Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Weekly reader: a world roundup of news on death, mourning, and more

Note to the patient reader: A needed break resulted in a backup of new posts to share. This week's edition catches us up, and is quite extensive.

DEATH



Valuable end-of-life lessons learned while caring for the dying – via Paula Span at the New York Times



‘A brave new world of death’ – via D.J. Pangburn in Hopes & Fears


Hard truths about death and dying in America – via Lauren Alix Brown in Slate

Only about 30 percent of British ready for death – via Peter Walker at the Guardian

How will you die? A state-by-state breakdown – via Rachel Rettner at Live Science

AND A MAGNIFICENT ANALYSIS OF SAME – via Baxter B. Allen and Alexander Kent in Wall St 24/7

An abrupt death fosters thoughts on risk – via Jeffrey Wasserman at the Chicago Tribune



On not perceiving death as a failure – via Deborah Lutz in the New York Times




10 classic cemeteries – via the L.A. Times





MOURNING

Memorial Day’s Civil War origins – via John Marks in the Finger Lakes Times



The first 30 days of sheloshim, Jewish mourning – via Mayim Bialik in Kveller



Exhibition demonstrates turn-of-last-century mourning rituals – via Alyssa Skiba at the Peninsula Pulse




The sculpture of mourning – via Wallace Ryce at the Monterey County Weekly


Mourning leads to marriage – via Robert Strauss at the New York Times


FUNERALS


Thousands attend mass funeral for bombing victims – via Ian Timberlake at Yahoo News


The crazy kooky life of a funeral director – via Gabrielle Russon in the Orlando Sentinel


A very dark look at funeral expenses – via Mark Mason at the Spectator

FTC investigation reveals funeral home problems – via David Lazarus in the L.A. Times

Funeral singer becomes Paiute (Utah) chairwoman – via Erin Alberty at the Salt Lake Tribune

Ceremony honors Lusitania dead 100 years later – via Barry Roche in the Irish Times

When funeral homes had the only ambulances – via Rhonda Simmons at the Star Exponent

Women’s numbers increasing in funeral industry – via Sandra Guy in the Chicago Sun-Times




OBITS



Obituarist writes mother’s obit -- via Rick Hamon in USA Today


‘Obituary for a broken man’ – via Emma Mulqueeny at Medium