Date with Death Club

08/28/2026

What a wonderful obituary

IN LOVING MEMORY OF MICHAEL DE SIMONE — 1975-2026: Michael De Simone regrettably informs you that he is no longer alive.

This was not the plan.

He expected to be alive somewhat longer in order to do many more things. Unfortunately, there was some measure of disagreement between his mind and his body, and the arguments made by his body were, in the end, more persuasive.

Michael Andrew De Simone was born July 23, 1975, and died Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. He exited the world the way he entered it: eating pizza. He was 51 years old when he died, which is young for a man but quite old for a dog, so he left the world at peace in the knowledge that he outlived many, many dogs.

Michael was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, and died in Olympia, Washington. In the interim, he lived in numerous places: Florida, Texas, Arizona, South Korea, California, Washington, Texas (again), Washington (again), and perhaps more, who can know? He also traveled extremely widely, for work and pleasure, visiting every continent save Antarctica, which no one counts because it’s cold. He also took great solace in knowing that, in the great breadth of human history, very, very few people among the billions of human souls ever did much in the way of traveling, while he did a lot. Compared to a 12th-century nobleman, he basically saw the entire world, and he wasn’t even a nepobaby like some king.

The one big downside to not being alive is not being with the people one loves, and he loves a lot of people a great deal. He loves his parents, Dennis De Simone and Ruth Weber. He loves his brothers, Mark De Simone and Daniel De Simone, and his nephew, August De Simone. He loves his brother-in-law, Daniel Shults, and his family; his sister-in-law, Régine Labossière; his stepmother, Nida De Simone; his stepbrother, Michael Quan; and his daughter’s partner, Michael Kuerner. He loves his precious adopted dog-ter, Sandy. He loves his many friends and extended family, whom he will not list because of word count.

The greatest part of his love, though, was for the family he created with his wife of nearly 33 years, Daisy De Simone. They were high school sweethearts. And then Army sweethearts. And young parent sweethearts. And then adult sweethearts. And then sweethearts with teenagers. And then middle-age sweethearts. And then grandparent sweethearts. They never stopped being sweethearts, and forever sweethearts they remain.

Michael’s love for his two daughters, Johanna De Simone and Dani De Simone, is wider than creation. Creation wishes it was as wide as his love for Johanna and Dani. They came into his life early, as these things go in these times, but who would have it any other way? Who wouldn’t want as many moments as possible with their beloved children?

Michael also loves his three grandsons, Leo, Crispan and Trent. Every minute spent with them has been a reminder of the glory and wonder of the universe and the bottomless joy available to those who open their hearts to love.

Michael is, again, very sad to bring this news to you. It wasn’t much fun to receive. In lieu of flowers, he asks that you give your love freely, especially to those you hold most dear, because you never know when you might have to leave in a hurry.

A viewing will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 28, at Sticklin-Brown Funeral Chapel, 1437 S. Gold St., Centralia. A funeral service will follow at noon. A celebration of life reception will be held from 3:30 to 6 p.m. at the Fraternal Order of Eagles, 1993 S. Market Blvd., Chehalis.

(Chronicle obituary)

08/22/2026

Death accompaniment in Latin America did not begin with the word doula.

Long before the term entered contemporary end-of-life care, communities across Latin America already had people who accompanied dying and death: muerteras, rezanderas, veladoras, parteras de la muerte, cantoras, amortajadoras, and guardians of funeral rites.

As Wilka Roig explores in our latest article, these practices have long formed part of the cultural fabric of communities throughout Latin America, even as colonization, the medicalization of death, religious regulation, and the industrialization of funeral rites frequently rendered them invisible or pushed them to the margins.

The term may be relatively new. The practice is not.

Read Wilka Roig's full article, “The Death Doula Movement in Latin America: A Brief History,” by clicking here https://bit.ly/4gE6mmc.

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El acompañamiento a la muerte en América Latina no comenzó con la palabra doula.

Mucho antes de que el término entrara en el ámbito contemporáneo del fin de vida, en las comunidades de América Latina ya existían personas que acompañaban el morir y la muerte: muerteras, rezanderas, veladoras, parteras de la muerte, cantoras, amortajadoras y guardianas de ritos funerarios.

Como explora Wilka Roig en nuestro artículo más reciente, estas prácticas han formado parte del tejido cultural de muchos pueblos, aunque la colonización, la medicalización de la muerte, la regulación religiosa y la industrialización de los ritos funerarios con frecuencia las invisibilizaron o empujaron hacia los márgenes.

El término puede ser relativamente nuevo. La práctica no lo es.

Lee el artículo completo de Wilka Roig, “El movimiento de doulas de muerte en América Latina: una breve historia,” a través del enlace en nuestra bio.

