Ashes Returned

We ship or hand-deliver your loved one’s ashes in an eco-friendly urn.

Desmond Tutu, a South-African Anglican bishop, Nobel Prize Winner, climate activist, and anti-apartheid activist, was the inspiration for Endswell Funeral Home. For his last act on the planet, he chose to be aquamated rather than cremated.

News sources all over the world picked up the story; and it was the first time that most people had ever heard of aquamation. His decision has had a profound impact on the death care industry and served as Hunter Beattie’s inspiration to open Endswell.

While sitting near a cemetery in Carrboro, North Carolina, Hunter read that former Archbishop of Capetown, Desmond Tutu, had chosen to be aquamated. Coincidentally, no more than 50 feet away, a grave was being prepared. He sat there, considering the non-biodegradable caskets, the carcinogenic chemicals like formaldehyde, and the practice of cutting off public land from productive use by the community. These characteristics of our modern burial practices stood in stark contrast to Tutu’s decision to be aquamated.

Over the next few days, Hunter and Veronica read countless articles about green burial, aquamation, embalming, cremation, funeral care and anything else related to this sphere of human experience that goes largely unnoticed until we need these services. On day five, Hunter purchased an aquamation machine. It seemed impulsive at the time, Veronica and Hunter both questioned his sanity; but every experience along this journey has confirmed that this adventure is a profound and meaningful one.

After Hunter’s father’s traumatic death, he buried his loss and memories of him under an avalanche of diversions and distractions. Starting Endswell is both an offering to this community as well as an own attempt to heal the relationship with loss and grief. Funeral care involves the profound act of caring for the deceased – of being the last person to care for the body. It also involves being present and supportive of the individuals facing their own death or the death of their loved ones.

Death can feel disorienting and isolating, especially in a society that wants us to get back to “normal” after the funeral. From our own experiences, we know that grief is not linear. And each step along the death journey is incredibly impactful. One of the most vulnerable parts of this journey is trusting a funeral home to care for the body of the person you love. This requires intimate respect, consideration and experience.

At Endswell, our hope is that you, your family, and friends feel supported, informed, and connected during this process. Our principal goal with Endswell has been to elevate funeral care, offer concierge services, and engage with the community to foster honest conversations about death and dying.

Aly joined the Endswell team in August of 2024. She considers herself a “jack-of-all-trades” in funeral service, as a licensed funeral director, embalmer, crematory/hydrolysis operator, and preneed sales counselor.

Aly first became interested in funeral service after the death of her grandmother in 2018. She graduated from Fayetteville Technical Community College’s mortuary science program, and obtained her NC funeral service license in 2021, having served her apprenticeship during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. She is grateful to be in this line of work, and to work up-close with the eco-friendly death care movement, which is something many funeral professionals do not get the chance to do in their careers.

In her spare time, Aly can be found out in nature on a good walking trail, working out at the gym, or simply at home under a cozy blanket, playing video games or crocheting.

Hazel McLester joined the Endswell team in September 2023 and is currently a full-time student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Growing up with a mother who is a dancer, Hazel developed an early appreciation for the human form. This interest deepened after taking an anatomy class, inspiring her to pursue a career path centered around people.

Her educational journey has since led her to explore biology and cultural anthropology and its connections to death care. Hazel is passionate about understanding the ways death care intersects with culture and is eager to contribute to innovations that make the industry more eco-friendly and sustainable. She looks forward to growing her knowledge and making a positive impact in this meaningful field.

LeVonda Deloatch was one of the first people who Endswell entrusted to manage our transportation services. Like others on our transportation team, she shows unparalleled respect and care for the families we serve. 

LeVonda Deloatch founded her transportation company to elevate this service within the funeral industry. She shows the highest level of respect when caring for the deceased and transporting them to Endswell. We work with them 24/7 to take your loved one into our care, with absolute respect and dignity.