small farms and served by the local family-ownedfuneral home found just off the main street, to

large, manicured urban memorial parks with

centralized care centers and numerous locations

under a single moniker, they all address the same

practical need, regardless of size or shape. Yet

through their different physical forms, they are

also expressions of their communities, past and

present.

Classic cemeteries are often lled with historic

monuments, towering trees, noble architecture

and tributes to veterans and fraternal groups;

others incorporate elements of feng shui, gazebos,

splashing fountains, lush gardens, whimsicaltopiaries, reection pools and colorful mosaics;

still more pay tribute through a light footprint

on mother nature, providing nothing more than a

simple eld or glen to serve as a place of peaceful

repose.

There are cemeteries that depend on the

church sexton to nd a gravesite and those that

use sophisticated GPS waynding programs to

locate a loved one via smartphone. As much as

cemeteries may be alike in purpose, each one is

special unto itself.

Compare the characteristics of Spring Grove’s

majestic arboretum setting with its tree-lined

canopied streets in Cincinnati, Memorial Do

Carmo’s towering vertical density created by

its high-rise mausoleum in the heart of Rio de

Janeiro and Arlington’s seemingly endless rows

of uniform white memorials standing at attention,

deserving our respect now and forever. They

are in many ways much the same … yet so very

different.Funeral establishments are as equally diverse.

Some double as the residences of their owners,

with children growing up within and learning

the trade rst hand—earnest dwellings where the

details of funeral arrangements are captured on a

notepad and contracts are drawn by hand.

Others command a more formal presence,

with large welcoming reception areas, cafés

and spacious tribute rooms where catered food,

multi-media displays and Wi-Fi services abound.

Still others are designed to exist in a virtual

world, performing transactions online, self-

selecting from a menu of services, sending andreceiving required documentation and payments

electronically.

Whether it’s the stately awning extending

from New York City’s Frank E. Campbell

Funeral Chapel, the creative spaces of Flanner

Buchanan’s Community Life Center in

Indianapolis or the soaring cathedral ceilings and

architectural wonderment that is SkyRose Chapel

at Rose Hills in Southern California, each funeral

establishment may perform the same practical act

but in their own unique way and within their own

meaningful environment.

In this month’s edition, we highlight thosewho create these unique points of differentiation.

The modern cemetery and funeral establishment

has become a blank canvas for architects,

engineers, interior stylists, landscape designers

and maintenance professionals to reect the

ever-changing desires of the consumer, while

still creating meaningful memorial spaces for

generations to come.

Join me in celebrating those with the vision,

skill and talents that help make our cemeteries and

funeral establishments so very special. Enjoy! r

President’s Letter

Cemeteries and funeral establishments are special places, indeed,

possessing a spiritual quality that transcends time, religions, ethnicity,

borders and politics. They are gathering places for families and communities,

places to turn to for solace and meditation, links to our heritage,

cd c d w y, , d v.

MoRE on THIS ToPIC

The ICCFA 2016 Cve-ti & Exp, April 13-16, inNew Orleans, Louisiana, will

nclude several sessions aboutdesign, including developingcremation gardens, challeng-ng traditional cemetery designto increase revenue potentialand applying restoration ecol-ogy in a hybrid cemetery.www.iccfa.com/events


15/64



rfells

@iccfa.com

1.800.645.7700,

ext. 1212

direct line:

703.391.8401

➤Fells isICCFA executive

director and general counsel,responsible for maintaining andmproving relationships withfederal and state governmentagencies, the news media,consumer organizations andrelated trade associations.

by ICCFA General

Counsel Robert M.

Fells, Esq.

The Internal Revenue Service has published

its 2016 optional standard mileage rates

used to calculate the deductible costs of

operating an automobile for business, charitable,

medical or moving purposes. Beginning on January

1, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car(also vans, pickups or panel trucks) are:

• 54 cents per mile for business miles driven,

down from 57.5 cents for 2015

• 19 cents per mile driven for medical or moving

purposes, down from 23 cents for 2015

• 14 cents per mile driven in service of

charitable organizations

The business mileage rate decreased 3.5 cents

per mile and the medical and moving expense rates

decreased 4 cents per mile from the 2015 rates. The

charitable rate is based on statute. The standard

mileage rate for business is based on an annual

study of the xed and variable costs of operatingan automobile. The rate for medical and moving

purposes is based on the variable costs.

It is important to note that taxpayers always

have the option of calculating the actual costs of

using their vehicle rather than using the standard

mileage rates. However, the business standard

mileage rate may not be used for a vehicle after

using any depreciation method under the Modied

Accelerated Cost Recovery System or after

claiming a Section 179 deduction for that vehicle.

In addition, the business standard mileage rate

cannot be used for more than four vehicles used

simultaneously. For more information, go to the

IRS website at www.va.gov.

VA adjusts cash allowance for grave linersand outer burial receptaclesEach year the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

(VA) adjusts the cash allowance it provides to

families who opt to privately purchase their own

grave liner or outer burial receptacle (aka vault) for

use in national cemeteries. This purchase is made in

lieu of the government-provided liner or receptacle

which is provided without charge. For qualifying

interments occurring during calendar year 2016, the

cash allowance is $322.

The VA calculates and adjusts this allowanceeach year based on its own average cost of provi-

ding grave liners, minus any related administrative

costs. The base average cost for calendar year

2015 was $331. The administrative cost involved

in processing claims for the cash allowance is

calculated at $9 for 2016 allowances. Therefore, the

actual cash allowances for 2016 is $322. For more

information, go to the VA website at www.va.gov.r

New for 2016: IRS mileage rates

Washington Report

February 2016VOLUME 76/NUMBER 2

ICCFA officersDarin B. Drabing, president Michael Uselton, CCFE, president-elect

Jay D. Dodds, CFSP, vice president

Paul Goldstein, vice president

Christine Toson Hentges, CCE,

vice president

Scott R. Sells, CCFE, vice president

Gary M. Freytag, CCFE, treasurer

Daniel L. Villa, secretary

Robert M. Fells, Esq., executive director &general counsel

Magazine staff Susan Loving, managing editor

[email protected]

