New Remembering A Life Conversation Cards Introduced to Help Funeral Professionals Work With Families to Plan Meaningful Funerals

Suite of Conversation Cards Now Covers Every Step of the Journey: Preplanning, Funeral Planning and Aftercare 

Brookfield, Wis. – Remembering A Life, the consumer education initiative of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), has introduced two new decks of conversation cards that funeral directors can use to inspire the families they serve to plan meaningful tributes to loved ones. 

Remembering A Life Funeral Planning Conversation Cards are brand new to the Remembering A Life Conversation Card suite. These conversation cards help families and friends create a safe, comfortable environment for having a conversation about a person’s final wishes and help them plan a meaningful tribute for themselves or a loved one with the guidance of a funeral professional.

This deck of 52 thought-provoking questions will help get the conversation started and help put family members and friends at ease while talking about a topic that may generate a variety of emotions. Questions cover five key areas.

• Talking About Death
• Your Body
• The Service
• Honoring Your Life
• The Details 

Each card goes beyond the question itself, offering thoughtful prompts and helpful information to guide a discussion. Families will find insights about the value of a viewing, the benefits of preplanning and why connecting with an NFDA-member funeral home can make a difference. 

“Inspiring people to have meaningful discussions about death and funerals isn’t easy,” said Gail Marquardt, vice president of consumer engagement for NFDA. “These decks help family members and friends create a safe, comfortable environment for having a conversation about a person’s final wishes and guide them in working with a funeral professional to plan a meaningful tribute for themselves or a loved one.” 

Funeral professionals can use the cards as a preneed tool, during the arrangement conference as conversation starters or as a giveaway for a workshop or open house. 

Have the Talk of a Lifetime Conversation Cards have been reimagined and redesigned with new content and additional prompts to help family and friends get to know each other better so when it’s time to create a tribute for a loved one, they are better prepared to make it meaningful. Each of the 50 questions invites people to share stories about meaningful moments, relationships, objects, adventures, accomplishments and more. Additional prompts invite them to further explore their answers to each question, encouraging them to share their stories with others, pull out meaningful mementos or do an activity related to their answer. 

“Funeral directors have embraced Have the Talk of a Lifetime Conversation Cards since they were introduced nearly ten years ago,” said Marquardt. “We were excited to give them a new look and include expanded content to further enrich families’ experiences with the cards. The questions and prompts in this deck help families create a service that beautifully reflects an individual’s interests, passions, relationships and accomplishments.” 

For funeral professionals, Have the Talk of a Lifetime Conversation Cards are the perfect preneed and storytelling tool. Funeral professionals can use the cards as a preneed/lead generation tool, as conversation starters during the arrangement conference and in the funeral home waiting area. The cards are also the perfect thank-you gift for visiting a funeral home open house or preplanning workshop. The new decks complete a set of three conversation card decks that also includes 

Remembering A Life Journey Cards, which feature 52 ideas for remembering loved ones in meaningful ways. This deck helps family members and friends as they explore their grief journey, offering simple yet meaningful ways to keep a loved one’s memory close. All three decks of conversation cards are available at NFDA.org/Store. The decks are $10 each for NFDA members and $15 each for non-members. Quantity discounts are available, and decks can also be customized with a funeral home logo. Funeral professionals attending the 2025 NFDA International Convention & Expo in Chicago can visit the Remembering A Life booth (1831) for free sample packs and can purchase full decks at the convention as well. For more information about the Remembering A Life resources available to funeral professionals, including the Remembering A Life Idea Guide for Funeral Professionals, visit NFDA.org/RememberingALife. 

About Remembering A Life

Remembering A Life helps individuals and families remember their loved ones in meaningful ways, helping to keep the memory of loved ones alive and assisting family members and friends in moving forward in their grief. Remembering A Life educates families about the value of a funeral and helps them find an NFDA-member funeral director (RememberingALife.com/FindAFuneralHome) to help them create a meaningful service. The initiative also helps them as they begin the grief journey following the death of a loved one. Resources include the Remembering A Life website (RememberingALife.com), a podcast, book club, blog, conversation cards and thoughtful gifts for grieving family members and friends. Remembering A Life is a consumer education initiative of the National Funeral Directors Association. Follow Remembering A Life on Facebook and Instagram. 

About the National Funeral Directors Association

NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association representing 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit NFDA.org.

Join the Conversation: NFDA’s Digging In Discussion Series Kicks Off in April

 Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) is pleased to announce the launch of Digging In, a new live, monthly virtual discussion series designed to foster networking and meaningful conversations among funeral service professionals. The inaugural discussion will take place April 23 from 6-7 p.m. CT. 

“Education is the foundation of professional growth, and Digging In offers a fresh way for funeral service professionals to continue learning outside of traditional settings,” said Sara Moss, a licensed funeral director and one of the Digging In moderators. “Through open discussions and shared experiences, attendees will gain practical knowledge that can enhance their work and deepen their connection to the profession.” 

This free series, open to both NFDA members and nonmembers, will, generally, take place on the fourth Wednesday of every month via Zoom. Each session will center around topics inspired by episodes of NFDA’s podcast, A Brush With Death, as well as other timely topics, providing participants with an opportunity to explore key industry insights, share experiences and engage in thought-provoking discussions. 

