In this episode of Sorry For Your Loss, we explore what it means to die in a way that honours not just the individual, but the planet. We begin with Jim Cassimatis, the former registrar at the Bereavement Authority of Ontario, who helps us understand how death care is regulated, what protections are in place for consumers, and where sustainability fits into the current system. Then, we meet Quinn Hunter, a licensed funeral director and passionate advocate for greener practices, whose own journey into the field began with helping her mother plan a funeral. From aquamation to forest interment, we hear about the alternatives to traditional burials and cremations, the barriers that still exist, and what’s changing as more people begin to ask: can death be sustainable?

Links & Resources

• Visit the Mount Pleasant Group website for more information and resources.
• Bereavement Authority of Ontario’s Consumer Information Guide
• Quinn Hunter’s green burial co-op, Return To The Earth
• Tillwell, Manitoba’s first licensed aquamation provider

Please note that the opinions expressed by the hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views or beliefs of Mount Pleasant Group.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) is a deeply personal and often polarizing topic. In this episode, we hear from Dr. Jean Marmoreo, one of Canada’s first MAID practitioners, and Krista Carr, a leading disability rights advocate, as they share their perspectives on the implications of MAID. What does the process really look like, and what are the concerns about how it’s being implemented? A wide-ranging conversation on one of the most complex issues in the world of death care.

Links & Resources

• Visit the Mount Pleasant Group website for more information and resources.
• The Last Doctor: Lessons in Living from the Front Lines of Medical Assistance in Dying by Dr. Jean Marmoreo
• Learn more about Krista Carr’s work at Inclusion Canada

Please note that the opinions expressed by the hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views or beliefs of Mount Pleasant Group.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Part 2 of this two-part episode, hosts Denise Donlon and John Monahan continue exploring the tender and difficult conversations that come with the end of life. They sit down with Dr. Kathy Kortes-Miller, author of Talking About Death Won’t Kill You, to discuss how to guide loved ones, navigate fears and unfinished business, and maintain hope and connection even in life’s final days. Drawing on real-life stories—from pre-death rituals to conversations with children—Kathy offers practical guidance for listening, supporting, and creating meaningful moments. This conversation is a compassionate reminder that talking about death can deepen relationships and bring clarity, presence, and peace.

Links & Resources

• Visit the Mount Pleasant Group website for more information and resources.
• Talking About Death Won’t Kill You: The Essential Guide to End-Of-Life Conversations by Dr. Kathy Kortes Miller
• Hope For The Best, Plan For The Rest by Hsien Seow and Dr. Sammy Winemaker

Please note that the opinions expressed by the hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views or beliefs of Mount Pleasant Group.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this two-part episode, we step into some of the most tender and difficult conversations of all: what to say—and how to listen—when someone you love is dying. Here in Part 1, hosts Denise Donlon and John Monahan reflect on their own experiences with family and friends in their final days, sharing the lessons, laughter, and moments of grace that came from simply being present.

We also meet Dr. Nadine Persaud, a longtime palliative care social worker who has spent nearly two decades at the bedsides of people at the end of life. Nadine offers compassionate, practical guidance on how to start the conversation, what not to say, and why genuine presence matters more than perfect words.

From the importance of connection and humour to the small victories that stay with grieving families, this conversation is a reminder that talking about death can bring us closer to life.

Links & Resources

• Visit the Mount Pleasant Group website for more information and resources.
• Advice for Future Corpses (And Those Who Love Them): A Practical Perspective on Death and Dying by Sallie Tisdale
• Check out Nadine Persaud on Instagram
• Learn more about the Kensington Hospice and the Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health at Lakehead University

Please note that the opinions expressed by the hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views or beliefs of Mount Pleasant Group.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we step inside the world of deathcare through the eyes of the people who do the work every day. Longtime MPG funeral director Macey Duncan speaks candidly about the emotional weight of her role, the mental challenges it brings, and the sense of meaning she finds in helping families through their hardest moments.

We also meet Natasha Bryan—a funeral director and embalmer by day, and DJ Tasha Rozez by night. After two decades in social services and behind the turntables, Natasha shares how she built a career that bridges care, creativity, and community, and how both sides of her life feed into the other.

Links & Resources

• Visit the Mount Pleasant Group website for more information and resources.
• Read more about Consumer Sentiments Towards End-of-Life Planning in this 2024 study.
• Learn more about Natasha Bryan: Funeral Director by Day, DJ by Night

Please note that the opinions expressed by the hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views or beliefs of Mount Pleasant Group.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we explore how death shapes family dynamics across generations and cultures. Funeral director Linda Lee reflects on 30 years of guiding families through the practical and emotional realities of funerals, from disputes over eulogies and heirlooms to questions of inheritance and who’s included—or left out—of the will.

Author Katherine Ashenburg shares her own experiences of mourning and insights from her book The Mourner’s Dance:What We Do When People Die, tracing the history of rituals like wearing black and covering mirrors, and showing how cultural traditions have long helped families carry grief together.

Katherine Ashenburg’s book is both a personal reflection about her daughter’s creation of rituals around her fiancé’s death, and a broader consideration of both the history and the current state of death-related practices around the world. In the conversation with Katherine Ashenburg in this episode many of the examples discussed pertain to British or Western European traditions, but of course they represent only a tiny sliver of the world’s experience.

Links & Resources

• Visit the Mount Pleasant Group website for more information and resources.
• The Mourner’s Dance: What We Do When People Die by Katherine Ashenburg
• Grieving Beyond Gender: Understanding Diverse Grieving Styles by Kenneth Doka and Terry Martin
• See the MPG Pre-Planning Guide to learn more about your options and steps to take.
• Learn more about Linda Lee’s historical journey in death care
• The BAO's Memorial Planning Guide is a useful tool to collect information to plan services.

Please note that the opinions expressed by the hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views or beliefs of Mount Pleasant Group.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does a good death look like, and who helps make it possible? In our first episode of Sorry For Your Loss, Denise and John explore the role of end-of-life doulas through the story of Shelley Carr, who cared for her partner Daniel after his glioblastoma diagnosis. With the support of end-of-life doula Sue Phillips, Shelley navigated the emotional and practical challenges of Daniel’s final days. Sue, who is the former vice president of the End-Of-Life Doula Association of Canada, shares how she came to this work, why talking about death matters, and how doulas offer presence, guidance, and comfort during life’s most difficult moments.

Visit the Mount Pleasant Group website for more information and resources.

Learn more about the End-Of-Life Doula Association of Canada

Check out Sue Philips’ recommendations: Hsien Seow and Dr. Sammy Winemaker’s book, Hope For The Best, Plan For The Rest and their podcast, The Waiting Room Revolution.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let's talk about death. It's a conversation many shy away from, but it’s something everyone will experience. In Sorry for Your Loss, we explore the questions we often avoid: What happens to a body after it’s taken away? How do you talk about death with kids? And what should you say—or not say—to someone in their final days?

Hosted by author and former media executive Denise Donlon and death care professional John Monahan, this podcast aims to normalize the inevitable and help us all navigate the often uncomfortable conversations surrounding death.

Join us as we explore what happens when you die, how to prepare, the costs of death care, the options for sustainable burials, and how professionals like embalmers cope with working in a death-centered industry. Through expert guests and candid discussions, Sorry for Your Loss pulls back the veil on the world of dying and death, offering a sensitive and informative approach to understanding what lies ahead.

This podcast is your user guide to the end—or beyond.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.