Rick Platter, supplier relations manager

[email protected]; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1213

Robert Treadway, director of communications & member services


Katherine Devins, communications assistant


Robert M. Fells, Esq., executive director &

publisher

[email protected] ; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1212

Brenda Clough, ofce administrator& association liaison

[email protected]; 1.800.645.7700,

ext. 1214

Daniel Osorio, subscription coordinator

(habla español)


ICCFA Magazine (ISSN 1936-2099) is published

by the International Cemetery, Cremation and

Funeral Association®, 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite

100, Sterling, VA 20164-4468; 703.391.8400;

FAX 703.391.8416;

www.iccfa.com. Published 10 times per year,

with combined issues in March-April and

August-September. Periodicals postage paid

at Sterling, VA, and other ofces. Copyright

2016 by the International Cemetery, Cremationand Funeral Association. Subscription rates: In

the United States, $39.95; in Canada, $45.95;

overseas: $75.95. One subscription is included

in annual membership dues. POSTMASTER:

Send address changes to ICCFA Magazine, 107

Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20164-

4468. Individual written contributions, com-

mentary and advertisements appearing in ICCFA

Magazine do not necessarily reect either the

opinion or the endorsement of the International

Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association®.

MoRE FRoM THIS AuTHoR,

AbouT THIS SubjECT

➤Feral Radi. ICCFAGeneral Counsel Robert Fells,Esq., talks about legal andlegislative issues affectingfuneral, cemetery andcremation businesses, includ-ing the FCA/CFA survey, at

www.funeralradio.com MoRE RESouRCES

➤Wireless. ICCFA members,send us your email addressd w’ d y b-

weekly electronic newsletter fullof breaking news.

For some time now, the ICCFA has been

cooperating with government investigators inseveral states concerning the activities of Heritage

Cremation Provider, aka Legacy Funeral Services.

This online company is not and never has been an

ICCFA member. However, its website displays the

ICCFA logo to imply membership.

We have contacted Heritage/Legacy repeatedly,

including its owner, A.J. Damiano, to insist that the

ICCFA logo be removed from its website because

its appearance there is misleading and deceptive.

State authorities are aware that Heritage/

Legacy has no afliation with the ICCFA and the

association has led a complaint with the FederalBureau of Investigation through its online facility,

the Internet Crime Complaint Center, www.ic3.gov.

In addition, two states, Florida and Tennessee,

have formally banned Heritage/Legacy from

doing business within their respective states. If

you are contacted by Heritage Cremation Provider

or Legacy Funeral Services, proceed with caution

and report any such contacts immediately to

ICCFA Executive Director Robert M. Fells at

[email protected] or 1.800.645.7700. r

Important notice to ICCFA members


17/64

Carriage ADFULL PAGE

page 134-COLOR



CREMATION

Television home and garden shows are

always amazing. In just 30 minutes, a

yard can go from an overgrown vacant

lot to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Don’t

get me wrong, these makeovers encounter

problems, but after a couple of commercials,

the solutions are discovered, and voila:

Hanging Gardens.

Obviously nothing is that easy. Thewonders of TV editing certainly help, as do

the 100 behind-the-scenes crew members you

never see. And despite the 50 or so home and

garden shows trying to convince viewers that

they offer something different, if you check

them out, or any landscaping how-to book for

that matter, you’ll notice a number of dos and

don’ts they have in common.

If you study the dos and don’ts of

landscaping, you realize you can apply the

same basic principles to much more than just

yard design and maintenance. Regardlessof what you’re doing, there are certain

things you need to understand and always

keep in mind. This article for the “design,

maintenance and landscaping” issue of the

magazine examines a few landscaping dos

and don’ts that can easily be applied to the

wonderful world of cremation.

Do understand what you are doing Even a simple attorney/funeral director/

embalmer such as myself understands some

basics, such as you don’t plant a tree that’s

going to grow into a giant in front of plantsthat will remain small.

The same thing applies to cremation. You

must understand the basics before you can

properly provide this service—and many

cremation providers don’t.

For example, it is amazing how many

providers still believe things like: the oldest

child is in charge of decisions; if there is

a will, it controls disposition decisions;

as long as I obtain the signature of one

survivor, I am protected against lawsuits.

None of these statements is true!

Make sure you, and all those who work

for you, understand the basics.

Do keep it simpleThe landscaping theory here is that

simplicity can create beauty. You don’t need

100 different owers; you can create beauty

with just one. Think of the National CherryBlossom Festival in Washington, D.C.

Cremation can be simple as well. Yes,

regulations add a layer of complexity,

but many providers then proceed to take

cremation to a new (and unnecessary) level

of complexity. This complexity might be in

the form of 25 different packages they offer

families, or in the 100 pages of procedures

they expect employees to follow.

As a lawyer, I’m all in favor of written

policies and procedures, but if they are too

much/too complex, you are just setting yourbusiness and employees up for failure.

Do consult with professionalsIf you don’t take the time to at least ask that

wonderful Home Depot professional what

plants would work best in your yard, you

are making a mistake. When it comes to

cremation, who are the professionals?

Did you raise your hand? You should

have. All providers should be cremation

professionals.

Consumers need (and typically want) to

consult with a professional at some point. Thequestion to ask yourself is whether families

know you are the professional when it comes

to cremation. I know if I have a question

about owers or plants, I can go down to the

Home Depot and ask. Do families in your

area know that if they have a question about

cremation they can go to you and ask?

Don’t work without a planWe all know that guy who just keeps planting

and adding to his yard. He doesn’t have a

Cremation providers can learn something by studying the basic

c f gd dc dg. i’ wd

problems and encourage new growth in your cremation program.

Landscaping dos & don’tsyou can apply to cremation

by Poul Lemasters, Esq.

[email protected]

➤Lemasters is principal of LemastersConsulting, Cincinnati, Ohio.

www.lemastersconsulting.com

➤h y d f dc,graduated from the Cincinnati College ofMortuary Science in 1996 and from North-ern Kentucky University, Chase College oflw, 2003. h cd f

director and embalmer in Ohio and WestVirginia and admitted to practice law inOhio and Kentucky.

ICCFA Magazie athr sptlight

➤ Go to www.iccfa.com to the Crema-tion Support section, where you can post aquestion for Lemasters to answer.

ICCFA memership eet

➤He is the ICCFA’s special crema-

ti legal csel. ICCFA members ingood standing may call him to discusscremation-related legal issues for up to 20

minutes at no charge to the member. Theassociation pays for this service via anexclusive retainer.

