Passing Journey

Although I live near Charlottesville, Virginia, I am available for services throughout Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. I am prepared to work with the family involved to make sure that all concerns are carried out in a dignified and meaningful way.

Funeral services generally are very time relevant; therefore, an e-mail with your request with date, time and place(with complete address and contact information) for the funeral is prominent. Some memorials also are requested soon after death; therefore, timeliness with exchanges is necessary. In your e-mail please provide a phone number and most frequented e-mail address, where you can be reached for immediate feedback. My first response will be an e-mail to you to confirm if I am available to meet your request.

Once I have indicated my availability, I will discuss your ideas about the funeral or memorial. One family member should be designated for meeting requests for information and additional feedback for the minister. I am aware that this is always an emotional time for all family members; therefore, this may seem like additional stress for assisting me in writing and co-creating a personal ceremony; however, I do have a questionnaire which is sent as an attachment to an e-mail. This questionnaire is so very important for completion and immediate return by e-mail. This same questionnaire can also be forwarded to other family members for their gracious comments for use in the ceremony.

If there is a written history of the deceased, and a draft obituary, please forward these items in addition to the questionnaire. These are the items which allow me to know your loved one.

Additional services include meeting with family and friends before and after the service, and if a local service or I arrive the day before for an out of area service, then I will seek to meet with family before the service, perhaps the night before. Please know that I offer grief counseling by phone and e-mail (continued if needed at no extra charge). A keepsake copy of the ceremony will also be provided within weeks.