There are lots of ideas how a new, contemporary, 21st Century physical funeral establishment should look like and function.  I don’t think anybody knows exactly what that is, or even if there is a one-size fits all best practices solution to the question.

However, it is probably a fair assumption that like in a lot of smaller communities today, a two-story remodeled home with the funeral facilities located on the first floor and the funeral home owner family living on the second floor is not the concept that will be moving forward and gaining the business of today’s and tomorrow’s future Death Care cosumers.

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

I think it is interesting to think outside-the-box and dream, imagine, and envision what the future of Death Care physical public facilities will look like in the next decade or farther down the road.  When I think of the possibilities I think of a Death Care functioning world that will have less casketed, embalmed, viewed burials.  I think of a Death Care consumer world where new disposition options such as Natural Organic Reduction, Alkaline hydrolysis, and green burials have a growing influence.  I also think of the growing hospitality function of Death Care as places of celebrations and meals.

When you think in those terms it is obvious that facilities will be different from the historical funeral homes that have been modeled with prepartion rooms and arrangement rooms as a central feature of the buildings.

One of the most unique new Death Care operations I have followed over the past couple of years is a company in North Carolina known as Endswell – A Modern Funeral Home.  You can see their website here.

As you can read from this article from The News of Orange County (NC), Endswell began two years ago as a facility to promote and use alkaline hydrolysis exclusively.  The linked article tells the reader that now, two years in, Endswell is becoming a “full service” funeral home and adding a branch location.  The article points out that this expansion comes on the heels of the firm having “helped 300 families with its services” since that time.

The article also makes this statement:

“Any stereotypical perception of a funeral home is immediately washed away the moment you set foot into the Hillsborough Endswell. The space is open and serene and appointed with art and modern furniture. A huge selection of urns, most of them handmade by regional artists, are artfully displayed on shelving. Visitors can talk with staff on sofas or at a large table that is often decorated with cut flowers arranged in small, glass vases. The main room is ideal for intimate or large gatherings.”

Endswell is owned by the husband and wife team of Hunter and Veronica Beattie.  Here’s a quotation from Hunter found in the linked article, “Increasingly, what we’ve realized is, we want Endswell to offer resources and education for the community.  We have yoga classes, meditation groups, grief groups. We don’t want the funeral home to be this creepy place that you interact with only once in your life.”

Here is the website for Endswell.  When you look at the website, under “Funeral Services” the following options are listed:

• Aquamation
• Cremation
• Green Burial
• Anatomical Gifts

One of the very interesting items I noticed on the company’s posted General Price List (GPL) from its website is this statement which comes under the “Preparation of Remains”:  “Embalming is not required by law. Endswell does not provide embalming services but we do receive embalmed remains.”

That statement in itself is a telling tale of how “funeral homes” have changed.  Twenty years ago would we have seen a funeral home that does not provide embalming services?

Related Article — “With new construction, a new approach to the funeral business”  Maine Biz (ME)

Here are some websites for newer, non-traditional funeral homes that Funeral Director Daily has been following:

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