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VA Announces Expanded Burial Benefits
The Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced it has temporarily expanded burial benefits for certain veterans, per the Sen. Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act.
The new law specifies eligible veterans are those who are discharged from VA-provided medical or nursing care to receive VA-provided hospice care at their home and who die between July 1, 2025, and Oct. 1, 2026.
Previously, veterans who died at home under VA hospice care after discharge from VA-provided medical or nursing care were not always eligible for a full VA burial allowance. The Dole Act addresses that gap.
“VA is working hard to fully implement the many provisions of the Dole Act,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “We’re excited to offer this expanded benefit, which better supports veterans who choose to spend their final days at home, surrounded by their loved ones.”
Families and caregivers of veterans receiving hospice care at home following discharge from VA-provided medical or nursing care are encouraged to contact their local VA for information about eligibility and how to apply for burial benefits. Visit VA burial benefits or call 800-827-1000 for more information.
Learn more about details on the legislative language authorizing this change.
Fleet Aware: New Tracking Tech Helps Funeral Homes Monitor Vehicles in Real Time
A fleet tracking software funeral homes can employ to keep track of their vehicles is getting some positive reviews.
All Aware recently announced the availability of Fleet Aware, which is a new fleet tracking product specifically designed to meet the needs of funeral homes.
David Pryor, managing funeral director at Piper Funeral Home in St. Marys, Kansas, shared a post on LinkedIn that highlights some of benefits of the All Aware Fleet Tracking solution. With it, you can:
- Know exactly where your vehicles are: Real-time GPS tracking provides complete visibility of your hearses, family cars, and support vans.
- Optimize routes and timelines: Ensure smooth, timely processions and efficient service calls, every time.
- Improve driver safety and accountability: Monitor driving behavior and ensure your team is operating safely and professionally.
- Reduce operational costs: Optimize fuel consumption and maintenance, saving your business money.
The Fleet Aware solution offers low monthly costs and features easy, plug-and-play installation.
“As a personal endorsement, I’ve been using Fleet Aware for over four months for our funeral home fleet and highly recommend it,” Pryor said in his LinkedIn post. “All Aware has been incredibly responsive to feedback on features and is committed to developing new options specifically for funeral service.”
He also shared an industry-specific discount that the company is offering funeral professionals. Read his post.
Karaoke and Grief Go Together
If you work at a funeral home or cemetery and are struggling to come up with some interactive ways to meet members of your community, you may want to consider karaoke.
Just look at Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C., which is kicking off August with “A Night of Grief Karaoke / Karaoke in the Cemetery.”
According to the cemetery’s website:
“On August 1st, artist Leigh Davis will premiere Grief Karaoke at Historic Congressional Cemetery, the first installment of her ongoing series Karaoke in the Cemetery. Historic Congressional Cemetery is designed to support grieving as it manifests—its architecture and natural landscape offering a venue for grief to be acknowledged, carried, and with Davis’ work, shared. This new series is an open invitation to commune and release the burden of carrying grief alone, instead offering a joyful connection through song to help release some of the isolation that grief can often carry.”’
The event description goes on to note, “As there is no one ‘right’ way to grieve, we welcome a chorus of voices to connect, comfort, and find compassion in the company of others moving through their own process of mourning. Grief Karaoke will activate Historic Congressional Cemetery’s chapel with light and sound, making this a gathering space for laughter, tears, and a place to acknowledge the different kinds of losses and many ways we grieve.”
Kudos to Congressional Cemetery for not only coming up with an innovative idea that aligns with its purpose but for spreading the word about the event throughout the community via traditional and digital marketing.
Serenity Funeral Home Steps Up After Disturbing Discovery at Closed Facility
The closure of Savory and Sons Funeral Home by the Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors left behind more than just a locked building—it left behind cremated remains.
After hearing that boxes of cremated remains had been discarded outside the shuttered facility, Michael Lee went to investigate. He found 17 sets of remains—some dating back a decade — left exposed and unattended. When local authorities declined to take custody, Lee collected them himself and contacted the FOX4 television station, according to its report.
Seeking a place of dignity and safety, Lee turned to Serenity Funeral Home in Kansas City, where owner Michael Adkins and his team took immediate action. Serenity is now safeguarding the remains and working to identify and reconnect them with loved ones.
The state board confirmed Savory and Sons was shut down for gross negligence, fraud, and misconduct, but noted that even with a revoked license, funeral homes remain responsible for properly handling remains.
With no one else stepping in, Serenity Funeral Home upheld the values the profession demands — compassion, integrity and respect for the dead.
Wisconsin Funeral Home Owners Buy Competitor
The owners of Rosman Uehling Kinzer Funeral Home have bought the nearby Brian Mark Funeral Home in Beloit, Wisconsin, according to a report in the Beloit Daily News.
The purchase price was not disclosed.
The buyers – Jarod and Tania Williams – now own the two former Brian Mark Funeral Homes locations at 1000 E. Inman Parkway and 504 Milwaukee St.
Learn more in the full article.
Pennsylvania Bill Seeks to Regulate Pet Cremation After Funeral Director Scandal
Pennsylvania State Representative Brandon Markosek (D-Monroeville) has introduced House Bill 1750, which aims to regulate pet cremation services in the state by bringing them in line with standards in other areas of the funeral industry.
The bill would establish a specific offense for misrepresenting the handling of animal remains and authorize penalties that could impact a funeral director’s license. The proposal follows criminal charges filed by Attorney General Dave Sunday against Pittsburgh-area funeral director Patrick Vereb, who allegedly defrauded pet owners of over $650,000 by failing to cremate or bury pets as promised—reportedly discarding the remains in a landfill and returning unrelated ashes to clients.
According to Markosek, the bill is designed to prevent future misconduct and rebuild public confidence.
Funeral Director Sentenced to 25 Years for Deadly Shooting at Child’s Burial Service
A Maryland funeral director has been sentenced to 60 years in prison, with 25 years to be served behind bars, after opening fire during a child’s burial ceremony—a shooting that left one man dead and another person injured, WJZ News reported.
According to the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, Wilson Chavis was found guilty of second-degree murder and related charges that claimed the life of 30-year-old Ronald Banks.
The incident took place in June 2023 at Washington National Cemetery in Suitland during funeral services for 10-year-old Arianna Davis, who had been fatally shot in Washington, D.C. Chavis, whose funeral home was overseeing the service, got into a heated argument with individuals from another funeral home—people he reportedly had an ongoing business dispute with.
During the confrontation, Chavis drew a gun and fired. Banks, who was serving as a pallbearer, was fatally wounded. A woman standing nearby was grazed by a bullet but survived.
Chavis fled the cemetery after the shooting but was apprehended later during a traffic stop.
