I’ve been a member of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) for as long as I can remember.  It’s been at least since 1980 and, more than likely, before that I was reading issues of “The Director” magazine as they were set out at our house because my father was a funeral director also.

 

I’m in retirement now, doing what I want to do, so I am totally understanding but also disappointed that in the December 2023 edition of The Director I read an article entitled “My Final Column“. . . . . authored by Daniel Isard.  You see, I’m disappointed because of how much I enjoyed reading Mr. Isard’s thoughts on the business end of the death care profession and feel a little loss because I will no longer be taught and challenged by Mr. Isard’s intellect.

 

Every funeral director has parts of the business that they enjoy and, more than likely, parts of the business that they don’t enjoy but end up doing simply because that is what funeral directors do.  For me, I’ve always enjoyed the business end of the profession.  Because of that, Isard’s article was always the first article that I looked for upon receiving The Director for the past 35 plus years.

 

Daniel Isard writes in his final column, which you can read here if you are an NFDA member, that he has written over 500 articles for The Director and its members.  I’m guessing that I’ve read close to that many and have appreciated and learned from virtually every one of them.

 

I can remember when I first heard of Daniel Isard.  It was at the 1986 NFDA Convention in Orlando, Florida.  I remember the date simply because I can remember watching the World Series on television while there and remembering the “Bill Buckner” play that doomed the Boston Red Sox that year.

 

I also remember that convention because it was the first convention that I attended outside of my home state.  Quite frankly, it was the lure of the relatively new DisneyWorld that brought me there.  And, I also look back with some fondness that early in my career I could not afford to stay at the convention hotel. . .In 1986 that was the beautiful new Marriott World Center near Disney.  I watched the baseball game sitting in my room at the low profile and lower priced Days Inn about 10 miles away. . . Times do change.

 

From Isard’s final article I learned that it was also in 1986 at the NFDA Convention that he first took to the presentation stage to present his business viewpoints. . . . I can still remember how dynamic and attention drawing that presentation was to a young funeral director interested in learning how to get greater profits from his business.  It was a different approach to learning business from any other that I had heard to that date —  the presentation kept me mesmerized much like hearing a great preacher deliver their sermon.  So, I feel fortunate that I saw the debut and am still here to read the final column.

 

To my knowledge we’ve never met personally, although we talked over Zoom at one time as Isard interviewed me about Funeral Director Daily.  However, please know that Isard’s writings and business acumen influenced this funeral director’s business philosophy greatly.  And the simple fact that when I go to the NFDA Convention at this point in time I can afford to stay at the convention hotel may serve notice that the business philosophy and lessons that I took from Isard’s writings paid off!!!

 

Enjoy retirement Mr. Isard and thanks again for your articles which helped me build a sound financial footing under my business.

 

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