➤Lemasters also provides, to ICCFA mem-bers in good standing, free GPL reviews tocheck for Funeral Rule compliance.

MoRE FRoM THIS AuTHoR

Lemasters willbe part of theCremation CentralLive! program atthe ICCFA 2016Convention &Expo, April 13-16,in New Orleans,

Louisiana, speaking about “Cremationhdc: hw hd Dy--

Day issues.” www.iccfa.com/events



D’ b fd k y c g d j y c k f .

F y vd, c v b fc f b. i’ g y’v

addressed sporadically and piecemeal every time they noticed an increase in the local cremation rate

plan; he just keeps adding more and more …

stuff. Typically it’s not a pretty picture.

You need a plan for your cremation

services as much as for your landscape.

Where do you start? What’s the goal? How

and when do we incorporate services? How

do we integrate identication consistently?

The right answers to these and many other

questions can help you create a good plan for

your business. More important, with a good

plan you create a consistent system that can

reduce potential liability, and what provider

doesn’t want to reduce exposure to lawsuits?

Don’t be afraid to start over Sometimes a yard, or a section of it, is just

too far gone. My yard had these horribleovergrown shrubs that looked bad no matter

what I did to try to disguise them. We had to

rip them out and start over with new beds and

plants.

Your cremation program also can get

overgrown when you keep adding things in

the hopes that somehow the latest addition

will solve all the problems and challenges

that have cropped up over the years.

Don’t be afraid to take your cremation

program and just tear it up so you can make

a fresh start. For many providers, cremation

has never been a focus of their business. It’s

something they’ve addressed sporadically

and piecemeal every time they noticed an

increase in the local cremation rate.

By starting over with a new program, you

can inject new life and enthusiasm into your

organization and have a positive impact on

both your employees and the families you

serve.Don’t go overboardThis is just another way of saying “keep it

simple,” but it’s worth repeating. So many

providers come up with grandiose plans to

offer the most elaborate cremation services

ever, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon,

cremation edition. It’s not that this is an

unattainable dream, but it’s usually hard to

start at that level.

Make sure that your cremation program is

strong and running smoothly before you try

to add new elements. For example, don’t try

to offer on-line identication for cremation if

you don’t yet have an excellent identication

system in place at your facility.

These are just a few dos and don’ts to

help you create the perfect garden … I mean

cremation program. Or cremation garden!

Remember, when it comes to running

a cremation program as opposed to a TV

house and garden program, you can’t cutto commercial when a problem comes up.

Cremation needs to be right all the time,

every time, and problems (which are inevi-

table) need to be resolved before they grow.

Following these dos and don’ts can help. r

CREMATION

Holland AD 1 o 21/2 H

4-COLOR



D ES I GN

though I had the plans and architectural

drawings ready, I kept holding off. I kept

going back and forth in my mind between

building something utilitarian vs. something

with a more sacred feeling. I would lean

in one direction and then the other. I do

understand why people are moving toward

more utilitarian spaces, but sometimes I feel

we’re stripping the sacredness, the spirituality,out of the funeral or memorial event. The

building is on a cemetery, and in Hispanic

culture, we use the word camposanto, which

means “sacred ground,” for cemetery.

My instincts told me that this chapel could

be a paradigm change. It felt right. But I just

didn’t have the condence to pull the trigger.

I saw other people opting for smaller spaces,

for reception-type spaces, and here I was

considering going in the opposite direction.

I kept thinking maybe I was swimming

upstream.

But I also noticed that people dealingwith the beginning of life—birth—are trying

to create spaces in hospitals that are more

comfortable and home-like for families. Yet

at the other end—those of us dealing with

death—we seem to be going in the opposite

direction, creating more sterile spaces.

“Here’s a room shaped like a box. We can put

tables and chairs in any arrangement you’d

like.”

In the end, this space was designed was to

be kind of hybrid. It can be set up in any way,

so it is a utilitarian, multifunctional space. But

it’s also a sacred space that evokes a spiritual

reaction. Although Americans are less

connected to churches and denominations,

they’re still very spiritual.

What was the inspiration for your very

non-boxy Kiva Chapel of Light? First of all,

what exactly is a kiva?

A kiva is a sacred ceremonial space for

Pueblo Native Americans. They’re typically

underground. The kiva was meant to be the

womb of Mother Earth, but it also tracks the

seasons and celestial time.

One of the things the design included is

ossuaries in the chapel oor where cremated

remains can be placed. The ossuary caps are

engraved with the constellations and naturalelements, representing bringing the heavens

into that space—which is what the kivas were

meant to do.

The Native Americans in South America

had their own versions of a structure for

tracking time and studying the heavens, the

pyramids they built.

I notice there are almost no windows in the

chapel, which also seems the opposite of

current design trends to bring in as much

natural light as possible.

That’s right. There are only two windows,

and a large glass door. You’re meant to feel

that you’re entering an underground space—

a kiva. There actually is a lot of light, but

it’s artistic light, LED lighting that can adddifferent colors.

The ceiling has a large skylight that

illuminates the Flower of Life design that

changes color, depending on the time of day,

how the sunlight is hitting it. It’s all about

watching time move through the inside space

of the kiva via the changing light.

The two windows are designed with the

summer and winter solstice in mind. The

chapel essentially functions as a calendar,

tracking time through light. On the winter

solstice, December 22, the light coming

through that window illuminated the bottom

of the fountain placed in the middle of the

chapel. The same thing happens with the

other window on the summer solstice.

During the rest of the year, the light moves

around the interior walls, which function

almost like a sundial, or rather a time dial,

tracking seasons instead of hours. The light is

different every day and every hour, depending

on the position of the sun.

Incidentally, the walls are all seven feet

thick and designed so that decades from now

This drawing illustrates the designs that appear on the ossuary caps in the chapel.

T lnts at, wnd, and wat a psntd, as wll as t 12 cn-

stllatns usd n astlgy, plus sybls nnty and DNA. T capl s alssituated so that its doors face north, south, east and west, and its two windows are

facing the position of the the sun on the winter and summer solstices.

One of the windows positioned to let the

sunlight strike the rock fountain on oneof the solstices.


