Ryan Buckland, President

There is a kind of grace that shows up in the most difficult rooms of human life. It does not arrive loudly or announce itself with ceremony. It moves quietly through the grief, through the silence, through the tears that fall without permission.

That grace is called dignity, and it belongs to every person who walks through the door of loss, whether as the one who mourns or the one who serves. In the funeral profession, we are entrusted with something far beyond logistics. We are entrusted with people, and people deserve to be treated with the highest level of respect, beginning with the respect we first extend to ourselves.

Maya Angelou, one of the most luminous voices of the American literary tradition, once wrote, “That each person deserves a day in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for.” She understood that restoration is not a luxury but a necessity. Those of us who work in funeral service carry extraordinary weight. We witness families at their most exposed. We hold space for grief that has no language. And we do this, often, without pausing to acknowledge what it costs us.

Self-respect, in this context, is not selfishness. It is the foundation from which all genuine service flows. When we honor our own humanity, our emotional limits, our need for rest and renewal, we become more fully present for those who need us most.

James Baldwin, whose words cut through pretense with the precision of a surgeon, reminded us that, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” Respecting yourself means facing the truth of who you are and what you carry. It means refusing to perform strength when you are weary. It means setting boundaries not because you do not care, but because you care enough to sustain your capacity to serve over the long road of a life dedicated to others. In funeral service, longevity of compassion depends upon the honest acknowledgment of your own needs.

Respecting others flows naturally from that same well. Howard Thurman, a theologian, once wrote that, “There is something in every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself.” That genuine place is where true human connection begins. When we approach a grieving family, we are not approaching a transaction. We are approaching sacred ground. The mother who lost her son, the husband who cannot yet say his wife's name without breaking, the child who does not fully understand why the house feels so different now, each of them is carrying something holy. To treat them with anything less than full, unhurried dignity is to miss the purpose of this work entirely.

Toni Morrison, who bore witness to the fullness and complexity of life in America, wrote that “If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else.” In our profession, we hold a particular kind of power. We shape the final memory a family will carry of their loved one's passage from this life. That is not a small thing. Exercising that power with respect means listening before speaking, asking before assuming, and slowing down even when the pace of the work tempts us toward efficiency over empathy. It means treating every family as if they are the only family in the world, because in that moment, for them, they are.

Respect is not simply a professional courtesy. It is a moral commitment, one that begins the moment you choose this vocation and renews itself every single day you show up to serve. It is the thread that connects how you care for yourself to how you care for others. Dignity, offered freely in both directions, is the truest gift this profession can give.

I’ve heard that sentence more times than I can count when talking about cyber risk with funeral home owners.

For a long time, cyber liability insurance was viewed as optional. Property coverage was essential. General liability was obvious. Auto, workers compensation, professional liability–all part of responsible ownership.

Cyber coverage was different. Too many owners believed their firm was simply too small to be a target.

I can tell you from personal experience, that mindset is no longer safe.

Over the past few months, I’ve been directly involved in helping funeral homes respond to serious cyber incidents. These were not large consolidations or high-profile operations. They were local firms serving their communities.

In one case, a cybercriminal quietly inserted themselves into an active email conversation between the funeral home and a family. Payment instructions were altered and funds were redirected. By the time anyone realized what had happened, the money was gone.

In another situation, a ransomware attack locked access to years of electronic records–case files, financial information and operational history that the firm depended on every day. Think about going back to pen and paper until you replace or reset your software!

These are not theoretical risks. They are real events affecting funeral homes right now.

Our profession handles extraordinarily sensitive information. Social Security numbers. Financial account details. Preneed contracts. Medical and vital statistics. Family contact information in our various funeral management systems. At the same time, we rely heavily on digital systems that must function without interruption. When access to platforms like the Electronic Death Registration System is disrupted, filings are delayed and families feel the impact immediately.

Funeral home websites also create new exposure. Online obituaries, flower ordering, memorial donations, guestbooks and payment portals are now expected by the public. Each convenience adds another connection point that cybercriminals can attempt to exploit.

Funeral homes are no longer low-tech operations. We are connected businesses managing high-value data in emotionally charged situations.

One of the biggest surprises for many owners is how affordable cyber liability insurance can be. For a relatively modest premium, policies can provide forensic IT support, data restoration, required notifications, credit monitoring, legal defense, business interruption protection, ransomware response and even public relations assistance.

What makes cyber events particularly challenging in funeral service is that criminals often succeed not by defeating technology, but by exploiting human behavior–urgency, trust, distraction and assumptions. These are pressures funeral professionals deal with every single day.

