What You Need to Know About Embalming, Cremation, and Eco-Friendly Funerals

What happens to your body after you die—and who decides? Jill sits down with Jamie Sarche, Director of Pre-arranged Funeral Planning, at Feldman Mortuary, to explore embalming, cremation (both fire and water), green burial, body composting, and the emotional and logistical weight of making funeral plans. Jill even begins her own funeral planning on-air, offering listeners a firsthand look at what these conversations involve.

If you've ever wondered what’s inside an urn, whether you can be composted, or why so many cremated remains end up forgotten in a closet, this is the episode for you.

What We Discuss

• Why embalming is common—but not required or environmentally friendly
• What’s really in an urn (hint: it’s not “ash”)
• The surprising environmental cost of fire cremation
• Alternatives to fire cremation, including water cremation and natural organic reduction (aka body composting)
• What makes a funeral “green” and how to avoid unnecessary embalming
• How pre-need funeral planning works and what decisions are involved
• Jamie’s approach to making funeral planning less scary and more human
• How funeral planning intersects with grief, family dynamics, and emotional preparedness
• How to talk to your loved ones about what you want (or don’t want)

Resources and Links:

• Jamie’s speaking engagements:
• TEDx talk: Breaking down the taboos about death
• Death Rituals: Creating Jewish Life
• Jamie’s Body Talk article
• Jill’s Obituary Writing Tool– A guided resource for drafting an obituary using ChatGPT
• Podcast episode mentioned in this episode re: How to Create a Family Podcast
• Link to dog painting referenced in episode
• Link to photos of Kristen and Jill running the Boston Marathon
• Noble podcast

Connect with Jamie:

• Director of Pre-arranged Funeral Planning at Feldman Mortuary
  Email: [email protected]

Connect with Jill:

• Book a free 15-minute consultation
• Website: DeathReadiness.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Subscribe to receive news and updates.

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This podcast provides estate planning guidance for women and discusses real, practical issues, from caregiving, pre-planning a funeral, how to avoid probate using beneficiary designations, planning for individuals with special needs (and special needs trusts), whether you need a professional fiduciary (trustee or executor), how the estate tax works and how to preserve your legacy.

Tuesday Triage episodes answer questions from listeners like you, from powers of attorney, healthcare advance directives (and whether they work when you’re pregnant), what a Last Will and Testament really is, whether you need a trust, how Medicaid works and how to have senior and elder care conversations and how to care for aging parents.

Disclaimer: This podcast and all related content are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is established here. Use of this information without careful analysis and review by your attorney, CPA, and/or financial advisor may cause serious adverse consequences. For legal guidance tailored to your unique situation, consult with a licensed attorney in your state.