September 2020

Page A26 SEPTEMBER 2020 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A mymortuarycooler.com Are you state compliant? • Family Owned and Operated • 20+ Years Industry Experience • New Product Increases Settlements • No Contracts... Free Recycling Tote Cremation Metal Recycling 800-664-8365 cremation metal recycling - responsible recycling charitable foundation cmr@metrocast.net www.cremationmetalrecycling.com O n -L ine A ssOciAte D egree i n F unerAL s ervice 1616 Church Street | Nashville, TN 37203 615-327-3927 | www.guptoncollege.edu For information concerning cost and program call 615-327-3927, go to our website at guptoncollege.edu or email admissions@guptoncollege.edu. If you are interested in becoming a licensed funeral professional, John A. Gupton College can help you get there. The Associate Degree in Funeral Service is an accredited program. Our online program is flexible, career-focused and may be completed in 12 or 16 months. Financial Aid is available. D upree F uneral H ome Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 2019-20 L iving L egend of F uneral S ervice By E lleanor S tarks B easley , CFSP Founder and Executive Director 2019-2020 A wards of E xcellence 100 B lack W omen of F uneral S ervice , I nc . A new generation of women are rising to the challenge of a meaningful and rewarding profession in funeral service. Many have come from other successful careers, bringing that education and experience into another great industry, doing what they love. They have changed the face of a once dreary profession in the 21st century. To these women in funeral service we say thank you for thinking outside the box. We have not only added stiletto heels to the professional dress code, but also a savvy attitude, unmatched work ethic and a compassionate commitment to service and excellence. If you don’t have a woman in a key position on your staff, you are missing a phenomenal opportunity. Some may call it hiring diversity but I call it a smart move, taking your business to another level. If you don’t know where to look, nearby mortuary schools will be glad to assist you. The 100BWFS is always available to help you find what you are searching for. Email us at 100BWFS@gmail.com. We want to make the funeral service profession the go-to career for those who know the importance of performance, compassion, commitment and excellence in service. 2019-2020 A wards of E xcellence Margaret McKenney Dupree Dupree Funeral Home A first generation funeral director, Margaret McKen- ney Dupree graduated from the Eckels College of Mor- tuary Science in 1947. Upon graduation, she served her apprenticeship at the Minus Funeral Home in South Philadelphia, where she met her husband, Troy E. Du- pree. Together, they established the Dupree Funeral Home in 1955. She continued to co-own and co-op- erate the facility part-time until her husband died in 1987. At which time, her youngest son, Kenneth, a graduate of the American Academy McAllister In- stitute of Funeral Service, joined her in running the day to day operations of the funeral home. As mentor and role mod- el, Mrs. Dupree cares about the well-being and success of others and has shared her life’s experience, “I’ve learned that mentees must open their selves to being influenced by anoth- er person and don’t go looking for shortcuts. Listen and learn and then afterwards you can modify and change the learned lesson to suit your changing circumstances.” The 100 Black Women of Funeral Service would like to congratulate Margaret Dupree and the Dupree Funer- al Home for providing stellar service to the Philadel- phia community. Dead Serious: My Life as a Funeral Director J. Kevin Watts PENSACOLA,FL— J. Kevin Watts has been a funeral di- rector for 30 years. And oh, the stories he could tell you. Like many funeral directors, he has enough tales to fill a book. However, Watts actually did fill a book with his memoirs. The book, entitled “Dead Serious: My Life as a Funeral Director,” leaves the reader feeling an array of emo- tions from sadness to amusement. Watts states that “some [stories], quite frankly, peo- ple might not believe, but I am dead serious.” Becoming a Funeral Director Watts, 54, grew up in Bir- mingham, AL and attend- ed mortuary school at New England Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences in Boston, which merged with Mount Ida College in Newton, MA. He received his asso- ciates degree from Mount Ida and then his bachelor’s degree from Boston University. Watts is currently a fu- neral director for Trahan Family Funeral Home, locat- ed in the panhandle of Florida. It is the busiest family- owned firm and the largest shipper for funeral homes, both domestically and internationally in the area. Watts grew interested in the funeral industry as a child and was later influenced by his former father-in-law. “I watched a lot of horror movies as a kid, and I was always intrigued by the ones that had a funeral home or a fu- neral director in them,” he told American Funeral Direc- tor magazine in an interview. His former father-in-law was a retired Brigadier Gen- eral with the United States Air Force and the Air Na- tional Guard, a surgeon, and a medical examiner. He was a WWII veteran with two Purple Hearts. Watts re- spected and loved him. While living in Worcester, MA, Watts resided in the same condominium complex as his in-laws, he explains in his book. His father-in-law often enjoyed an evening cocktail, and Watts volunteered to be his driver - as well as his secretary, stenographer, photographer, and more. This exposure to the deathcare industry only furthered Watts’ interest in the career. Being a Funeral Director Undertakers, or the equivalent, have existed since there was death. But their image is not always a pleasant one. Watts points out that funeral directors are often the brunt of jokes, fables, and wives’ tales. “Since the dawn of man, there has always been one who has had to care for the de- ceased,” he writes in his book. “Many do not want to deal with it, get their hands dirty or such, but someone must.” Watts’ book tells the sto- ries that funeral directors can relate to: stories of someone new in deathcare and someone that’s been in the industry for years; stories that cause shock and anguish; and stories that are humorous, even when the circumstances around them may not be. Watts realized that many books on the mar- ket have “a touchy/feely vibe.” He wanted to cre- ate something different. Continued on Page A27 Send Us Your News! 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