Don Morris, M.Ed. Counselling, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
Thwarted by shallow grieving as a young boy, today my love for life and for nature fuels a drive to facilitate a return to family and community-led 'deathcaring.' In essence 'being there' for each other throughout dying with kindness and compassion and afterwards participating in respectful, hands on, spiritually meaningful and environmentally friendly death care rituals.
After completing a successful career as a funeral director and cemeterian, spanning the 70's and 80's, I retrained as a therapeutic counsellor. In 2010 prompted by a concern for the environment and its nexus with wasteful/ harmful funeral industry practices I brought the Green Burial Council to Canada. A lifelong interest in death and dying also led to consulting to the creation of the Canadian Integrative Network for Death Education and Alternatives. In 2012 after realizing the need for public death conversations my wife Elizabeth and I opened Canada's first Death Cafe in Victoria, British Columbia.
Besides nurturing the Home Funeral Practicum's national expansion, serving Victoria, BC's Jewish Chevra Kadisha (holy burial society), I continue supporting (as a co-founder) Community Deathcare Canada.
Please know it's a privilege to be involved in reclaiming family and community centered deathcare, providing guidance regarding green burial and green disposition options, as well as companionship at the end of a life.
Special thanks to the late Ruth Richardson, Bebe Morris Prince, Kory McGrath, Joe Sehee, Donna Belk, Cassandra Yonder, Rochelle Martin, the late Jon Underwood, Wendy Ree, Sage Barrett, Sarah Kerr, Sharon Pulvermacher, Shannon Calvert, Bonnie Hoffmann, Rev. Cheryl Pedley, Shauna Janz, Valerie Elliot, Leigh Anne Milne, Josie Baker, Tamysn Loat, Joe Hiscott, Karry Sawatsky, Margaret Verschuur, and Elizabeth Friesen Morris for their support.
My inspirational home base: Victoria, British Columbia.
After completing a successful career as a funeral director and cemeterian, spanning the 70's and 80's, I retrained as a therapeutic counsellor. In 2010 prompted by a concern for the environment and its nexus with wasteful/ harmful funeral industry practices I brought the Green Burial Council to Canada. A lifelong interest in death and dying also led to consulting to the creation of the Canadian Integrative Network for Death Education and Alternatives. In 2012 after realizing the need for public death conversations my wife Elizabeth and I opened Canada's first Death Cafe in Victoria, British Columbia.
Besides nurturing the Home Funeral Practicum's national expansion, serving Victoria, BC's Jewish Chevra Kadisha (holy burial society), I continue supporting (as a co-founder) Community Deathcare Canada.
Please know it's a privilege to be involved in reclaiming family and community centered deathcare, providing guidance regarding green burial and green disposition options, as well as companionship at the end of a life.
Special thanks to the late Ruth Richardson, Bebe Morris Prince, Kory McGrath, Joe Sehee, Donna Belk, Cassandra Yonder, Rochelle Martin, the late Jon Underwood, Wendy Ree, Sage Barrett, Sarah Kerr, Sharon Pulvermacher, Shannon Calvert, Bonnie Hoffmann, Rev. Cheryl Pedley, Shauna Janz, Valerie Elliot, Leigh Anne Milne, Josie Baker, Tamysn Loat, Joe Hiscott, Karry Sawatsky, Margaret Verschuur, and Elizabeth Friesen Morris for their support.
My inspirational home base: Victoria, British Columbia.
Google image: Orca Whale in Salish Sea with Mount Baker, WA in background.
