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Connecticut Funeral Home Steps Up after Alleged Preneed Theft
If your community has ever been devastated by the theft of preneed funds as the result of funeral home malfeasance, you know that it’s not a good look on the profession.
Even if your firm has an incredible reputation and does everything right, the trust the public has in the profession at large can take a hit when a competitor does something wrong.
The John F. Tierney Funeral Home in Manchester, Connecticut, however, is stepping up to help its community – and elevating its brand in the process – by starting the Pietras Preneed Victims Fund.
The donation page can be found here.
According to an article in the CT Insider, Philip Pietras, who owns Pietras Family Funeral Homes, which operates locations in East Windsor, Vernon, Coventry and Tolland, was arrested on a charge of first-degree larceny April 6 after allegedly stealing more than $80,000 in preneed burial funds from people with cognitive and physical disabilities. He allegedly spent the money on cruises, hotels and casinos.
According to the donation page that was set up by the John F. Tierney Funeral Home, “This isn’t about pointing fingers — it’s about coming together to do what’s right. While one individual’s actions have caused harm, we believe our community and profession can unite to offer healing and support.”
The Tierney Family kicked the fund off with an initial $10,000 donation. As of press time, Altmeyer Funeral Homes & Crematories with locations in West Virginia had added to the fund by donating an additional $500.
Welton Hong, the founder and CEO of Ring Ring Marketing, has also donated to the cause.
Oregon Bill Allows Crematories to Lower Mandatory Temperatures
Funeral professionals in Oregon recently heard some great news.
Angela McKenzie-Tucker, OFDA president and its legislative chair, shared on the association’s LinkedIn page that House Bill 3729, which allows for the lowering of mandatory crematory temperatures to 1,600 degrees, has unanimously passed the state Senate and is headed to the governor’s desk for signature.
She wrote, “The legislation would take effect on the 91st day after the legislature adjourns.” Meanwhile, state authorities have pledged to suspend enforcement of the 1,800-degree threshold until rulemaking can be completed on this legislation, “effectively allowing crematories to operate at 1,600 degrees on that 91st day,” she wrote.
She called it a “a huge win for the industry” – one that brings Oregon in line with the rest of the country. She also thanked everyone involved in helping pass the legislation.
Crematory owners and operators prefer running a retort at a lower temperature for several reasons, as it can extend the life of equipment, lower operating costs, create safer and more manageable working conditions, ease the impact on the environment and reduce the heat stress on staff.
Trust But Verify
“Doveryai, no proveryai” (Доверяй, но проверяй).
The translation from Russian into English would be “trust but verify.”
It’s a saying that became widely known in the West because U.S. President Ronald Reagan frequently used it during nuclear arms negotiations with the Soviet Union in the 1980s.
It’s worth knowing if you are a funeral home owner or manager. Even though you are not dealing with nuclear weapons, the results can be devastating if you fail to adhere to the idea.
The owners of Rose City Funeral Home in New Castle, Indiana learned that the hard way. They discovered that their employee, Joshua H. Silvers, allegedly stole more than $172,000 in payments from customers.
Fox 59 reported that Silvers has been charged with 31 counts of theft, forgery and fraud. The funeral home discovered the alleged theft after customers with outstanding bills told owners that they had already submitted payment to Silvers. Authorities allege that he simply deposited money into personal accounts, even stealing checks made out to the funeral home.
Learn more about how he allegedly carried out the theft – and don’t let an employee do the same thing to you.
HBO Documentary Examines a Horrific Funeral Home Scandal
Under the umbrella of “things to be aware of,” we would suggest getting up to speed on a new HBO documentary that premiered June 1 that highlights the horrific ways that David Sconce boosted market share at his family’s funeral home, Lamb Funeral Home in Pasadena, California.
Competing funeral home owners became suspicious of Sconce when he began charging lower prices. The way he was able to do it was by cremating multiple bodies at the same time, sometimes even breaking bones to squeeze more bodies into the retort.
In 1989, Sconce pleaded guilty to mishandling human remains and mining the corpses’ teeth for gold fillings. He’d go on to serve two years in prison and was sent back in 2013 for violating probation by being in possession of a firearm. In 2023, he was released on parole.
Read more about the series in this Time magazine article.
Funeral Home in Vermont Becomes First in State to Offer ‘Water Cremation’
Call it what you want – aquamation, resomation, alkaline hydrolysis or something else – it continues to remain an option for funeral homes seeking to differentiate themselves from competitors.
And now, residents in Vermont who want what many call “water cremation” have a place to go to: Minor Funeral and Cremation Center in Milton is now offering it to families.
“Our large and inviting facility is modern,” the funeral home’s website states. “We’re the only funeral home with an on-site crematory in Chittenden County and the only water alkaline hydrolysis, commonly known as water cremation facility in Vermont.”
