Advance registration will close at 3:00PM on February 6. Tickets will be available for purchase at the door.

This program is offered both in-person at Laurel Hill West or online (Zoom). Select your preference upon checkout. if you select zoom, the link to join the webinar will be emailed to you the day prior to the event.

Watch death doulas duke it out. Just kidding! But what is a death doula, anyway, and why might someone consider working with one? We’ll explore three local doulas’ practices, approaches, and perspectives in an audience-led Q&A session moderated by Laurel Hill Funeral Director Pat Quigley.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed about dying or supporting a loved one through the transition process, curious about what death could look like, or tired of death being a taboo topic, this “ask me anything” session is for you. Come with your burning questions!

Death doulas, also called end-of-life doulas, death companions, or death midwives, provide a wide array of non-medical support to people in all stages of life – not only the imminently dying. This support is dynamic, and can take the form of advance care planning, easing death anxiety, supporting grief, answering questions, serving as guides, and much more.

Hot herbal tea and light refreshments are included in your ticket.

Meet your panelists!

Isabel Knight is the Founder of The Death Designer, a company that provides end of life planning services, including funeral and vigil planning, digital account password management, advance directives, and assistance with reconciling fears of mortality. She takes a human-centered design approach, with a focus on promoting individual autonomy, sustainability, and home deathcare options. Her goal is to create a more humane and equitable end of life experience for all. Additionally, Isabel is a volunteer for Philly Community Deathcare, a group that assists people with after-death care in Philadelphia for free and a board member of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Pennsylvania, a group that promotes funeral consumer rights and publishes funeral price lists for price shoppers. You can find her on Instagram at @thedeathdesigner.

Nefertiti Moor empowers the Afrikan Diaspora to talk about death & dying without fear. Through mortality mindfulness, green burial + home funeral education, legacy planning, and living funeral ceremonies; she aims to help communities reclaim deathcare, eases anxieties, and creates intentional transitions. Nefertiti is a Anishinaabe (Detroit) native, now living in the Lenni-Lenape (Philadelphia) area. She is a homeschooling SAHM to a powerful & vibrant four-year-old son, and loves to incorporate age appropriate death positivity into his learning experiences. In her free time – Nefertiti loves nature, music, traveling, eating good food and creating. Instagram: @dearlybereaved | Website: www.dearlybereaved.net

Kyra Overmier is a passionate advocate for people, bringing creativity and depth into her work as a death doula. She specializes in creating ritual, promoting and nurturing conversation around death and grief, and building strong community that comes together to support one another.  With compassion for the myriad of emotions around living and dying and an emphasis on the playful intersection of art and the taboo, she is a skillful companion and provider of resources for people and their loved ones before, during, and after death. It is within the wisdom of this work that she believes people can find their own meanings and understanding of life and liberation. Kyra is a mother of two girls residing just outside of Philly, a member of Philadelphia Community Deathcare and conducts workshops and showcases her art at South Street Art Mart and Laurel Hill Cemetery among other upcoming spaces.  She has a special interest in creating safe and inclusive spaces for marginalized groups, with experience specifically with the queer community and our elders.  She loves to integrate nature into her work whenever she can. Website: www.theartofdyingfw.com

Patricia A Quigley became a licensed funeral director in early 2013, and supervisor of Laurel Hill Funeral Home in 2020. Her passion is educating the public about non-traditional options for burial and cremation and the benefits of pre-planning a funeral for yourself or a loved one. She lives in the East Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia with her wife of 35+ years, and they have two adult children. She is the treasurer of A Way In, a Jewish Mindfulness organization, a member of Congregation Mishkan Shalom and the Reconstructionist Chevra Kadisha (Jewish Burial Society), and Vice President of the Bucks/Montgomery PFDA local chapter.

tickets (include light refreshments):

• $25/General Admission (Ages 13 and up)
• $23/Seniors (Ages 65+) and Students with ID
• $20/Members of the Friends of Laurel Hill
• $2/Access Card Holders (can purchase up to 4 tickets) **

** Access Card + Valid Photo I.D. must be presented at check-in.

Advance ticket purchases are strongly encouraged!

GETTING HERE:

• We will begin at Laurel Hill West’s CONSERVATORY, inside the cemetery (not the first building you see when you enter off Belmont Ave).
• The Conservatory at Laurel Hill West is located at 215 Belmont Avenue, Bala Cynwyd PA 19004.
  • When you arrive and enter the cemetery you will pass a set of gates and follow the white dashed line on the road to the Conservatory.
  • NOTE FOR UBER/LYFT RIDERS: Have your driver enter the cemetery following the above directions—otherwise, you will have a 10-minute walk to the event location.
  • Directions to Laurel Hill West are linked here.
• Free and accessible parking is available outside the Conservatory.

CHECKING IN:

• Check-in opens at 2:30pm. Please arrive at least 10 minutes before the event begins.
• Please have your tickets ready to scan either printed or on your phone. If you can’t find your ticket email, we can look you up by name.
• If you purchased “Access Card Holder” tickets you must present your Access Card and valid ID at check-in. Without presenting these items you will be charged the full price to attend the tour. 
• Additional tickets will be available to purchase via credit card or cash onsite. Unfortunately, we cannot accept Apple Pay.

PROGRAM DETAILS:

• The event is structured as an audience-led Q&A moderated by Laurel Hill Funeral Director Pat Quigley. Local death doulas Isabel Knight, Nefertiti Moor, and Kyra Overmier will mainly be answering questions that were pre-submitted during registration, but they will leave some time for follow-up questions from the audience (both in person and on the livestream).
• This panel will be recorded and available for viewing by registered participants for a limited time. We will share the recording in a follow-up email after the event.
• The event will take place in the Greenhouse room of the Conservatory, which has marvelous views of the cemetery through its many large windows. The Conservatory Greenhouse is heated, but please dress in layers to ensure your comfort. 
• Complimentary coat check and accessible restrooms will be available.

ACCESSIBILITY:

• The accessible entrance to the Conservatory Greenhouse is located under the carport on the side of the Conservatory. We will have a parking volunteer and signage to help identify the entrance.
• To access the restrooms from the Greenhouse, inquire with any staff member or volunteer. Please note it is necessary to temporarily exit the building to enter from another set of doors. 
• Please email programs@laurelhillphl.com if you have specific accessibility questions or needs.