PAID ADVERTISEMENT
Celebration and Remembrance
Create Meaningful Celebrations of Life to Remember
MEMORIAL VENUES, OFFICIANTS, CATERING, FLOWERS, WELL-BEING & SELF CARE
“One characteristic that makes us human is
awareness of our mortality. It would seem that
death has much to teach us. It touches every one of
us in a number of different ways: we all will die and
most of us will be mourners. Living in community,
we will all have opportunities to receive and offer help
at times of loss. When we brush up against death, we
are reminded to value the gift of life. Awareness of
death can enrich our daily lives by binding us closer
to each other and to the continuum of our ancient
past and unknown future…”
T reasure e ach D ay : T he c hevra K aDisha ,
T emple B eTh i srael , e ugene , O regOn .
Celebrations Of Life
For as long as we’ve been recording our lives, rituals
at the ends of them have played a part. With the
advent of cremation, immediate services are no longer
required, and with the scattering of family far and
wide, the timing between the death and the gathering
can stretch to serve convenience over necessity.
Gatherings with the body present are called “funerals”,
while “memorials” are usually held after the cremation
or burial is complete. Funerals can be held at the
home, the church or the funeral facility, while
memorials or “celebrations of life” can take place in a
wider range of venues. “Wakes” can span several days
and are held in the home – usually after the death,
although some folks enjoy them before – and the body
is generally present. No matter the choice, all of these
variants honor the deceased and provide comfort to
the bereaved, and our community is filled with the
people and places to help.
WELL-BEING, SPIRITUAL AND SELF-CARE
Caring for mind, body and spirit
Tools for Peace of Mind
in Life and Death
1374 Willamette in Eugene
alan@stargateeugene.com
“Life is what you celebrate. All of it. Even its end.”
Joanne Harris, Chocolat
CEREMONY OFFICIANTS
Everyone’s death is unique. Historically, solace and
assistance while burying our dead has been the
province of religious and spiritual groups. Ritual and
ceremony – the funeral’s “how-to” manual – has faded
over time in increasingly secular societies as people
disconnect from formal religion, but death often brings
even the non-practicing person back to their spiritual
roots, and seeking guidance for a ceremony is natural.
Churches and temples can often recommend officiants
within their congregations, and many will provide
services for non-members, depending upon the
circumstances. Funeral directors take on the role
when spiritual facilitation is absent, and many funeral
directors work directly with the religious group
Officiants and Funeral Celebrants are perfect for do-it-
yourselfers that may not belong to a congregation but
want assistance in crafting a ceremony that honors
someone’s memory and brings closure to those that
remain. Officiants work directly with individuals and
families to plan and conduct personalized Memorial
and Celebration of Life services, lending their guidance
and perspectives to help deepen the experience for
all. Fees vary depending upon the type and length of
ceremony, and honaria for services provided by a non-
profit are customary.
Barb Ryan, Officiant
Memorials & Celebrations of Life
All beliefs/traditions welcome
541-345-5058
https://tinyurl.com/BarbRyanCel
Buddah Eye
Zen Community Temple
https://www.buddhaeye.org/
The Way is Right Under Your Feet
541-302-4576
Celebrant Institute
Locate a Life-Cycle Celebrant in Oregon
www.celebrantinstitute.org
MEMORIAL VENUES
For a more traditional atmosphere, local funeral
home chapels and churches are often available, and
many will rent out their facilities upon request. Many
clubs, hotels, and even theaters have private-party
rental rates, with an ambience that can lend itself to
a bit more celebration, while Grange and fraternal
organization halls (Elks, Oddfellows, VFWs, etc.) can
provide that small-town family-friendly vibe. Set up a
corner table with photos and memorabilia, order their
favorite foods and drinks, compile a great music list,
and make sure you’ve set up a microphone for sharing
stories, poetry and songs.
