November 2021

Page A37 NOVEMBER 2021 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A Order Direct at 1-800-782-8249 Free UPS Ground Shipping www.mccordcasketsandvaults.com © Custom Air Trays YOUWOULDN’TUSEOUR LEAK-RESISTANT CREMATION TRAY AS ABATHTUB, BUT YOUCOULD. We test ours in the labsoyou don’t have to test it in the real world. 1-800-992-1925 | CustomAirTrays.com PIMS Awards Honorary Degree in Funeral Service to Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XLIII Champion Max Starks NEWS Educational CONTINUED Max Starks Max Starks and his mom, Elleanor after the Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Florida Starks with his aunt, Ida R. Muorie, J.D. P I TTSBURGH, PA— On Friday, September 24, 2021, at Calvary Episcopal Church, Max Starks, re- tired Pittsburgh Steeler, will be awarded an honorary degree in Embalming and Funeral Directing from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science (PIMS) at the school’s 163rd Com- mencement Exercise. Be- fore becoming an NFL Su- per Bowl Champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Max grew up and active- ly worked in funeral ser- vice as his mom, Elleanor Starks, graduated from mortuary school in 1983. Subsequently, in the early 1990’s, Elleanor went on to open the first multina- tional/multicultural funer- al home in Central Florida – The Morales and Starks Multinational Funeral Home located in Kissim- mee, FL. This visionary enterprise was so success- ful because Mrs. Starks fo- cused on serving the di- verse populations that were endemic to the Kissimmee area. She learned the customs, understood the languages, and tailored her business to create an environ- ment of comfort where this multicultural population could mourn the death of their loved ones. Max helped his mom at the fu- neral home in various ways, which includ- ed helping to transfer decedents from their place of death, attending to the needs of the bereaved, as well as keeping the funeral home well appointed. Elleanor’s legacy in the profession con- tinued to grow. In 1993, she founded the 100 Black Women of Funeral Service, based out of Kissimmee, FL. Elleanor established this organization in an effort to assist Afri- can Americans and Minority Women who have chosen a career in funeral service. Now, the organization celebrates 28 years as an ad- vocate for the funeral profession in gener- al, while highlighting the unique talents and gifts that women bring to funeral service. Thus, with such a remarkable family histo- ry, PIMS was proud to have various members of the Starks family involved with the com- mencement. Elleanor was unable to travel to Pittsburgh and present the commencement speech, however, her sister Ida R. Muorie, J.D. served as her proxy and delivered Ellea- nor’s inspirational words to the graduates. In- terestingly, Ida is yet another member of this amazing family involved in funeral service as she partnered with her sister in the genesis of the 100 Black Women of Funeral Service. PIMS is proud that its commencement was definitively a “Starks” reminder to the gradu- ates about achieving all of one’s potential in their career and in life! #PIMSPride The Pittsburgh In- stitute of Mortuary Science offers a spe- cialized education ex- clusively for funer- al service providing a “bridge” (in a city known for its bridges) to a career in this essential vocation. With a leg- acy of 80 plus years, PIMS offers, either online or on campus, a transformative learning experience designed to prepare students for the many challenges they will en- counter in the profession. Embracing such ideals as di- versity, integrity, and kindness, “PIMS Cares” about its students by empowering them in an ethical learning envi- ronment with a focus on becoming compassionate care- givers inspired to practice service excellence! With a large and supportive alumni network, most PIMS graduates find employment opportunities throughout the country. Like Max’s team, the Steelers, PIMS contributes to Pitts- burgh’s legacy as the “City of Champions” by being re- cently selected to the prestigious Forbes Magazine “Top 25 Career Schools in the USA.” For anyone considering a career in this benevolent vocation, PIMS invites them to attend the Institute and become a “funeral service cham- pion.” Visit https://pims.edu/ for more information. @Nomis.Publications Like us on