Friday, October 27, 2023
8:30am -2:30 pm Pre- Planning Symposium
Where: Routsong Funeral Home Stroop Rd.
Speakers: Nancy Roberson, Sam Routsong, Neil Fogarty
Event Synopsis: This event includes the following seminars:
8:30-9:00 Registration and Check-in
9:00 Welcome
9:10-9:40 Decluttering with Jack Brendamour- Ever get that feeling that your “stuff” is taking over your house? As we age, our possessions tend to multiply. Jack Brendamour walks us through the process of decluttering and the means to dispose of or pass on the items we no longer need, but don’t know how to remove from our homes. This program is highly recommended for adult children and their parents!
9:40-10:30 Estate Planning with Nancy Roberson- Too many people think of estate planning as a process for older folks or the filthy rich: nothing could be further from the truth! The term estate planning encompasses decisions and documents that every person needs at any age. Discussion will include wills, powers of attorney (yes there are more than one,) living wills, and advanced directives. Join long-standing and well-respected estate attorney Nancy Roberson for this important discussion.
10:30-10:40 Break
10:40-11:10 Organ Donation with Stephanie Burianek- Life Connection of Ohio is the non-profit organization that serves families and saves lives through organ donation in Northwest and West Central Ohio. We honor those who give the gift of life, support the families of those donor heroes, and celebrate with those who receive second chances at life. Stephanie will discuss the importance of considering donation when making your end-of-life plans.
11:10-12:00 Funeral/Cemetery/Memorial Planning Panel Discussion with Neil Fogarty, Sam Routsong, Erika Knox, Angela Bowling, and Amy Thie- I can do that when I’m older! Ever hear that argument for delaying the planning of a final resting place? Join Sam Routsong, Erika Knox, Angela Bowling, Amy Thie and Neil Fogarty to discuss what you need to consider at any age!
12:00-1:00 Lunch
1:00-2:30 Design Your Memorial with Dodds Memorials Designers Tim Arthur and Jenny Thorp- The experienced design team from Dodds Memorials shows us how to craft a memorial that is not only beautiful and tasteful but tells your story. Come create your Lasting Vision of Love and have a bit of fun deciding what you want on your tombstone.
Number of Max attendees: 100
Ticket Purchase Required: No
2:30pm- 3:30pm Downsizing and Legacy
Where: Routsong Funeral Home Stroop Rd.
Speaker: Denise Swick
Event Synopsis: It is hard for many people to make the decision to downsize and to even begin the process. How do you start and how do you know it is time? There are so many questions that surround this topic. The second annual Before I Die Festival will address this topic with Downsizing expert Denise Swick. At 34, Denise suddenly lost her mother. Instantly she became the sole caregiver for three elderly relatives. Quickly, Denise had to coordinate the process of moving her grandmother from her home of 30 years, her uncle into independent living, and another uncle into 24-hour care.
Through this experience, Denise learned how to navigate the transition while balancing all of the emotions. Her passion for real estate and helping people compelled her to become both a Senior Relocation and Probate/Estate specialist. With over three decades of selling real estate in the Dayton Area, Denise has built a dynamic network to assist her clients through every step of the rightsizing process. Her passion, connections, and systems make these unique moves smooth while providing peace of mind to everyone involved.
Number of Max attendees: 100
Ticket Purchase Required: No
3:30pm-4:30pm Securing Digital Assets Upon Death Discussion
Where: Routsong Funeral Home Stroop Rd.
Speaker: TBD
Event Synopsis: More Details to Come
Number of Max attendees: 100
Ticket Purchase Required: No
6:00pm-9:30pm History, Mystery, Murder and Mayhem Tour and Festival Kick-Off
Where: Woodland Cemetery Dayton
Speaker: Neil Fogarty and Angela Bowling
Event Synopsis: : This is a lantern tour of the infamous residents. Hear tales of Dayton Slim, Maggie Doane, Christine Kett, Maurice DesJardins and discover who killed Bessy Little. This event is a walking tour with a moderate walk. We recommend wearing sensible walking shoes. You are encouraged to bring flashlights but please no headlights. At this event, there will be food and dessert trucks, wine and beer will also be served. Tickets include the tour, a meal, and drink tickets. The HMM&M tours will depart at 7pm and 8pm. There will be two groups that depart at 7pm and 8pm. Each group will have 25 people max. Please note when you register for this event, you will be redirected to the Woodland Website for registration. If you are registering for multiple events including the Woodland Tour you will complete the form on our site then will immediately be sent to the Woodland website for final registration there.
Number of Max attendees: 100
Ticket Purchase Required : Yes
Price: Pre-registration 20$. Limited tickets, cash only, at the gate will be 30$.
Saturday October 28, 2023
8:30am-1:30pm Grief Symposium
Where: Routsong Funeral Home Stroop Rd.
Speakers: Dr. Rachel Nolan, Brian Bennet, Sam Routsong, Erika Knox
Event Synopsis: This event includes the following seminars:
8:30-9:00 Registration and Check-in
9:00 Welcome
9:10-10:10 Navigating Grief with Dr. Rachael Nolan
10:10-11:00 Celebrants and Life Celebrations with Brian Bennet
11:00-11:15 Break
11:15-12:30 Obituary Writing Workshop
12:30-1:30 Lunch
Number of Max attendees: 100
Ticket Purchase Required : No
1:30pm-3:00pm Death Cafe
Where: Routsong Funeral Home Stroop Rd.
Facilitator: Dr. Rachel Nolan
Event Synopsis: If you are unfamiliar with what a Death Cafe is, then you probably are thinking something morbid! However, a Death Cafe, is a small group of people coming together to discuss various end of life or death related topics. Hosts may not lead, promote, or have an agenda to discuss. The format is truly open, allowing participants to ask questions and have conversations. Ideally it will provide a space that allows people to become more comfortable with discussing death and the realities of that inevitable event. It is merely a discussion group, not a support group and not a counseling forum. It is open to people of all beliefs, backgrounds, and understandings. All thoughts and ideas are welcome.
Number of Max attendees: 20
Ticket Purchase Required: No
3:00pm – 4:00 pm Movie Viewing: Living While Dying Documentary
Where: Routsong Funeral Home Stroop Rd.
Speaker: Neil Fogarty
Event Synopsis: A viewing of the documentary of Living While Dying and an open discussion.
Number of Max attendees: 75
Ticket Purchase Required: No
6:30pm – 9:00 pm Millennial Morticians Panel Discussion
Where: Dayton Beer Company
Speaker: Sam Routsong, Erika Knox, Abby Snider-Robinson, Cassie Wheeler
Event Synopsis: Join us for a relaxing evening at the Dayton Beer Company along with our panel of Millennial Funeral Directors. Ask them your questions about death, pre-planning or why in the heck they would want to work at a funeral home! This event is sure to be informative!
Number of Max attendees: 75
Ticket Purchase Required: No