Anthony Russo

Delmar

Associate Editor at Funeral Service Insider

Pencil-sharpening enthusiast, author Dragged Into the Light Book: https://t.co/A9iooUJvtj Blog: https://t.co/fkpVeg0Kh1

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Articles

Tom Nondorf on the Future of Cemeteries: Storytelling, Space, and Transparency

1 week ago | kates-boylston.com | Anthony Russo

In this episode we speak with American Cemetery & Cremation editor Tom Nondorf about how cemeteries are embracing community engagement, creatively reusing space space, and recycling transparency. From Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery to innovative columbaria designs and ethical recycling practices, Nondorf shares what’s driving the transformation of memorial spaces in the modern era.
Spann Focuses on the Future in Unopposed Bid

1 week ago | kates-boylston.com | Anthony Russo

Steve Spann, a seasoned funeral director and embalmer from Tennessee, is vying for the treasurer position of the National Funeral Directors Association. Spann, who owns funeral homes in Dixon and Waverly, Tennessee, and serves as the president of John A. Gupton College in Nashville, brings decades of experience and a deep commitment to the profession’s future to his candidacy. Spann’s involvement with the NFDA spans 30 years, initially through his role at John A.
Mentorship, Hard Work Define Black’s Funeral Career Journey

1 week ago | kates-boylston.com | Anthony Russo

Carlos Black’s path to his current role as deputy locations manager for Small’s Mortuary & Cremation Services in Mobile, Alabama, has been a deeply personal and decades-long journey. He looks forward to the next leg of it as an at-large board member for the National Funeral Directors Association. Black’s introduction to the world of funeral service was far from the executive suite. “I started there when I was 13.
McBrayer May Break New Ground with NFDA Secretary Bid

1 week ago | kates-boylston.com | Anthony Russo

Funeral director Ellen Wynn McBrayer is hoping to make history in her bid for secretary of the National Funeral Directors Association, a role that could eventually lead to the presidency. While acknowledging the significance of her candidacy, McBrayer says she isn’t running to break a barrier but because she believes she is the right person for the job. “I do feel like I’m running because I’m the best person for this position,” she said. “Other women have run before and haven’t been selected.
Sunday Column: Questions of Scandalous Behavior

1 week ago | kates-boylston.com | Anthony Russo

I know this moment in time represents the last hurrah for the old white guy club, so many of us are making hay while the sun shines. Still, it’s odd to see such a fanatical aversion to change in a business so well acquainted with the inevitability of mortality. Here I’m not just talking about the NFDA institutionally, but an attitude that pervades the system.
How Funeral Service Helped Shape a Writer's Voice

1 week ago | kates-boylston.com | Anthony Russo

For Alexandra Mosca, the path to a life deeply intertwined with both the solemnity of funeral service and the reflective power of writing was anything but conventional. What began as an after-school job unexpectedly blossomed into a lifelong vocation, running parallel to her passion for the written word. “From the time I was a child, I intended to be a writer someday,” Mosca said. “I never had any thoughts of becoming a funeral director.
Kates-Boylston Report Reveals Shifting Sands in Funeral Home Landscape

1 month ago | kates-boylston.com | Anthony Russo

In case you missed last week’s installation, I wanted to bring you up to date, although a link to all of the Kates-Boylston Compensation Report coverage can be found at the end of this column. Last week, we learned that while independently owned funeral homes remain the dominant force, the very definition of “independent” is proving to be anything but static. “Independent funeral homes,” in the sense of one family running one funeral home, continue on a downtrend.
Analysis Reveals Shifting Landscape in Funeral Home Service Volumes

1 month ago | kates-boylston.com | Anthony Russo

While we mentioned the “decline” of the single person, single funeral home model in last week’s analysis of the decreasing number of funeral homes, it’s important to qualify that broad-brush look. “Single rooftop” doesn’t imply single funeral director or (by extension) single chapel. In a world where a single funeral home can cremate three or four bodies per day, it makes sense to incorporate families served to get a better sense of proportion.
Meet the New Problem, Same as the Old Problem

1 month ago | kates-boylston.com | Anthony Russo

Over the last three years, the number of respondents who placed a newly licensed funeral director’s salary at $55,000 or more has nearly doubled. According to this year’s survey, about 30% of funeral directors start at that number. For context, the most common starting salary in 2016 was closer to $35,000. As we mentioned in last year’s analysis (and it’s worth repeating), the amounts are likely skewed by region and location.
The Enduring Power of Memory: How One Man's Loss Sparked a Mission to Help Grieving Children

1 month ago | kates-boylston.com | Anthony Russo

Bob DiPasquale understands the profound void left by a parent’s death at a young age. He was only three when his father, Joseph, died of a heart –attack. “I never got to know my dad, but my mom (Mary Ellen), who was a schoolteacher and raised me and my five siblings until I was 10, got colon cancer and passed away,” DiPasquale said.