The Vet’s Club
1626 Willamette Street
Eugene, Oregon 967401
541-338-4074
www.vmaeugene.com
Wildish Community Theater
630 Main Street
Springfield, Oregon
541-868-0689
www.wildishtheater.com
Venue 252
252 Lawrence Street
Eugene, Oregon
877-901-7128
www.thevenue252.com
Cowfish Café & Club
62 W. Broadway 541-683-6319
Dance room, Pool, Bar, and Video
Private Parties Welcome
www.cowfishclub.com
CATERING & CELEBRATION FOOD
Catering for a Celebration of Life, whether in home or
out, makes sense in the press of a memorial when so
many other things may need to get done. Local foods,
organic foods, and foods prepared with caring and
love can express the health and community oriented
values that were lived in life. Co-creating a feast with
a professional collaborator who will use your preferred
ingredients keeps you in the driver’s seat without having
to do all of the work. Buying beer, wine, juice or natural
goodies in bulk can save you money, and having it
delivered is handy, too.
Mac’s Eugene Catering
Because the Details Matter!
www.MacsEugeneCatering.com
541-344-8600
Red Barn Natural Grocery
Celebrate Naturally – in Bulk!
BEVERAGE CASE-LOTS – 10% OFF
(Special Orders only – 541-342-7503)
redbarngrocery@aol.com
Eat well ‘til you can’t eat no more”
FLOWERS
Sympathy flowers provide beauty and comfort,
helping to soften a difficult time. While “in lieu of
flowers” requests are increasingly common, there
are times when flowers offer the perfect touch,
especially when they’re chosen with the environment
in mind. Unlike their plastic counterparts, real
flowers can be composted (and sustainably managed
cemeteries compost their grave tributes!) so keep it
natural whenever you can. Talk to your florist about
biodegradable floral display parts, returnable stands and
containers, locally sourced in-season arrangements,
live plant tributes, and other ways to minimize the
environmental impacts of these special gifts.
Rhythm & Blooms
Celebration & Sympathy Flowers
541-485-4659 • eugenesfavoriteflorist.com
Dandelions Flowers & Gifts
Family Owned-541-485-1261
www.dandelionsflowers.com
LEGACY AND REMEMBRANCE
Memories resonate long after the funeral and
celebration of life are complete. Photo albums, DVD
compilations and professionally compiled personal
history books are some of the ways a life story is told.
Household altars and shrines carve out a personal
spot for urns, keepsakes, photographs, and personal
mementos. Monuments do it in stone – and they don’t
have to be in the cemetery, either. Consider a quiet
corner of the yard, or even a traveled pathway – burying
ashes on personal property is fine, and a sapling tree or
shrub planted on the spot will absorb them all over time.
Get creative, and enjoy the process of remembering.
Backyard Shrines
Engraved Basalt Columns
Stone Birdbaths
Traditional Monuments in North American Stone
Call Oak Hill Cemetery • 541-689-7800
Home & Cemetery installation
Celebration of Life Videos
Memorial DVDs
David Ray - 541-953-1851 • lane-media.com
Trena Cleland
What is your life story?
Personalized Legacy Books • www.TrenaCleland.com
Where Love is Remembered
C
emeteries are an unsung community treasure. They’re the perfect green-
space – permanently zoned, and already beloved by generations of fami-
lies. A growing number of landscape architects and cemetery planners are
incorporating natural burial into the designs they create for cemeteries
– designs that include planning for natural elements like habitat improve-
ment, sustainable land management, and bioremediation – and helping communities
to reclaim and repurpose these special historic places. Check out the cemeteries listed
on the Natural End Map (www.naturalendmap.com), the Green Burial Council (www.
greenburialcouncil.org) and other online guides to natural burial for places all over the
country that are bringing life back to the Cemetery.
Many people already have a cemetery that they’re attached to, where family members
are already buried. Only a decade ago, it was nearly impossible to find a cemetery that
offers natural burial (burial in a biodegradable coffin without an outer burial container),
but today cemetery boards and management across the country have natural burial
on their agendas, and are working hard to figure out how to accommodate this trend.
Historic cemeteries already have plenty of natural burials, because that’s how we did
it a long time ago. And most active cemeteries – especially rural ones run by fraternal
organizations and townships – already permit vault-free natural burials but just don’t
advertise it. Sometimes it’s just a matter of contacting your cemetery and letting them
know you want it. When cemeteries experience the demand, they change. Check out
our listings of local cemeteries that have signed the Natural End Pledge.