Southern Arizona Veteran’s Cemetery: New Committal Service Staging Area Procedure

The Arizona Department of Veteran’s Services are implementing a new staging procedure effective immediately.  Below is  a map indicating the route and staging area. From the staging site the cemetery staff will meet the NOK or funeral director and escort them to the Chapel, Committal Shelter, and or Columbaria. This will help reduce confusion and prevent interruptions to any services that are actively taking place.  The Committal Service Staging area is the only access to the Public …

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Glendale, AZ is Hosting the Next Funeral Service Business Plan And the Cremation Strategies conferences

  Funeral professionals throughout the country are already making plans to head to the Tenth Annual Funeral Service Business Plan Conference, Nov. 19-20, 2015, in Glendale, Arizona – and while many will be looking forward to escaping colder climates – that’s far back on the list of reasons to attend. Attendees will learn from some of the top experts in the funeral profession. Topics include: Hiring, retaining and developing top talent. Appealing to consumers with …

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What the National Board Scandal Says About Funeral Service Education – From NJSFDA

This is a three-part series by Wilson H. Beebe Jr., executive director of the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association, in which he explores the alleged cheating scandal that has compromised the funeral industry’s National Board Exam, the players, the fallout and what it means for funeral service education. The litigation was settled without any acknowledgement of wrongdoing by the defendants AAMI and its president Margaret “Meg” Dunn. The following content is accessible for members …

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Matthew’s International Press Release

[su_spoiler title=”August 17 Update: Matthew’s International Announces FTC Approval to Acquire Aurora Casket Company” style=”fancy” icon=”arrow-circle-1″]Release Date: August 17, 2015 MATTHEW’S INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCES RECEIPT OF FTC APPROVAL TO ACQUIRE AURORA CASKET COMPANY TRANSACTION EXPECTED TO CLOSE ON AUGUST 19, 2015. ACQUISITION EXPECTED TO BENEFIT FUNERAL HOME CUSTOMERS BY COMBINING THE CAPABILITIES AND OFFERINGS OF MATTHEW’S AND AURORA. TRANSACTION PURCHASE PRICE IS $214 MILLION. PITTSBURGH, PA, August 17, 2015 – Matthews International Corporation (NASDAQ GSM: MATW) …

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2015 NFDA Cremation and Burial Report Released

Rate of Cremation Continues to Increase; Cremation Projected to Surpass Burial in 2015 For Immediate Release: July 20, 2015 Contact: Jessica Koth, 262-814-1536, jkoth@nfda.org Brookfield, Wis. – The national rate of cremation is projected to surpass that of burial in 2015 according to a report released today by the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). The 2015 NFDA Cremation and Burial Report: Research, Statistics and Projections features statistics and in-depth analysis of consumer attitudes toward cremation. …

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Knowledge Refresh: When Can a Funeral Home Order a SSA/VA Copy of a Death Certificate?

Be sure to share this valuable information with your staff regarding the issuance of SSA/VA certified copies. Issuance of SSA/VA certified copies The federal government in association with the Veteran’s Affairs Office and the Social Security Administration assist eligible family members filing claims (VA or SSA) for survivor benefits and burial benefits. Eligible parties may request a certified copy with a stamp, “For Government Use Only” for use with filing these unique government claims. These …

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Update to the Veterans’ Memorial Cemeteries Marana and Camp Navajo

Both the Marana and Camp Navajo cemeteries will be in operation and taking interments by January 2016.  There is not an exact date yet, but Joe Larson, Cemetery Administrator with the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services will keep us posted.

They have begun taking Pre-Registration for Burial Determination for both of those cemeteries.  The Pre-Registration for Burial Determination is not an application for Interment.  It is to determine eligibility and verification for this benefit.

Download the AVMC PRE-REGISTRATION FORM here.

The dedication date for AVMC at Marana is March 19th 2016.

The dedication date for AVMC at Camp Navajo is June 4th 2016.

As you notice the dedication dates will happen months after the cemeteries is in operation.

AFCCA Member, Camino del Sol, is Featured in July 2015 American Cemetery & Cremation Magazine

One of our long time members and big supporters of the AFCCA was the cover article feature in the July 2015 American Cemetery and Cremation Magazine.

Camino del Sol Funeral Chapel and Cremation Center in Sun City West, AZ, owned by the Darby Family, explains why the chose to bring their Midwestern Values to the Valley of the Sun.

Read this interview with Karen Darby-Ritz and learn a bit more about one of our wonderful members: Camino del Sol Cover Article.

Don’t forget, if you register for the upcoming 5th Annual Cremation Strategies Conference on November 20th, you can take advantage of a free tour and reception at Camino del Sol. Learn more at www.kateboylston.com/strategies.

AFCCA 2015 Convention Recap

Our 2015 Convention has come and gone, thank you to everyone who attended and helped make this a truly great event. This year it was hosted at the Carefree Resort and Conference Center, who was a very gracious host.  Hopefully everyone enjoyed their stay  at the resort this year. Thank you to all our 2015 Convention Sponsors: We would like to thank all of our convention sponsors this year. Without your support, we could not …

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