21/64

Perfect Memorials ADFULL PAGE

page 214-COLOR



D ES I GN

they can be retrotted with columbarium

niches. There are only three cemeteries

serving Santa Fe: a Catholic cemetery, a

veterans cemetery and ours. So we know

we have to plan for a long life to serve the

community, and we have very little burial

space left. We have about 300 casket burial

spaces left, and that’s it. So we’re looking to

columbariums.

The chapel also is designed to deal with

the fact that we’re seeing a wide range of

attendance at services. Some services are

large, but some are very small. You can see

in the photo on this page how we set up the

chapel for a small service, and it worked very

well. It felt appropriate, intimate.

Shoji screen-like panels can be used to

divide the space, or to create a smaller space

if desired. In this case, we didn’t use the

screens. The chairs were placed in a circle

around the water feature in the middle of theroom. There’s a rock pedestal that serves as a

fountain when you take the top off. With the

top on, you can place an urn on it. The rock

is lit by candles so it looks like ames are

coming out of it.

The room was circled with candles, and

the family went up to the stone fountain

where the urn was sitting and lit the candles

on the stone. It’s a way to encourage people

to have some sort of ceremony.

Was this a deliberate “earth, wind, re and

water” design?

Exactly; the four elements. And it’s a focal

point in the space, a water feature that

combines water and re, and a natural stone

altar. On the solstice, the light coming in

through the window illuminates the bottom of

the stone.

You mentioned when we rst discussed thekiva that you felt the space creates what you

like to call “pause.”

That’s correct. We live in an era where we

never seem to be present. But when you walk

into a sacred space, even if it’s not one in

your personal religious tradition, time stops

for a moment; you feel “pause.” That’s what

I wanted this space to evoke. And because

of the community we serve—Christian,

Jewish, Buddhist, atheist, etc.—it had to be

a space that translated this feeling to people

regardless of their faith.

Nature provides a spiritual experience

common to most people. You often hear

people say that they experience God through

nature. Seeing the magnicent sunsets we see

in the desert, or standing on a mountain and

looking across the valley below, is a spiritual

experience on some level.

So the kiva chapel uses the four elements,

nature and the movement of light to create a

spiritual experience.

When you’re in that space, you see the

light moving along the walls, you see the

light streaming through the Flower of Life

ocular, you witness time captured through

light. At sunset, it’s almost as if time slows

down.

I read a description of the ceiling that talked

about the ower-shaped skylight being

based on the Guggenheim Museum, which

also has a similar building shape.

Yes; it has those halos. The architect said

he included the skylight because when

something bad happens in your life—such as

losing a loved one—you tend to look up at

the sky and wonder, “Why is this happening?

Why me?” You question God; you wonder

about the big picture.

When you walk into the kiva, that skylightis meant to draw your eyes up to the light.

Death and grief are often described as feeling

heavy and dark, and the Flower of Life is

designed to get you to raise your eyes up to

the heavens and toward the light. It’s meant to

be a healing space as well as a sacred space.

The Flower of Life design used is also

important. It’s a sacred geometric shape/

symbol that you see versions of in every

faith. It predates Christ by 2,000 years.

Michelangelo painted it; it’s seen in

Buddhism and Hinduism, and in Judaism

and the Muslim faith, as well. The ower is

created with overlapping circles; sacred space

is often a circle.

The Flower of Life represents unity and,

more importantly, no beginning, no ending—

rebirth. In nature, we see it in the seasons.

The death of winter followed by spring, when

life bursts forth again. The Flower of Life

represents nature’s cycle of life. A related

symbol, the Seed of Life, is on the doors that

go from the kiva chapel to the lobby and to

the smaller ceremonial room.

There are four doors in the chapel,and they are located facing the cardinal

directions—north, south, east and west. That

has to do with the directions sacred to Native

Americans.

I see what you’re saying. When I visited

Japan, I went to some Shinto shrines, and of

course they look nothing like the Christian

and Jewish religious buildings I was

familiar with. But you walk in and you can

feel the quiet, sense the spirit.

That is exactly what the Kiva Chapel of Light

PhoTo from Tim riverA

The chapel set up for a small service. Screens can be used to create small spaces,

but in this case the funeral director simply set the chairs in a circle around the rockfountain, which can serve as an altar when covered.

The chapel also is designed to deal with the fact that we’re seeing a wide range of attendance

at services. Some services are large, but some are very small. You can see in the photo on this page

how we set up the chapel for a small service, and it worked very well. It felt appropriate, intimate.



ASD AD1/4 V

4-COLOR

Withum AD1/4 V

Zontec AD1/4 V

Flowers for CemeteriesAD

1/4 V4-COLOR



D ES I GN

is designed to do. I did not want a pseudo-

Christian chapel. If people aren’t going to

hold their service in a church, why would

they want to go to a funeral home where the

chapel feels like a traditional church?

Seeing people react to the completed

building has been very satisfying. Whenpeople walk into the space, they’re awestruck;

their jaws drop. It almost feels like walking

into a monastery. There’s no decoration; the

walls are bare—except for the light.

In addition to the light entering through

the skylight and the two solstice windows,

there’s a complicated, computer-controlled

LED lighting system. The architect designed

the walls so that we can evoke an ambiance

through the light washing down the walls. It’s

a subtle effect, but very effective.

When we talk to families, we ask if they

have a color preference for the lighting, or

if they’d like us to take the lighting through

a sunrise to sunset cycle, or if they’d like it

set to morning light, or twilight—we can do

whatever they want. It’s like a customizable

theatrical space. Santa Fe has a famous opera

company that uses a lot of light effects, and a

similar system was installed in our chapel.

In addition to the lighting system, there are

at TV screens than can be hidden. The entire

audio-visual system can be operated from an

iPad. You can sit there and change the colors,

change the sound, open the doors over the TV

screen.

In addition to the kiva-shaped chapel, it

appears there are accessory buildings.

There is a small chapel/viewing room/

ceremonial space, which is very important.

We serve the Jewish community, Buddhists,

Muslims and families from Mexico and

South America. They can perform the rituals

required by their religion, and can spend all

night there if they want.

There is also a lobby that can be set up

for receptions or used for overow in case of

a really large service. Outside, we’re going

to plant an aspen grove in the spring and

create an area that can be used for outdoor

receptions, or where people can simply take

a walk.