The option is touted as being more environmentally friendly than flame-based cremation. Along with composting and natural burial, it’s an avenue that some funeral homes are exploring to cater to families who want to minimize their footprint on the environment even in death.
The funeral home earned media coverage after becoming the first in the state to offer the option.
In Related News …
Rhode Island may soon become the latest state to allow for water cremation, as members of its state House of Representatives recently passed a bill that would legalize water cremation as well as natural organic reduction, also known as human composting.
The state Senate must approve the bill for it to become law, according to a report in the Providence Journal.
Learn How to Use the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator
Every year, millions of dollars in life insurance benefits remain unclaimed – and some of those could certainly ease the burden of the families you serve and even help them pay for funeral expenses.
Sometimes, beneficiaries can’t find their deceased relative’s policies or, in some cases, may not even know the policies exist. To help solve this issue, the NAIC created the Life Insurance Policy Locator, a free online tool that helps consumers find their deceased loved one’s life insurance policies and annuity contracts.
If you are not already familiar with this tool and sharing information about it with families, it’s something to familiarize yourself with.
Steps to Take
The locator is easy to use. In your web browser, navigate to naic.org, hover over the select the Consumer tab on top, and select the Life Insurance Policy Locator under Tools. Or just visit https://content.naic.org/article/learn-how-use-naic-life-insurance-policy-locator.
Once you navigate to the right page, you’ll find comprehensive instructions on how to look up a policy.
Requests will be stored in a secure, encrypted database where participating life insurance and annuity companies can access the information through a secure portal. You will receive a “Do Not Reply” email confirming the request details you submitted. If a policy is found and you are the beneficiary, the life insurance or annuity company will contact you directly.
If no policy is found or you are not the beneficiary, you will not be contacted. The tool will not locate potential benefits from life insurance policies and annuity contracts for people who are alive.
A Job Title En Vogue: Assistant Funeral Director
In the last issue of Elevate, we reported that Oklahoma had paved the way for an “assistant funeral director” position to be created.
A couple states to the north – Nebraska – is following suit, according to a report from Nebraska Public Media.
The NPR affiliate cited statistics that show the number of funeral director licensees in the state has been relatively stagnant over the past several years, even though demand has been going up. Complicating matters is the fact that there is no educational institution in the state that issues a funeral director’s license.
Kevin Patterson, program chair of the Des Moines Area Community College mortuary science program, noted that DMACC’s students generally take courses online. This year, he told the NPR affiliate that 10 students hail from Nebraska, making up about 6% of the program’s enrollment.
The legislation that the Nebraska Legislature recently passed, LB555, may provide some relief as it will create an “assistant funeral director” (an unlicensed position) that could pave the way for people interested in the profession to see if they like the job while easing a workforce shortage for funeral homes.
Report: Latter-day Saints Increasingly Embracing Cremation
More and more people of all faiths — including members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — now choose cremation over burial.
That is according to an article in the Salt Lake Tribune, which noted that while the church traditionally opposed cremation, it has updated the statement in its General Handbook to say that decisions about bodies should be left to “the desires of the individuals.”
The article notes that in 2023, the cremation rate reached 60.5%, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. That figure is expected to exceed 80% by 2045.
Get an Incredible Deal on ‘Mastermind’ on Sept. 11 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Welton Hong, the founder and CEO of Ring Ring Marketing, will be one of the speakers at “Mastermind: Elevating Your Funeral Service Business to New Heights,” which will be Thursday, Sept. 11, at the Live! Casino & Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The event has been approved by the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice for 5.5 hours of continuing education as well as numerous states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey and Maryland.
Visit www.MastermindFuneral.com to learn more about the event.
If you enter promo code “INCREDIBLE” at online checkout, you will save 50% off your registration. If you register before the early-bird rate expires June 19, you will maximize your savings.
The experts speaking at Mastermind will cover a variety of topics, including how to enhance your preneed program, glean insights from consumer research, build trust with families and navigate business transitions.
Discover how to:
- Identify key customer touchpoints to increase engagement and trust.
- Use data-driven insights to improve services, offerings and customer experience.
- Tailor services to align with generational differences in funeral planning.
- Develop communication strategies that foster long-term relationships.
- Establish a clear and actionable succession plan to ensure continuity and success.
- Address legal, financial and emotional aspects of transitioning ownership.
- Utilize digital marketing tools such as social media, SEO and Google Ads to reach new customers.
- Implement reputation management strategies to build online credibility.
Mastermind would not be possible without its generous sponsors, including the exclusive Diamond Sponsor, Foresight; Platinum sponsors, Homesteaders Life Company, eFuneral and Domani Preneed; Gold sponsors, Carriage Services, Ring Ring Marketing and Nomis Publications; and silver sponsor, Pollen.
Visit www.MastermindFuneral.com to learn more.
