Death:OK Presenters

Opening Speaker

Barbara Roberts, the first female Governor of Oregon, presented opening remarks at Death:OK. The author of Death Without Denial, Grief Without Apology, Roberts says, “What we talk about, we can make better.” More…

Keynote Speaker

Subject of the acclaimed documentary Griefwalker, Stephen Jenkinson opened our day by inviting us to Die Wise. With Master’s degrees from Harvard University and the University of Toronto, Jenkinson is revolutionizing grief and dying in North America, redefining what it means to live, and die well. More…

Workshop Presenters

We’re grateful to the experts, artists, and first-person story-tellers from across the country (below) who responded to our invitation to present a workshop. Read more about our three workshop tracks here.

• Alice Hardesty. “Beyond the Veil: A Scientist’s Experiences.”
• Amy Veatch. “Oregon’s Advance Directive. Your Life. Your Decisions.”
• Analouise Williams PhD. “Shamanism: Finding Your Soul Friend and the Path to Open Your Life’s Door.”
• Angela Hennessy. “From the Morgue to the Museum: Contemporary Artists and the Post-Mortem.”
• Angela Kienholz & Departing Decisions. “My Life, My Legacy, My Wishes Photo Booth.”
• Ashley Benem, LMP. “Death Midwifery: A Continuum of Care.”
• Ashley Benem, LMP. “How to Write a Death Plan: Filling the Holes between Advanced Care Planning and Burial.”
• Camella Nair. “Death and Dying Insight and Conversational Cards Workshop.”
• Camella Nair. “Immerse Yourself in a Powerful Ritual of Forgiveness.”
• Camella Nair. “Yoga Nidra: Continuity of Consciousness Between Worlds.”
• Carrie Ahern. “The Art of Burial.”
• Catherine Beckett, LCSW, PhD. “Beyond Kubler-Ross: Updates in Understanding, Supporting & Processing Grief.”
• Charlene Ray. “The Final Rite of Passage.”
• David Orr. “All That Is Solid Melts Into Air.”
• December First Writers (David Rutiezer, Marla Allen, Pat Vivian & Sylvia Zingeser.” Theatre of Remembering.”
• Elizabeth Fournier. “Green Funerals: Practical Information from a Green
  Mortician.”
• Georgena Eggleston. “Leaning into Your Grief and Mourning the Loss of Your Pet.”
• Gretchen Brauer-Rieke, RN, MSN. “Oregon’s POLST: What’s It All About?“
• Heidi Boucher. “In The Parlor: A Documentary Film Examining the Growing Trend of Home Funerals.”
• Heidi Boucher. “Practical, Emotional, Spiritual Aspects of Caring for the Dead at Home.”
• Jason Myers & Stella Maris. “In Memory of YOU: A Storytelling Tribute to the Living and the Dead.”
• Jennifer Wohl, LPC. “Collage for the Grieving Heart.”
• Jessica Thomas. “Mindful Photography and Its Implications in End-of-life Caregiving: An Art-based Phenomenology.”
• Johanna Courtleigh, LPC. “Harry: A 93 Year-Old Jewish Man Looks Back on His Life.”
• Kenneth Weizer, ND. “Death Doula: Experiencing Peace in Death.”
• Kim Wieneke & Carter Smith. “Planning Your Own Memorial Service: Stories from the Frontlines.”
• Kristin Olson-Huddle. “Going On: An Inspiring Story of Loss and Finding the Love Inside Yourself.”
• Leslie Kimiko Ward. “1000 Cranes: Healing through Creative Connectivity.”
• Lily Myers Kaplan. “Two Rare Birds~A Legacy of Love: Transforming Loss Stories Into Legacy Stories.”
• Lisa Bordner. “Being Present with Death: Caring for Yourself and Loved Ones During the Dying Process.”
• Lori Mason. “Memorial Quilts: Finding Connection through Cloth.”
• Lori Beth Stargrove, ND. “Re-imaging the Death and Dying Process Using Models of Natural Medicine and Person-Centered Health.”
• Lucinda Weatherby. “Talking Openly about Infant Death.”
• Marta Shoman. “Creating a Community-Based End-of-Life (EOL) Support Group.”
• Mary Elliott & Ellen Fortin. Artisanal Memory Boxes presented with “Memorial Quilts: Finding Connection through Cloth.”
• Matt Chan & Eriko Onishi, MD. “Death and Doctors: Crossing the Conversation Chasm.”
• Matt Whitaker. “The Care You Want: Avoiding Unwanted Medical Treatment & Advance Directive Augmentation.”
• Matt Whitaker & Dr. Pete Reagan. “Death with Dignity: Oregon and Beyond.”
• Melanie Marmion, Attorney. “A Holistic View on Estate Planning: Communicating Your Wishes to Your Family.”
• Melanie Marmion, Attorney. “Estate Planning: How to Integrate Special Family Circumstances.”
• Nora Menkin. “From Coffins to Compost: Pulling Back the Curtain on the Funeral Industry.”
• Pam Crow, LCSW & Gaby Donnell, LCSW. “Seeing Into the Soul: Using Sand Tray to Explore Grief.”
• Phyllis Petteys & Lynda Martin-McCormick. “Doing It Your Way: Personal Stories of Home Funeral, Green Burial & Remembrance.”
• Portland Threshold Choir. “Singing at the Threshold: Reclaiming Voice and Presence at the Edges of Living and Dying.”
• Portland Threshold Choir. “Threshold Song Bath.”
• Renee Sills. “Savasana.”
• Sally Shannon, MA. “So, You’ve Chosen Cremation: How to Consciously Choose, Plan & Honor.”
• Sarah Treanor. “Still, Life: A Creative Journey of Living with Death.”
• Selene Seltzer. “The Heart of the Matter: Mindfulness Tools for Thriving & Surviving Caregiver Stress.”
• Sharilyn Cohn. “Music-Thanatology: Music as Medicine.”
• Shelly Sweeney. “Writing through the Conversation and Conflict of Death, Dying & Living.”
• Stella Maris. “Ancestor Altar: An Interactive Memorial.”
• Stephen Jenkinson, MTS, MSW. “Dying-Centered Language for Dying-Centered Care.”
• Susan Schoenbeck, RN, MSN. “Caregiver Response to the Dying and Their Loved Ones When the Veil is Lifted.”
• Susie Cunningham & Julie Nelligan, PhD. “Deciding to Die: Inventing Ritual & Remembrance – A Couple’s Journey with Oregon’s Death with Dignity Law.“
• Susyn Reeve. “Articulating the Essence of Your Life: Write Your Obituary.”
• Teri Ciachi, Tai Fenix Kulystin, Karissa Ronkin. “Earth My Body: Soul Ceremonies.”
• Terri Daniel. “Grief as a Mystical Journey: Sacred Practices for Transforming Loss Into Love.”
• Tio Houston. “Theatre of Remembering.”
• Tony Grace. “The Geography of Grief.”
• Torrie Fields, MPH & Bea Barton: “Let’s Talk About Death: The Most Important Conversation We’re Not Having.”
• Panel: Jodie Buller, Brian Flowers, David Noble. “Natural Burial Options in the Pacific Northwest.”

Our day of inspiration, information & connection also included:

• An Ancestors Altar and Art Gallery
• Death Cafés and other opportunities for participant-generated conversation
• Resource fair to enable providers to share relevant products, services and resource materials with participants
• Closing Festivities featuring hosted refreshments with music and humor presented by Motherlode, The Game Hens Choir, Sarah Lambert & Scot Curts, Heather Michet, emceed by David Olson