And incidentally, directly across thestreet, across from our parking lot, there’s

a retirement community with an excellent

reception area where we can arrange white

tablecloth meals for families who want that.

If people want a reception with light nger

foods, they can do it our facility. For sit-down

meals, we have an arrangement with the

place across the street and have their menu

available in our ofces for families to look at.

There’s a long columbarium outside

the chapel from Columbarium by Design.

There’s going to be another bank of niches

that’s going to be enclosed in glass so that we

can have water owing over them—a wall of

water. I had art glass specically crafted, and

an artist is building the water wall that will go

around the niche bank. This is another nod to

the basic elements, nature’s elements.

You obviously embrace the religious and

cultural diversity of your community.

Some funeral directors/cemeterians might

throw up their hands and say, “How can

we possibly appeal to all these different

people?”

That was one of the big challenges: How do

you create a sacred space that everyone can

relate to? It’s hard. But we’ve had people whodescribe themselves as “spiritual.” We’ve

had many Catholic rosary services in there.

We’ve had services that were completely non-

religious. We recently had a Jewish service;

the Orthodox rabbi loved the space.

When we opened the Kiva Chapel of

Light, we had a Native American elder, a

Jewish rabbi, a Catholic priest, a Buddhist

monk and a Sikh participate in the dedication.

The Native American elder performed a

blessing of the space. That was important to

us, because this is meant as a sacred space,

not something that could be a reception room

at the Hilton.

We recently had a famous Tibetan

Buddhist monk teach a seminar here. The

monks chanted and sang, and held a small

reception afterward. The space is perfect for

that sort of function.

Are you hoping that more families will

choose to hold services at your facility?

That absolutely was the business plan behind

this. I think every funeral home in the United

States is experiencing this, but we’re in an

area with a very high cremation rate. Andsome people were having us help them with

the cremation and then going somewhere else

to hold a memorial service.

Now, every family who comes through

the doors gets a tour of our facilities, and it’s

already started to have an effect. We had one

woman arranging a high-prole service who

walked into the kiva and said, “I could hold

this service at the convention center. I could

hold it at the performing arts center, or at one

of the big churches. But this is where I want

The small chapel/ceremony room/visitation room off the main chapel provides

space where families can handle religious rituals and, if desired, stay all night.

But we’ve had people who describe themselves as “spiritual.” We’ve had many

Catholic rosary services in there. We’ve had services that were completely non-religious.

We recently had a Jewish service; the Orthodox rabbi loved the space.


25/64

Funeral Data Manager ADFULL PAGE

page 254-COLOR



D ES I GN

to be. This is exactly what we want.”

Out goal was to create a venue that would

provide a unique “wow” experience that

families can’t re-create in any other venue.

We want them to walk in here and say tothemselves, “This is a life event, and we want

a special space,” and realize that’s what we

have here.

Some of the alternative venues, like the

high-end hotels and country clubs, can

offer experienced catering and large, multi-

purpose spaces, but there’s nothing spiritual

about a hotel ballroom.

Exactly. They have sterile rooms with

chairs in them. And even though Americans

are becoming less connected to organized

religion, they are still very spiritual. They

want to feel something, and I don’t believe

they’re going to feel anything at the hotel

reception hall.

I saw mention in the local newspapercoverage of the Kiva Chapel of Light

opening that you are making the space

available for weddings and other life events.

Correct; it’s meant to be a life ceremony

center. In the few weeks we’ve been open,

we’ve had a mental health grief retreat

seminar over two weekends, the Buddhist

event I mentioned and a holiday event on

the winter solstice held by an interfaith

ministerial group. We’ve scheduled at least

one baptism.

And yes, every time someone walks in,

they ask if we allow weddings. At every

memorial service, someone asks about that.

I didn’t want it to be a funeral chapel;

I wanted it to be a ceremonial space. And

that’s what it’s becoming.

Do you anticipate any scheduling problems,

since funerals are often last-minute, andthere’s a time element in Jewish and Muslim

rites?

We’re working on that, because we are

already starting to experience scheduling

issues. What we’re going to do is block out

certain times for funeral events that need to

be done on short notice.

There’s going to be some renement of

how we schedule the space, but as funeral

directors, we are used to doing things on shor

notice. If people want to schedule a memorial

service at, say, the botanical gardens, they’re

going to have to schedule it two or threemonths in advance. Those types of places

aren’t set up for exible scheduling the way a

funeral home is.

I think it’s going to work. It may not work

every time, but I think we’ll get better at

guring out the scheduling.

I guess it’s better to be experiencing

scheduling difculties than nding that no

one’s using your new building.

That’s why it took me so long to pull the

trigger on this project. I had nightmares.

People say, “Build it and they will come,” butI kept thinking, “Really??”

I have zero buyer’s remorse at this point.

I feel condent; the staff feels condent. I

joke that people walk in here and say, “I can

hardly wait to die.”

Actually, one guy did say that. I had

explained all the symbolism involved in

the building and he was just amazed. After

he said it, he realized what he’d said and

started laughing. “Wait a minute; I didn’t

mean that.”

How exactly would you say the kiva chapel

addresses the needs of cremation families?

This space was designed for cremation

families, for families who don’t want the

traditional service but want something

unique, something special. This goes back to

what we often hear: Families come in all the

time who don’t know what they want, but

they know what they don’t want, which is the

traditional experience.

This space was designed to give them a

place to create something that will be relevant

Ab and below, two views of the Kiva Chapel of light from different angles,showing the lobby where receptions can be set up.



Kryprotek AD1/2 H

Nomis AD1/3 Square

4-COLOR

Abbott & HastAD

1/6 V



D ES I GN

and meaningful to them.

Are you presenting this facility to families at

your two other locations?

Not really. One of the other funeral homes is

20-25 miles away, and the other is about an

hour and a half drive from here. And they’re

communities with their own identities,

different from Santa Fe.

Espanola serves a very Catholic Hispanic

community, and the chapels are very much

traditional Christian spaces. The chapel inTaos is more of a non-denominational space,

but it’s still a square space with pews, though

it has adobe walls and a very New Mexico

feel.

What kind of training was involved for

your funeral directors to work with this new

space?

We’ve done a tremendous amount of training,

while the building was under construction, on

how to present the chapel to families.

