Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 29, 1993 TAG: 9306290112
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MICHAEL CSOLLANY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
But most of these folks seemed happy. Some sipped wine and ate fruit. Others schmoozed and mingled. There were smiles and laughter.
They weren't being disrespectful, though. They're funeral directors, and they were enjoying the Virginia Funeral Directors Association's annual convention at the Roanoke Civic Center.
Outgoing association President David Arritt said more than 700 had pre-registered for events at the Civic Center and the Marriott Hotel.
"Our members' interest in keeping abreast of current changes in the industry has given us a record for Roanoke. It's a little bit of a surprise," said Arritt, who has been director of Arritt Funeral Homes in Covington for 24 years.
In addition to educational meetings, the convention gave members a chance to check out new products, Arritt said.
New products? Didn't Gertrude Stein once say, "A casket is a casket is a casket?"
Not so, according to C.J. Thacker of Thacker Caskets Inc.
His company showed a new kind of casket with no screws visible on the outside. Thacker Caskets also offered the "K-Flare" made from three layers of cardboard - much easier to cremate, Thacker said.
Despite being made from cardboard, Thacker said the casket could stand up to the wear and tear of the job.
"Three people could get in that casket, and we could carry it," he said.
Arritt said that the linings of caskets are becoming more regionalized. So suppliers in the Southwest may offer a casket lined with a Native American motif or a horse blanket pattern, he said.
And caskets aren't just for humans anymore.
Petco Inc. displayed its line of pet caskets, from hamster-sized to the Saint Bernard model.
Doug Bevell said the pet caskets have been a good public relations tool for his funeral parlor in Chase City.
"I give these things away to families, and they love it," he said. "I usually end up digging the grave, too."
The Gupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science also was represented. Dan Buchanan, the college president, said his school is the largest of its kind, with about 325 students from all over the Southeast.
The Atlanta school offers one-year and two-year programs, Buchanan said. Most people don't realize the extent of the field, he said, noting that his school has courses in embalming, anatomy, pathology, chemistry, microbiology, mortuary administration, sociology, psychology and accounting.
Also displayed at the civic center: administrative services, makeup products, urns, hearses and burial clothing.
What's the difference between ordinary clothing and burial clothing?
No inside pockets, Arritt said.
"You see, you can't take it with you, so you don't need to put pockets on the inside," his wife, Betsy, said.
And for those who want to go out in style, the Batesville Casket Co. offered a solid bronze casket with seamless construction.
A representative for the Indiana-based company said the casket is buffed with jewelers' polish until it has a mirror finish. The casket also has 10-karat and 14-karat gold plating.
But since the casket retails at more than $10,000, wouldn't it make more sense for people to be buried in their cars?
"We can put wheels on that. It's custom-made," Paul Kin, a sales representative, joked.
The mood on the civic center floor was far from what you'd expect from funeral folks. Part of this is because of the family-run nature of the business.
"Most of the people who are funeral directors are second- or third-generation," Betsy Arritt explained. Three of the Arritts' six children work in the business.
Walking through the exhibits and past associates, she said, "It's like a big family."
Betsy Arritt said she always tells her children, "When you're in a strange town, look up the funeral director."
by CNB