Basic safeguards can make a meaningful difference. Verify changes in payment instructions by calling a known number. Review email addresses carefully for subtle changes. Use multi-factor authentication. Limit administrative access. Train staff to recognize phishing attempts. Maintain secure backups that cannot be easily compromised.

If an incident does occur, the response must be immediate and coordinated. Disconnect affected systems, contact your cyber carrier or agent, engage qualified experts, preserve evidence and communicate thoughtfully with families and staff.

Funeral homes have always prided themselves on preparation. We plan for storms, liability exposures, vehicle accidents and building losses.

Cyber risk now deserves the same level of attention.

In my experience, the greatest vulnerability today is not outdated technology. It is the belief that “it won’t happen to us.”

Because I have now seen firsthand that it can.

With costly cemetery space at a premium, people in China had found an innovative place to store the cremated remains of family members: empty apartments. But new legislation is now shutting off that avenue.

The Chinese government has plans to ban what have been called “bone ash apartments,” empty units turned into makeshift columbariums.

The unique solution was the result of high cemetery costs and plummeting property values, according to a BBC story. Housing costs decreased by 40 percent between 2021 and 2025, the BBC reported. Meanwhile, cemetery space is at a premium, and the costs for grave sites reflect that. Also, cemetery space in China is leased and must be renewed every 20 years.

A plot in a cemetery can range from about $1,500 to more than $29,000, according to the BBC. A headstone can cost between $21,000 and $43,000.

Families have instead procured empty apartments, placed the cremated remains in the space and created a shrine there.

The new laws prohibit the use of apartments for the placement of cremated remains and forbid the burial of remains outside of cemeteries and other designated spaces. In announcing the change, the Chinese government also promised to take on the high prices of funerals and interment spaces, which can cost up to half a yearly salary, the BBC reported.

A fuel shortage in Thailand leads to drastic measures for one crematory worker. Overcrowding at a Colorado cemetery causes angst for a family expecting to bury their father there. And a planned movie night at an Arizona cemetery leads to complaints. These stories and more are in the week in funeral news.

NEWS

Coffin Brought to Petrol Station in Thailand to Prove Need for Cremation Fuel After Refusal
By Khaosod English
A crematorium worker in Thailand sparked alarm at a petrol station after bringing a coffin to the pumps to prove he needed diesel for a funeral, not for hoarding, following an initial refusal to fill containers. The man recorded and shared a video describing his frustration after staff declined to sell diesel into containers, despite his explanation that it was required as fuel for a cremation. Read more here.

One Family’s Rocky Path to Getting Patriarch Buried Illustrates Overcrowding Problem at Historic Colorado Cemetery
By Elaine Tassy (CPR News)
When her father, Fred Smith, died in January 2026, 69-year-old Teresa Sosa wanted him buried right next to her mother, Norma “Chickie” Smith. The family matriarch had died three years before and had been laid to rest at Lafayette Cemetery in Colorado. But when her Pops died at 90 on January 16–after a 67-year marriage to Chickie so solid that some of their kids, grandkids and great-grandkids picked their December 10 anniversary as their own wedding date–his family had no idea the burial nightmare that awaited them: Although they had pre-purchased a funeral plot that would lay Pops to rest alongside Chickie, making good on the purchase was no longer possible. Read more here.

Movie Night at Arizona Cemetery Prompts Community Complaints
By Raya Torres (13 News)
A Tucson, AZ, cemetery is hosting another movie night this weekend, prompting varied reactions from the community. The Evergreen Mortuary and Cemetery plans to screen “The Goonies” in what they have called “an evening of community fun.” But some people whose loved ones are laid to rest there believe the movie night contradicts the rules outlined by the cemetery. Read more here.

Missouri Revokes License of Embalmer and Funeral Director for False Statements on Death Certificate
By Heartland News
The Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance announced that the State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors has revoked the licenses of Andrew “Andy” Trammel Moore. According to a release, the revocation took place because Moore “provided false statements on a death certificate related to final disposition for one individual and failed to file a death certificate for another individual.” Read more here.

Funeral Giant Faces Investigation over Positive Cremation Reviews
By Chris Price (Yahoo!)
One of Great Britain’s biggest funeral directors is facing an investigation into whether staff were asked to write positive reviews about its cremation services. Read more here.

Vast Majority of Irish People Believe Eulogies at Funerals Should Be Allowed, Survey Indicates
By Jade Wilson (The Irish Times)
Nine out of 10 people in Ireland believe families should have the right to deliver a eulogy at the funeral Mass of a relative, a new survey has found. Read more here. The issue of eulogies is a controversial one for Catholics in many parts of the country as several dioceses do not allow them. Read more here.