We don’t just sit down with the family

and start asking questions. We give people a

tour of the facility and explain the symbolism

incorporated into it. And then we sit down

and say, “OK, let’s talk about how we make

this a unique experience for your dad’s

life celebration.” And that includes asking

questions about the lighting that will help

create the right ambiance.

How have you been marketing the new

building?

We do run something in the paper every

day that talks about what can be done in the

chapel. The past couple of years I’ve been

talking about what we were building, what

was coming.

But the key is to get people to see the

space, because it’s hard to describe—people

need to experience it. So we hold almost

daily tours for hospice groups, church groups,

every type of group we can think of. That’s

why we hosted that Buddhist seminar and

that mental health grief seminar—to get

people into the chapel. The Elks Club had

a meeting here in January. We’re hosting

a Chamber of Commerce meeting, which

is going to feature an opera singer. We’re

having yoga for hospice workers.

Funeral directors and cemeterians are also

told they need to sit down and gure out

what their different value proposition is,

what differentiates them from the rest of

the market. You don’t have to sit down and

gure it out—you know.

We’re unlike any church, funeral home,convention center or hotel reception area.

We wanted a space people couldn’t replicate

anywhere else, where people would say, “I

have to have the service here.”

My staff is really excited about working

with this space. My manager has been in

the business for a long time and is very

progressive, and I have three funeral directors

in their 20s who are excited to show this

space off and to set up events, to create great

experiences for families. r

The chapel set up for a large event. Here the TV screen, which can be hidden behind a panel, is visible above the door.

We don’t just sit down with the family and start asking questions.

We give people a tour of the facility and explain the symbolism incorporated into it.


29/64

Johnson AD 2 of 2FULL PAGEpage 29

4-COLOR



[email protected]

CREMATION

With the unveiling of the O.M.

Whipple Columbarium & Garden

of Remembrance, Historic Lowell

Cemetery has transformed itself from a

cemetery with no dedicated cremation areas

to a cemetery offering premier cremation

memorialization.

Until recently, those who chose cremation

were buried in lots that had been developed

for traditional casketed interment. Lowell did

allow two cremation urns to be buried per

lot, but cremation interment basically was

traditional burial.

Now, cremation families have an option

specically created for them, a section that

combines cutting-edge inurnment in a unique

curved-granite columbarium with design that

ts into the historic grounds of a cemetery

founded in 1841 and therefore celebrating its

175th anniversary this year.

Which is not to say cremation families

were not choosing interment at Lowell

Cemetery previously. James Latham,

president of the Lowell Cemetery Board

since 2010, said cremation interments had

been growing during the past 20 years, and

for the last three years, about a third of the

cemetery’s burials had been of cremated

remains. Many of those people were being

interred in family plots or plots they had

purchased years ago, possibly before deciding

on cremation as a method of disposition.

The O.M. Whipple Columbarium and

Garden of Remembrance was named

for the cemetery’s rst president, from

whom the land was purchased. The new

cremation area covers about half an acre of

the cemetery, which despite its age is not

turning to cremation because it is running

out of space for traditional burials, since

about 20 acres of the 85-acre cemetery

remain undeveloped. Rather, the cremation

Adding a ‘wow’ cremation areathat fits into a historic cemetery

➤James D. Latham has been president of

the Proprietors of Lowell Cemetery Board

since 2010, and a member since 1978.

He was formerly general counsel at the

Sheraton Corp.➤Lowell Cemetery, Lowell,

Massachusetts, was founded by a group of

prominent Lowell citizens as a private, non-

sectarian, nonprot cemetery corporation.

They bought land from Oliver M. Whipple

to start the cemetery, which has acquired

additional land over the years and now

encompasses 85 acres. Whipple, for whom

the new cremation garden is named, was

the cemetery’s rst president, serving for

27 years.

➤Modeled after Mt. Auburn Cemetery in

Cambridge, Massachusetts, the nation’srst garden cemetery, Lowell Cemetery

was dedicated on June 20, 1841, and is

celebrating its 175th anniversary this year.

The cemetery was included on the National

Register of Historic Places in 1998. It

ncludes almost 17,700 interments.

www.lowellcemetery.com

by ICCFA Magazine

Managing Editor Susan Loving

ICCFA Magazine subject spotlightHow can you ‘wow’ cremation families while honoring the

traditional landscape of a 175-year-old New England cemetery?

That was the challenge facing the trustees of Lowell Cemetery.

[email protected]

Speakers at the dedication for the O.M. Whipple Columbarium &

Garden of Remembrance at Lowell Cemetery, from left, project archi-

tect William R. Walsh, Walsh Engineering Associates; Lowell MayorRodney M. Elliott; President of the Lowell Cemetery Board of Trustees

James D. Latham; Congresswoman Nicki Tsongas; State Sen. EileenM. Donoghue; and ICCFA Immediate Past President Fred Lappin, CCE,

president and CEO of Sharon Memorial Park, Sharon, Massachusetts,

and Knollwood Memorial Park, Canton, Massachusetts.



Above and left, additiona

views of the unique curvgranite columbarium wa

and the pavilion. The facthat the granite niche fro

were cut in a curved patt

to follow the exact radiusof the curved columbariu

walls makes them uniqueIn addition, the curved g

ite niche fronts were laid

in a running bond patterproviding a look compat

ible with other granite waconstruction in the histo

cemetery.

PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE COURTESY OF EICKHOF COLUMB

The columbarium installed by Eickhof Columbaria at Lowell Cemetery features Barre Grey granite niche fronts with a sanded niAbove, one of the niche fronts has been removed to show visitors attending the dedication how urns t into the double niches.



CREMA T I ON

garden was developed to offer cremation

families something special.

The garden is located on a landscaped

hill overlooking the rest of the grounds.“It’s a perfect spot for it; it’s almost like it

was made for it,” Latham said. “It was an

undeveloped area, right in the central part

of the cemetery, on a hill overlooking the

cemetery and close to the chapel and to the

receiving tomb, which is architecturally

interesting. It was absolutely perfect for

what we had in mind.”

Discussion about developing a cremation

garden began about ve years before it was

built, Latham said. In addition to “being

mindful of our duciary responsibilities,”

the trustees had a number of requirements

in mind, he said in his speech at the

dedication:

• The project must t in with the garden-

style landscape.

• The project must blend in with the

historic monumentation.

• The project must be of very high

quality.