Moss is a Wisconsin licensed funeral director and NFDA’s associate director of education; she takes the lead on managing a variety of education programs including Meet the Mentors and National Emerging Leaders Program. Joining Moss as Digging In moderators are:

• Gabe Schauf, a Wisconsin licensed funeral director who hosts NFDA’s podcast, A Brush With Death. Schauf is also the Program Director and an Instructor for the Milwaukee Area Technical College Funeral Service Program.
• Lanae Strovers, an Iowa licensed funeral director and NFDA Trainer who travels the country leading the Arranger Training program and presenting other educational programs. 

“Every day, funeral directors face unique challenges, and having a strong professional network can make all the difference,” said Strovers. “Digging In is about creating a space where professionals can openly share insights, ask tough questions and support one another as we navigate this rewarding but demanding field.” 

“The best conversations in funeral service happen when people come together to exchange ideas, challenge assumptions and learn from each other,” said Schauf. “Digging In takes that energy and brings it into a live format where professionals can engage in meaningful discussions that spark new ways of thinking.” 

Funeral professionals should mark their calendars for the first Digging In discussion on April 23, 2025, from 6-7 p.m. CT, featuring all three moderators as they introduce themselves and the vision for Digging In. The trio will engage Digging In attendees in a discussion of the March episode of A Brush With Death, “So You Hired an Apprentice – Now What?,” which explored common challenges and practical advice to help both mentors and apprentices have a successful relationship. Registration is now open for the first Digging In session. Funeral service professionals interested in participating can click here to join the chat. 

NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession.

NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit NFDA.org.

Nearly 90% of People Know Discussing End-of-Life is Important, But More Than Half Haven’t Started the Conversation

Afterall, the digital platform for end-of-life planning, offers guidance for those trying to navigate tough conversations

WINTER PARK, Fla. (Dec. 4, 2024) – A recent study commissioned by Afterall, a digital platform designed to simplify end-of-life planning, highlights a significant gap between awareness and action when it comes to talking about final plans and wishes.  While 90% of respondents recognize the importance of discussing end-of-life plans with loved ones, over half have yet to initiate these challenging conversations. Acknowledging the critical need for these discussions, Afterall is committed to breaking down barriers and guiding individuals through the process, no matter where they are on their journey.

Afterall is a digital end-of-life platform integrated with more than 250 local funeral service providers to guide people through the end-of-life experience with educational resources, simple planning tools, free obituary services, and a memorial store. With Afterall, instead of endless online searches and phone calls to compare funeral providers, families can visit one site to find a local home they trust, coupled with the guidance th

How Do People Really Feel About Discussing Death with Their Loved Ones?

Afterall partnered with Talker Research to survey 2,000 general population Americans to dig into how people really feel about discussing death with those closest to them.

The findings highlighted the challenges and obstacles people face when approaching end-of-life planning with their loved ones:

Having the Conversation is Tough

• It’s most challenging to have the conversation with your parents: Only 36% of people shared that they had no problem discussing end-of-life plans with those they love.  And more than half (56%), whether they’re afraid to or just don’t think it’s necessary, haven’t even broached the conversation with their parents
• People don’t know how to discuss the inevitable: Respondents admitted they just keep putting it off (26%), don’t know how to talk about it (23%) or were simply scared to have the conversation (16%)
• In-person is preferred: More than 50% of people would ideally like to have end-of-life planning conversations in-person and one-on-one; with so many people living apart from loved ones, it makes having that conversation even harder

“End-of-life planning is one of the most important and meaningful gifts we can give to our loved ones, but it’s an incredibly hard topic to broach,” said Lee Senderov, chief marketing and digital officer at Afterall. “Our goal at Afterall is to make every step of the process easier – whether it’s just the first conversation or a loved one has already passed. We want to equip people with a wealth of tools and information to meet them where they are at, no matter where they are in the process.”

How Can We Make the Conversation Easier?

To help people navigate and feel confident engaging in end-of-life planning conversations, Afterall partnered with Julie McFadden, RN. Julie is the New York Times Best Selling author of the book “Nothing to Fear: Demystifying Death to Live More Fully,” and the face of trending TikTok channel @HospiceNurseJulie where she shares first-hand stories of time spent as a hospice care nurse. From her vast experience working with thousands of patients and their families as they navigate these challenging times, Julie is an expert in navigating the tough topics around end-of-life.

Julie shares important advice for how to have the hard conversations with friends and family when it comes to how we want our final days to look.

“After spending many years in the ICU and hospice where I faced death nearly daily, I’ve seen how critical it is for families to discuss end-of-life topics sooner rather than later,” said Julie McFadden, RN. “These conversations can be hard, and messy and we might not do them “perfect” and that’s okay.  Just by starting the conversation, you let your loved ones know that you are open for the conversation when they are.”

For more advice from Julie, an additional article about starting the end-of-life conversation, and links to a myriad of other end-of-life guidance visit afterall.com/thetalk.

Survey Methodology

This survey of 2,000 general population Americans was commissioned by Afterall in partnership with Talker Research in November 2024.

About Afterall 

Afterall is a digital platform helping families to find the right funeral services for their individual needs. Developed by Foundation Partners Group in 2024, Afterall brings together local funeral homes, cemeteries and direct-to-consumer cremation providers, along with tools and resources to make the end-of-life experience as easy as possible. Visit www.afterall.com to learn more.