Orange County Death Cafe May 21 2025

Notes from Orange County Death Café, May 21, 2025

Facilitated by Sara Williams

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

There are now 6 Death Cafes in Durham and Orange counties:

-1st Thursday of the month, 6:00-8:00 p.m.: Orange County Death Café,
Endswell FH, 407 Meadowlands Dr., Hillsborough, moderator: James
McKelvey. Registration at https://endswellfuneralhome.com/news-and-events/

-2nd Monday of the month, 5:45-7:45 p.m.: Hillsborough Death Café, 903 Eno
Street, Hillsborough, facilitated by Neidra Clark. To register contact Neidra at
neidra@mindspring.com.

-3rd Monday of the month, 9:30-11:00 a.m.: Daylight Death Café, Seymour
Center, Chapel Hill, facilitated by John Chase. To register, contact the
Seymour Center front desk, 919-968-2070.

-3rd Wednesday of the month, 6:00-8:00 p.m.: Orange County Death Café,
Endswell FH, 407 Meadowlands Dr., Hillsborough, facilitated by Sara
Williams. Registration at https://endswellfuneralhome.com/news-and-events/

-4th Monday of the month, 5:30-7:30 p.m.: Southwest Durham Death Café,
Southwest Regional Library, Shannon Road, Durham, facilitated by Kathy
Rudy, Ph.D. No registration needed.

-4th Thursday of the month, 1:30-3 p.m., LGBTQ+ Death Café, Seymour
Center, Chapel Hill, facilitated by Tsyr Han Chow. To register, contact the
Seymour Center front desk, 919-968-2070.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

–Living Fully, Dying Prepared, virtual 6-week program with Holly Menard, starting June 3. Register at https://hollymenard.com/lfdp-order

–Endswell Monthly Movie / Speaker series returns June 10 at 6:30 p.m. with Understanding Anatomical Donation. Registration at https://endswellfuneralhome.com/news-and-events/

–FCA Biennial Conference (“The Cost of Goodbye: Confronting Funeral Poverty in Our Communities”) will be held June 26-29 in Raleigh!  Registration is now open + more details at https://funerals.org/

CONVERSATIONS:

Articles:

“There Are Ways to Die with Dignity, But Not Like This,” NYT, May 11, 2025,
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/11/opinion/medical-aid-dying-new-
york.html

“There’s a Lesson to Learn from Daniel Kahneman’s Death,” NYT, Apr. 14,
2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/14/opinion/daniel-kahneman-
death-suicide.html

Books:

-Hagerty, James R. Yours Truly:

https://www.amazon.com/Yours-Truly-Obituary-Writers-Telling/dp/0806542071?crid=MEZ1JJORI9HV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.yHmOTOoINl6xrPSzwNVm6-P7uqKgY7KLhiuSKmV2CqpEzugifDH9Jf_MAEuA0_Tgfj6JvP3B_H_eKJOSz5q5IL_U_MWE6W7eSPh7rWQrjRjMJ_dfMIyQaJVI6Vkp-uHOzVl2q4dYeaav8FMs7_3vqal8lzDUkOXrYvHgRDvIaaBCrHll8xxfIEcXs-QgmAN_5eBbY798YbDafZII_ozzmIQC1LqHybopmCM4BXBafE.FVaZoYaDJx9bveKbtYiopZWkYXzNonlKN1iVr_FCrmA&dib_tag=se&keywords=yours+truly+book&qid=1748550657&sprefix=yours%2Caps%2C227&sr=8-2

-Roach, Mary. Stiff:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mary+roach+stiff&crid=1HPUKOK7ZJRF5&sprefix=mary+roach+%2Caps%2C222&ref=nb_sb_ss_p13n-pd-dpltr-ranker_2_11

Films:

–An American Death: Live and Let Go, view free at:

https://vimeo.com/416496591

–Departures:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1069238/

Websites:

–Advance Directive for Dementia: https://compassionandchoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Dementia-Tool-Fact-sheet-01-30-24.pdf

–Aquamation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_cremation

–Body Farm at Western Carolina University: https://www.wcu.edu/learn/departments-schools-colleges/cas/social-sciences/anthsoc/foranth/forensic-anthro-facilities.aspx

–Cremation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cremation

–DNR form: https://oems.nc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/DNR-Form.pdf

–Hospice / Palliative Care: https://www.vitas.com/hospice-and-palliative-care-basics/about-palliative-care/hospice-vspalliative-care-whats-the-difference

–MOST form: https://oems.nc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Most-Form.pdf

–Natural Organic Reduction: https://recompose.life/

–Natural Organic Reduction Approved in Georgia: https://www.savannahnow.com/story/news/2025/05/14/kemp-signs-bill-legalizing-human-composting-in-georgia/83623553007/