• The project must possess the “wow”

factor.

“I’m pleased to say that the folks who

have seen our project conrm that we havesucceeded in all these objectives.”

Niches are contained in three curved

granite walls provided by Eickhof

Columbaria, Crookston, Minnesota. At the

end of one wall is a small water feature,

a bronze, wide-mouthed spout that pours

water onto a large stone. The water level is

no more than a couple of inches.

“The sound of falling water is not

especially loud, but it’s an audio-visual

feature that blends in with the area and

helps set a contemplative atmosphere.”

Steps from one level of the columbariumlead up to an open-air pavilion where

services can be held. It was included partly

as one of the features that would make

the cremation garden and columbarium

unique to the area yet not out of place in its

historic surroundings. “The idea of having

a pavilion just sort of evolved. I think our

architect, Bill Walsh of Walsh Engineering

Associates, had it as an option, and the

board liked it. It’s a very nice feature.”

There is a memorial chapel on the

It’s a perfect spot for it; it’s almost like it was made for it. It was an undeveloped area, right in the central part

of the cemetery, on a hill overlooking the cemetery and close to the chapel and to the receiving tomb, which

is architecturally interesting. It was absolutely perfect for what we had in mind.—James Latham

The garden section of the O.M. Whipple Columbarium & Garden of Remembrance

includes seating, ground interment designed for cremated remains and a veteransmmral, t cmtr’s rst. Nams and srvc nfrmatn f ts nrnd n

t clmbarm can b nscrbd n t grant n frnt f t agpl.

At the dedication of the new cremation garden, Lowell Cemetery Board of Trustees

members and staff, from left, Darren H. Sykes; Superintendent R. Brabrook Walsh;San Sn; Grg L. Dncan; F. Alx Wlsn; Rsmar Nn; Bard Prsdnt

Jams D. Latam; Ann Mar Pag; Bran L. Capman; Lws T. Karabatss; BardVc Prsdnt and Trasrr Rbrt S. Mckttrck; Mmd Al; and fc managr

Michael H. Lally. Behind them is the pavilion, which had not been completed.


33/64

Eikhof AD

FULL PAGEpage 33

4-COLOR



CREMA T I ON

cemetery grounds where services can be

held in inclement weather. The chapel, built

around the beginning of the 20th century, is

made of granite, as is the columbarium, and

has a slate roof, as does the pavilion. “Some

of the roundness of the pavilion picks up

some aspects of the chapel, which is down

the hill from the columbarium.”

Though they were designing with

21st-century clients in mind, they were

very conscious of the cemetery’s historic

landscape and determined not to simply

drop a free-standing columbarium

somewhere on the grounds, “like a post

ofce box,” Latham said.

“We wanted the columbarium to blend

in with the rest of the cemetery as much as

possible, so we chose granite in addition

to being conscious of wanting something

that would be unique and tasteful and that

would be a credit to the cemetery and the

community.”

Because of the curved walls, the niche

covers are curved, as well. “They are

done in a gradual radius so they t with

the curvature of the overall columbarium

wall. It was quite tricky. If the niche covers

had been at, they would have projected

shadows at various times during the day,

and we didn’t want that.”

In addition to the approximately 980

double niches, there are spaces for in-

ground burial of cremated remains. “They

are not technically part of the columbarium;

I guess you’d say they are part of the garden

aspect of the project.”

Some of the spaces are close to a

veterans memorial, the cemetery’s rst.

“The cemetery has been very conscious

of the contributions of veterans, and has

honored veterans at a ceremony that alwaystakes place the weekend before Memorial

Day and at a smaller event near Veterans

Day in the fall.

“We thought including an area where

veterans are recognized would perhaps

make more veterans consider the colum-

barium, but we also simply wanted to have

something that specically recognized their

service.”

The veterans area includes a agpole

and a plaque where veterans inurned in the

columbarium will be recognized with the

engraving of their name and service. Thisalso solves the conundrum cemeterians

often face when trying to balance the

desire people have for personalization with

aesthetic considerations.

“On the columbarium wall, we limit the

engraving to the person’s name and dates,

and we’re trying to keep the engraving

consistent by using the same font. Many

veterans want their memorials to include

their military service, and we realized

that in order to add that we were not

going to be able to keep letters the same

size to maintain the look we want for thecolumbarium.”

The veterans area solves the problem,

providing a place where military service

information can be recorded. The niche

covers will include evidence of military

service (a star) so that visitors know to walk

over to the veterans area for further details.

Sales and marketing Lowell did not sell the columbarium

preconstruction, but start selling niches in

Above and below, the trifold brochure Lowell Cemetery is using to introduce cre-

mation families to its new interment and inurnment option.



September, prior to nal completion of the

pavilion roof and a few punch-list items.

The niche walls were in and people could

see what the garden looked like.

Visitors to the cemetery’s website can

download a trifold brochure (see page 34)

describing the columbarium, and the project

has received favorable local press coverage.

The cemetery used a marketing consultant

to help them pull together press kits and map

out an advertising campaign leading up to

a dedication ceremony in October. “And

some of our trustees have been on local radio

shows, and I believe one even appeared on

local cable television.”

Speakers at the dedication included

Latham; Rep. Nicki Tsongas, widow of the

late Sen. Paul Tsongas, who is buried at

Lowell Cemetery; a state senator; Lowell’s

mayor; and ICCFA Immediate Past President

Frederick Lappin, CCE.At the dedication, Latham announced

that materials were being gathered for a

time capsule, which would include cemetery

artifacts as well as photos of the day’s events.

In addition to the public dedication

ceremony, “We had a separate preview for

funeral directors in the area,” Latham said.

Massachusetts is a non-combo state, so

there is no funeral home associated with the

cemetery. That means the cemetery has to

market its new memorialization option itself,

both to funeral directors and to the public.

“The reaction has been quite positive.

People are really quite surprised and almost

astonished at how handsome it is. It’s clearly

not your typical columbarium, and we have

been generating sales, absolutely.” r

CREMA T I ON

PhoTo CouRTeSy oF eiCKhoF CoLuMBARiA

A view of the columbarium showing walls on two different levels of the slopingsite, as well as the edge of the pavilion and the tent erected for the dedication.

