2025 Mid Winter Conference

It’s Not Your Their Father’s Embalming School

by: Robert C. Smith III – American Board of Funeral Service Education

A look at the state of funeral service education in 2024. Regardless of when you, or your employer, attended embalming school, mortuary school or completed your funeral service education, it is not the same today as it was even a few years ago.

This presentation will review the number of accredited programs and institutions offering funeral service education in the US and where they are located.

The growth in distance education (often referred to as 'online') will be addressed.

Many will be surprised to learn that 70%+ of the graduates of today's accredited programs are female and the typical student is not coming directly from high school to start their funeral service education.

Changes in the student population and schools providing the education will be reviewed.

Also discussed will be the E's in funeral service; education, examination, experience, accreditation of funeral service education

Bio: Robert C. Smith III, CFSP, CPC, CCO, is the Executive Director of the American Board of Funeral Service Education since 2014.  For the past 35 years, Robert (Professor Emeritus) has been the program director for funeral service education at Mercer County Community College in Trenton NJ. He is a member of National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) and a Past President of University Mortuary Science Education Association (UMSEA). The ABFSE serves as the national academic accreditation agency for college and university programs in Funeral Service and Mortuary Science Education. Although its roots go back to the 1940s, the ABFSE became an autonomous agency in 1962. The accrediting function of ABFSE is recognized by the US Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). CHEA describes "Accreditation" as a process of external quality review used by higher education to scrutinize colleges, universities and educational programs for quality assurance and quality improvement. In the United States, accreditation is carried out by private, non-profit organizations designed for this specific purpose.  Institutions and educational programs seek accredited status as a means of demonstrating their academic quality to students and the public and to be eligible for federal funds.

Caring for the Donor Case

By: Marc J. Zmijowski – Zmijowski Mortuary Services, Inc.

This 1.5-hour class will take a deep dive into eye, tissue, bone and organ donation. Various techniques will be shared as well as a discussion on the diagnosis procedure on how to determine a treatment.

Bio: Marc is currently the supervisor at Melenyzer Funeral homes and Cremation Services, Inc. He is a member of the British Institute of Embalmers and a Past President of Southwest Pa FDA, and currently holds the position of PFDA District 3 Governor.  Marc is the owner of Zmijowski Mortuary Services, Inc., where he provides embalming services for 16 funeral homes in Western Pa averaging 600 cases a year. 

Diagnosis by Discovery A Review of Interesting Cases

By: Dr. Gary Collins – Delaware Chief Medical Examiner

Join us in understanding the processes involved in the medicolegal death investigation. Objectives will be determined and well as the ability to identify investigative techniques utilized in the medicolegal death investigations, Attendees will also be able to identify important postmortem examination procedures.

Bio: Dr. Collins is the chief medical examiner for the State of Delaware in the Medical Examiner Unit of the Delaware Division of Forensic Science. He has held that position since October 2014.

Dr. Collins was born in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. He is a graduate of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica. He completed his residency in anatomic and clinical pathology at the University of South Florida College of Medicine in Tampa, Florida. Dr. Collins then moved to the Philadelphia area where he did his fellowship in forensic pathology at the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office. He then spent 7 years at the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s office, in the role of assistant medical examiner, and later on was promoted to the position of deputy chief medical examiner. During his time in Philadelphia, Dr. Collins was active in teaching medical students, interns and pathology residents and held adjunct faculty appointments with the Drexel University Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. He is board certified in anatomic pathology, clinical pathology and forensic pathology and is active in continuing certification. He is an advocate for the advancement of forensic pathology and takes every opportunity to encourage students to enter the field of medicolegal death investigation and forensic pathology.

Do’s and Don’ts for Disinterments

By: R. Paul Evans – Evans Burial Vaults

This one-hour discussion is informative and focuses on providing guidance and knowledge to funeral directors to better prepare them for the management of disinterment projects. Mr. Evans emphasizes the need for thorough investigation of the history. He also discusses why it is absolutely necessary for careful pre­planning to determine potential issues and challenges that may be encountered during the work. Mr. Evans provides tips on scheduling to assist the vault company/cemetery in the performance of the physical work and provides an overview of common challenges and resolutions.

The presentation includes three Case Studies with photographic documentation of the work performed. It culminates with the "DOs for Success" which are careful pre-planning, teamwork, and properly manufactured burial vaults meeting industry standards and specifications.

Bio: Paul Evans is current owner of Evans Burial Vaults (Evans Vaults) located in Leola (Lancaster) PA with other locations in Lebanon, Harrisburg, and Gettysburg.

Paul earned his BS Degree from Dickinson College and his Master's of Engineering from Pennsylvania State University. Paul has been Licensed by the Pennsylvania Board of Funeral Directors as a continuing educational provider since 2011 and maintains professional licenses and certifications in geosciences/environmental engineering.

Paul began is career working for several engineering consulting firms responsible for the design and construction of water and wastewater facilities, public water supply wells, and represented Townships and Boroughs as their engineering consultant. Paul started his career in funeral services with the retirement of his father in 1998.

For the past 26 years, Paul has been responsible for client relations and business management of Evans Vaults and supervised the acquisition of several smaller vault companies. Paul is very active in the Burial Vault industry and currently serves as a Board Member of the National Concrete Burial Vault Association, and past President of the Pennsylvania Concrete Burial Vault Association. Paul is currently active with the Wilbert Manufacturer's Association (WMA). Paul also provides consulting services to OHSA as an investigator on cases that involve safety issues associated with burial vaults.

Paul has held various community service positions including a Board Member and Vice President of the School District of Lancaster, and Board of Directors for non-profit organizations including Children's Miracle Network, Hershey Medical Center, and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Delaware Valley Chapter.

Updates On Our Nation’s Veterans and Eligible Dependents Burial Benefits

By: Edward A. Hajduk – Director of the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies

Updates to include eligibility for veterans and their dependents, pre-need eligibility, burial reimbursements, allowances, pension, scheduling, as well as many other details that are needed to take care of our veterans and their families. There will also be a discussion on the history or the national cemetery administration and time set aside for your questions and concerns.

Bio: Edward A. Hajduk was named Director of the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies effective December 8, 2019. He is responsible with all burial, maintenance, and administrative operations at the facility.

Mr. Hajduk was appointed as the Assistant Director on August 7, 2016, after graduating from the National Cemetery Administration's (NCA) comprehensive year-long Cemetery Director Intern Program.

Prior to this appointment, Mr. Hajduk served as a NCA Midwest District Contracting Officer Representative where he monitored 11 raise and realignment projects for eight national cemeteries. He joined NCA in 2014 as a temporary Cemetery Representative at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.

Prior to joining NCA, Mr. Hajduk worked in private industry as a Production Team Leader for a chemical company, managing 4 manufacturing units and responsible for the production and shipment of more than 240 million pounds of hazardous and non­hazardous material.

Mr. Hajduk is a U.S. Navy Veteran with 28 years of active and reserve service. He retired as a Chief Petty Officer from the U.S. Navy Reserve in August 2008. He served in support of Operation Noble Eagle and Operation Iraqi Freedom.