Lee el artículo completo de Wilka Roig, "El movimiento de doulas de fin de vida en América Latina: una breve historia", haciendo clic aquí: https://bit.ly/4gE6mmc.

This article is available in English and in Spanish!

06/01/2026

05/31/2026

The Jacksonville Jaguars just became the first NFL team to officially offer fans a place to store their cremated remains inside the stadium.

Honestly? This makes complete sense! Fans have been sneaking ashes into sports venues forever. In 2021, a hazmat crew had to remove cremains from the stands at Heinz Field. A University of Nebraska regent proposed a columbarium under Memorial Stadium's field (shelved, after some pearl clutching). Similar plans stalled near Williams-Brice Stadium in South Carolina. The demand is clearly there, Jaguars are just the first to say "fine, let's do this officially."

The 904Ever Club runs $904–$5,904 for a "Fan Space" (very on brand for the 904), and the concept is genuinely sweet! Eternal rest with your people, in your favorite place. Love that for the fans.

But we have some notes on the marketing.

The 904Ever Club FAQ openly states, "Eternal Fan knows the appropriate language to drive conversion. Words such as cremated remains, ashes, or related words are NOT included in programming."

This is textbook death denial wrapped in teal and black merch. You can offer a genuinely meaningful and comforting service AND be honest about what it is. Saying "ashes" won’t kill their sale but pretending death isn't happening can keep people from making informed, intentional decisions.

If you want your ashes in EverBank Stadium, go off, genuinely. 🐆 🖤 We predict other teams will follow suit. Just maybe let your family know that's what that $2,500 "Fan Space" is actually for.

05/09/2026

Recently, a whole new audience was introduced to the 1944 classic film, Meet Me in St. Louis. While the film stars Judy Garland, it was little Tootie, (played by Margaret O’Brien, who actually won an Academy Award for the role!), that not only stole the show, but confronted mortality head on. From staging dramatic “deaths” of her dolls to planning their funerals, Tootie approaches death with curiosity, ritual, and a flair for the theatrical.

Rather than being morbid, her behavior reflects something deeply human: someone trying to understand an inevitable and complex part of life. Tootie’s openness models a natural, emotionally honest relationship with mortality, one many of us have had to spend years cultivating.

Recent statements on social media stating that Tootie is “deeply disturbed" or has “an undiagnosed condition” say more about our culture’s discomfort with death than about the character herself. Pathologizing and shaming people for their curiosity about death reinforces the harmful idea that acknowledging mortality is unhealthy, when in fact the opposite is often true. A death positive approach like Tootie’s invites questions, curiosity, authenticity, and even humor, helping reduce fear and stigma around dying.

If we want a society better equipped to handle grief, loss, and the realities of death, we could do worse than taking a cue from a delightfully dramatic little girl with a toy coffin and the courage to look the inevitable in the face.

Here, at the Order your curiosity about death and mortality is welcome, not shamed, or silenced.

04/30/2026

03/21/2026

https://www.phillymag.com/news/2026/03/20/debenneville-family-burial-ground/

A neglected North Philly graveyard. A vanished fortune. And a two-year quest to answer a single haunting question: What do we owe the dead?

03/09/2026

https://www.graphsaboutreligion.com/p/belief-in-an-afterlife-is-increasing?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

One of the DwDC sessions explores concepts of what happens after we die from different world religious traditions then helps participants discern their own beliefs - what they were handed when they were growing up, what they believe now. This research is a great source of information relevant to this topic.

Even among the non-religious

02/13/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/14V7t6PTQnw/?mibextid=wwXIfr

A children’s TV writer became a death doula and wrote a book about what grief needs from us.

Writer and filmmaker Darnell Lamont Walker has released his debut book, “Never Can Say Goodbye: The Life of a Death Doula and the Art of a Peaceful End,” with the goal of reducing stigma around death and grief in the Black community.

As a death doula, Walker provides emotional and physical support to clients and families in their final stages. He traces the work back to 1994 in Charlottesville, when he helped care for a cousin with HIV/AIDS after relatives disowned him.

Walker sat by his cousin’s side, sharing memories and jokes. He realized being compassionate and present can help people find closure at the end of their lives.

Read the full story at the link in the comments.

🖋️: Christopher A. Daniel / AJC
📸: Kristen Finn / Courtesy of Darnell Lamont Walker | Jason Kayser / HarperOne

11/19/2025

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/nov/17/it-was-the-last-time-mum-smiled-at-me-the-choirs-singing-to-the-dying-in-three-part-harmony

A worldwide movement to sing gentle songs to the dying provides comfort, peace and release to both the suffering and the singers