Holland AD 2 of 21/2 H

4-COLOR



INTERIOR DESIGN

Industry events provide great

opportunities to meet new friends and

reminisce with others. For those of

us with mirthful spirits, meetings with

catered foods can be dangerous. At a

recent convention while enjoying wine

and tasty but messy hors d’oeuvres, anewly-introduced North Carolina cemetery

manager asked how our business was

going. (We provide memorial industry

customers with beautiful and sturdy

furniture.)

“Great!” I replied while delicately

trying to nish a stuffed mushroom.

This blunt-speaking gentleman took the

opportunity of my inability to say more

by punctuating the conversation with,

“There must be a gold mine out there for

you. A lot of these businesses are stuck

in the ’70s!” His enthusiastic commentand succinct assessment of industry décor

almost caused me to spit out my food with

laughter and surprise.

Ronnie Milsap’s song, “Lost in the

’50s Tonight,” jumped into my mind as

a possible theme song for some of the

properties I visit. His sleepy-sounding

song tells of happy beginnings and

reminisces about times long past with an

unvoiced wish to return to those times.

Some properties do seem lost in a time

warp.

Amazingly, I have encountered high-prole locations which have not made any

decorating or furniture changes for 50-plus

years. Well, maybe that’s not completely

true. Some facilities received donations of

furnishings over the years from prominent

families and moved them around to areas

of lesser use when the pieces became more

worn and less sturdy.

It has been even more shocking to

discover locations where somewhat recent

furniture and lamp purchases had been

made at Goodwill so as to “maintain the

décor.” Now, my parents brought me up to

be thrifty, but this decorating philosophy

takes it to an extreme.

A Maryland funeral director joined

our conversation and offered his studied

observation that facility upgrades need tooccur every 10 years. My quizzical look

prompted him to explain. “In my 25 years,

I have served generations of the same

families. To my way of thinking, wouldn’t

it be terrible if nothing here changed?

They would think that I only wanted their

money and didn’t care about investing in

my business. People want a comfortable,

updated facility where they can be proud

to welcome family and friends.”

Others standing around nodded

in agreement as one Michigan area

professional added: “You can’t believehow many new families I serve after they

have visited our funeral home to pay

respects. Frequently I hear comments

about how nicely decorated, how fresh

and bright our place is. It makes me proud

to host their events. When my business

is compared to my competitor down the

street (who has made very few changes

since his dad started the business almost

50 years ago), I know they are paying

attention to how I honor them.”

Assuming all funeral directors and

cemeterians employ the same technicalskills (families don’t generally have

enough knowledge to assess your skills),

one thing that can easily differentiate your

business from another is your facility.

“Put your best foot forward” was a

favorite saying back in the ’50s. Whether

it’s been ve or 50 years since your

facility’s last décor update, where do you

start to “put your best foot forward”?

Most of us don’t have time to wander

through furniture stores, take decorating

You and your staff can be dressed to the nines,

but if you’re working in a building that looks shabby or

simply tired and dated, families are not going to perceive

your organization as one that provides excellent service.

[email protected]

ICCFA Magazine author spotlight

MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR

➤Scheuble is the Hekman Furniture spe-

cialist to the memorial industry. Her design

experience began with Ethan Allen as an in-

terior decorator in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

After working in education for several years,

she joined Cressy Memorial Group, where

she works with funeral and cemetery busi-ness owners, managers, marketing directors

and interior decorators. She is a graduate of

Wheeling Jesuit University.

➤She has been a presenter at the ICCFA

convention, a two-time speaker at the

Ohio Funeral Directors Association con-

vention and has written for Funeral Home

& Cemetery News and The Independent.

➤Cressy Memorial Group, Mishawaka,

Indiana, includes Crowne Vault, Crowne

Urns by Cornell, Natural Legacy USA,

Howard Miller Memorial, Hekman Furni-

ture and R&S Design Gallery.www.cressymemorial.com

by MaryAnne Scheuble

If your facility is ‘lost in the ’50s,’you’re sending the wrong message

Scheuble will be at

the Howard Miller/

Hekman booth in the

Expo Hall during the

ICCFA 2016 Conven-

tion & Expo, April 13-

16, in New Orleans,

Louisiana.



Passages AD1/2 H

4-COLOR

Xiamen AD1/3 Square



INTERIOR DESIGN

classes or keep up with the latest designtrends. An interior decorator friend of

mine believes that good decorating is an

evolving process and change should occur

regularly—every two to ve years. That’s

not to say that everything should change,

but some things should: re-position

seating, upgrade to brighter lighting,

replace “not-so-perfect” décor items, add

other conveniences, etc.

So, how do you know what still looks

good/welcoming/appropriate?

Take a quick look It is very difcult for most of us to look at

our facilities with fresh eyes. The easiest

time to evaluate your property is after you

have been away from the business for a

week or more.

If you never get away from your

business that long, use this trick: Walk to

the doorway of each room with your eyes

on the oor. Close your eyes, then very

consciously notice where your gaze goes

as you raise your head and open your eyes

to take in the view.Pay attention to the focus of those rst,

second and third glances. Your eyes will

naturally nd what is most noticeable due

to shape, location, appeal, unexpectedness

or light. Do not force yourself to look at

what you know is there.

First glance is where you want attention

to go, i.e. a special feature of your facility

such as a display cabinet, chandelier

or painting. Our eyes search for an

outstanding feature, which could be either

beautiful or ugly. The good news is that

it is possible to redirect attention to an

attractive feature.

A second glance quickly scans the room

to nd another interesting feature, a cozy

furniture grouping, stained glass window

or a cracked, patched wall. We see both

good and bad.

The third glance will “put the room

together” so you get the full essence or

“feel” of the décor. This is when we notice

patterned carpeting, pleasing accessories or

frayed welting/rumpled cushions on chairs

as well as whether

furnishings look old

or updated.Do this exercise

with each space or

ask an impartial

friend to help. You

might be surprised

to notice themes

that become evident

such as owery

designs on fabrics/

wallpaper (old),

good carpeting with

no visible trafc

patterns (updated), walls that are decoratedto invite you into the room (new) or “lost

in the ’50s” furniture (ancient!).

Study what you seeThe next step involves an honest

assessment and study of each space. Use

this checklist as a start:

o Inviting entra

ICCFA Magazine February 2016

Documents

Transcript of ICCFA Magazine February 2016