The first Before I Die Ohio Festival will take place October 27-29, 2022 in Dayton, Ohio. This series of events offers upbeat activities to think about, talk about, and do something about our inevitable mortality. Activities include Death Cafe conversations, field trips to cemeteries, funeral homes and crematoria, movies, panel discussions, and a wide range of speakers.
While most events are free, registration is encouraged. Events that include food have charges ranging from $20 to $35.
Gail Rubin, Certified Thanatologist and The Doyenne of Death®, is a special guest speaker at the Before I Die Ohio Festival. A pioneer of the Death Cafe movement in the United States, she will facilitate these supportive discussions of mortality issues at Death Cafes on October 27 at Routsong Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 2100 E. Stroop Road, Kettering, OH, and October 28 at one of the Anderson Funeral Homes locations in the Dayton area.
Gail will also emcee her conversation-starter The Newly-Dead Game® the evening of October 28. The couples quiz about how well they know each others' end-of-life wishes is part of the Death, Drafts and Directors event at Jimmie Ladder 11, a firehouse converted to a tavern located at 936 Brown St, Dayton, OH. She will also speak on panel discussions about downsizing and planning ahead for end-of-life issues.
"Just as talking about sex won't make you pregnant, talking about funerals won't make you dead," said Rubin. "The Before I Die Ohio Festival will help people have important conversations about end-of-life issues and plan ahead for our 100% mortality rate. And you'll have fun doing it! Register today for this incredible event."
Here's the full schedule of events at the Before I Die Ohio Festival.
Thursday, October 27, 2022
11:00am -12:00 pm Downsizing and Legacy
Where: Routsong Funeral Home
Speaker: Denise Swick/Gail Rubin
Event Synopsis: A conversation about downsizing with Denise Swick, Licensed Realtor with a new division devoted to senior relocation and downsizing consulting, and Gail Rubin, author of Kicking the Bucket List: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die.
12:00pm- 1:30 Death Cafe
Where: Routsong Funeral Home
Facilitators: Gail Rubin, Death Cafe pioneer, Erika Knox, Funeral Director, Neil Fogarty, President, Dodds Memorials
Open Discussion/Answering your Questions
2:30-4:00 Being Mortal Documentary Viewing
Where: Ohio's Hospice of Dayton
Speaker: Kim Vesey, President, Ohio's Hospice of Dayton
Event Synopsis: Viewing of the PBS FRONTLINE documentary
5:00pm-6:00pm Calvary Cemetery Evening Tour
Where: Calvary Cemetery
Speaker: Scott Wright
Event Synopsis: A historical look at the cemetery and the famous permanent residents there
6:00pm-6:30pm COVID Remembrance Moment
Where: Calvary Cemetery
Speaker: Neil Fogarty
Event Synopsis: Moment of remembrance for those passed
6:30pm-7:00pm Festival Kickoff
Where: Calvary Cemetery
Speaker: Neil Fogarty
Event Synopsis: Introduction to the Festival and background on Before I Die Festivals
7:00pm – 9:00pm Dia De Los Muertos Dinner
Where: Calvary Cemetery
Cater: La Catrina in Troy
Event Synopsis: Dinner - register for $20
Friday, October 28, 2022
10:00am-12:00pm Death Cafe
Where: Anderson Funeral Home
Facilitators: Gail Rubin, Rebekah Giuffre, Neil Fogarty
Open Discussion/Answering your Questions
12:30pm-1:30pm Anderson Celebration Center Tour
Where: Anderson Funeral Home
Speaker: Rebekah Giuffre
Event Synopsis: Behind-the-scenes tour of their center and crematory
2:30pm – 4:30 pm Woodland Cemetery Historical Tour
Where: Woodland Cemetery Dayton
Speaker: Angie Hoschouer
Event Synopsis: Historical tour of the grounds, one of the five oldest rural garden cemeteries in the US, and the resting places of famous individuals, including powered flight pioneers Wilbur and Orville Wright and humorist Irma Bombeck.
7:00 pm -8:30pm Death, Drafts and Directors
Where: Jimmie Ladder 11
Panelists: Abby Snider-Robinson, Brian Sarver, Erika Knox
Event Synopsis: Question and Answer with Panel
Number of Max attendees: 50 - Register for $20
8:30pm – 9:30 pm The Newly Dead Game®
Where: Jimmie Ladder 11
Host: Gail Rubin
Event Synopsis: Game with couples focused on end of life planning
Included with registration for Death, Drafts and Directors
Saturday, October 29, 2022
Symposium
Where: Meyer Room University of Dayton Curran Building
8:30 am -9:00 am Registration
9:00 am – 9:15 am Welcome
9:15 am – 11:15 am Think you're ready? Session 1- plan for the end then go on living
11:15 am – 12:00 pm Monumental Stories Presentation
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Lunch
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm What you need to know about Hospice care
2:00pm – 3:30 pm Think you're ready? Session 2 – Leaving a loving legacy to your family
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm Break
4:00 pm- 5:00 pm Living while Dying Documentary with Discussion
Half day registration $20, Full day registration $35
The sponsors of the Before I Die Ohio Festival:
Gail Rubin, CT, is author and host of the award-winning book and television series, A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die, Hail and Farewell: Cremation Ceremonies, Templates and Tips, and KICKING THE BUCKET LIST: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die.
Rubin is a Certified Thanatologist (that's a death educator) and a popular speaker who uses humor and films to get the end-of-life and funeral planning conversation started. She "knocked 'em dead" with her TEDx talk, A Good Goodbye. She provides continuing education credit classes for attorneys, doctors, nurses, social workers, hospice workers, financial planners, funeral directors and other professionals. She's a Certified Funeral Celebrant and funeral planning consultant who has been interviewed in national and local print, broadcast and online media.
Known as The Doyenne of Death®, she is the event coordinator of the Before I Die New Mexico Festival and author of a guide to holding such festivals. Her podcast is also called The Doyenne of Death®. She produces videos about the funeral business and related topics. Her YouTube Channel features more than 600 videos!
Rubin is a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling, the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, Toastmasters International and the National Speakers Association. Her speaking profile is available at eSpeakers.com.
Gail Rubin has been interviewed about funeral planning issues in national and local broadcast, print and online media. Outlets include The Huffington Post, Money Magazine, Kiplinger, CBS Radio News, WGN-TV, and local affiliates for NPR, PBS, FOX, ABC-TV, CBS-TV and NBC-TV. Albuquerque Business First named her as one of their 2019 Women of Influence.
Sign up for a free planning form and occasional informative newsletter at her website, AGoodGoodbye.com.