Six Bodies Wrongly Released by Mortuary at Scandal-Hit Hospital
By Craig McDonald (The Times)
The bodies of six people have been wrongly released by mortuary staff at Scotland’s scandal-hit “superhospital” since it opened in Glasgow, it has been revealed. Read more here.

The State Board of Mortuary Science of New Jersey has cited and fined more than 50 licensed funeral directors for failing to secure enough continuing education credits during the 2021-2023 licensing period.

Over the past year, the Board audited licensees for CEU compliance. N.J.A.C. 13:36-10.3 requires licensees to “complete a minimum of 10 credit hours of continuing education during every biennial licensing period.” More than 50 of those audited were found to be in violation of the regulation.

The regulation states that all licensees shall obtain:

• At least two credit hours in each biennial licensing period in preneed funeral arrangements
• At least three credit hours in each biennial licensing period in funeral directing ethics and in New Jersey law and rules relating to the practice of mortuary science
• No more than three credit hours in each biennial licensing period in courses or programs dealing with funeral merchandizing, such as caskets, outer burial containers and clothing
• Training in applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration laws and regulations as required by OSHA

A licensee shall not receive any continuing education credit for viewing exhibits at professional and/or technical meetings and conferences.

Each licensee found in violation of the regulation was ordered to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $100 per missing credit and is required to make up the missing credits within two months of the settlement agreement with the Board.

NJFSEC Makes Obtaining and Reporting CEUs Easy

The New Jersey Funeral Service Education Corporation offers, at minimum, 24 credits worth of continuing education courses each biennial period including: four law courses, four preneed courses, four OSHA courses, two ethics courses, and 10 elective courses (offered at the annual Funeral Directors Convention and Expo).

Beginning in April, Ethics, New Jersey Law, New Jersey Preneed and OSHA courses are available on demand anytime through the NJSFDA app as well as in person at the 2026 Funeral Directors Convention and Expo in Atlantic City, to be held at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City from September 15 through 17.

Click here for more information on the 2026 course offerings.

Many licensees were found in violation of the continuing education regulation because they did not maintain sufficient records of the courses they attended several years ago.

As a benefit of taking your courses through the NJFSEC, the association provides attendees with a CEU report detailing each course, the date the course was attended and the number of credits obtained.

All courses presented by the NJFSEC are accredited through the Mortuary Board, the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice and other relevant licensing authorities. Attendance records and CEU reports are maintained in perpetuity in case a member gets audited and needs proof of attendance.

If you need to access your CEU report for the current or previous licensure period, go to njsfda.org and log in to your account to access the necessary documents.

Detailed instructions on how to download your report can be found here.

More than half of Americans over the age of 45 underestimate the cost of a funeral, often leaving to chance the funding of funeral services when they become at-need, according to a survey.

The survey, conducted by Choice Mutual, a company specializing in funeral insurance, found that 53 percent of those polled said that a typical funeral is under $10,000. Fewer than two out of five respondents said the cost was over $10,000. While prices vary in different areas within the U.S., the most recent New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association Biennial Survey found that a typical funeral with burial (including casket, vault, grave purchase and opening can cost an average of more than $21,000.

The striking difference between what people believe a funeral costs and what services actually cost can lead to sticker shock when families are faced with at-need choices.

“That gap between perception and reality often leaves families unprepared,” Anthony Martin, the owner and CEO of Choice Mutual, said in a release about the survey.

The study also found that 30 percent of adults over 45 said they had not thought about how to cover the costs of their own funerals, with men more likely than women to have neglected to take steps to cover funeral expenses. The survey showed that 59 percent of women had either taken steps or considered steps to cover funeral costs versus 56 percent of men.

Families with children were more likely to consider funeral arrangements and costs than families without children.

“Those with children may feel a stronger obligation to shield their family from unexpected costs, while adults without children face the same financial risks without that added social prompt to act,” the study stated.

There is also a gap between how different generations approach the responsibility of covering funeral costs. Among those 45 and over, 79 percent say they are personally responsible for their own funeral costs. Among adults between the ages of 18 and 44, however, only 59 percent say they are personally responsible, with 20 percent saying it is their family’s obligation and 21 percent saying they are not sure.

While the survey was conducted by a company with a vested interest in financing funeral services through an insurance policy, the results point to a significant educational gap about the need to consider final arrangements and the financing needed to conduct a funeral. The New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association has consistently highlighted the benefits of preplanning and prefunding funerals.

“Communicating your wishes in advance relieves your family from having to make difficult decisions at an emotional time,” the NJSFDA says on its consumer page, Preplanning Your Funeral. “Preplanning also enables you to make financial arrangements to cover your funeral costs, thus removing a possible financial burden from your family.”

Online copies of several brochures on preplanning options can be found here.