Oregon Funeral Directors Association

OFDA Member Portland Mortuary Services is holding a scattering at sea service on Wednesday, October 7th at 2:45 PM in Depoe Bay – please see below for further details.

Dear Funeral Homes,

Our fall 2026 Scatter at Sea is upon us. Weather permitting, we are scheduled for October 7th at 2:45 p.m.

The cost for scattering at sea is $150. This includes:

EPA notification as required by law.
Signed Scattered at Sea Certificate with coordinates.
Placement of memorial wreath for Fleet of Flowers on Memorial Day to honor all decedents scattered at sea in the fall & spring.

Scattering is completed at the three-mile buoy which can be seen from the Depoe Bay bridge.

Please call Brittany, our Cremation Manager at the office at (503) 665-4200 or email her at [email protected] if you have any questions.

Respectfully


Craig Collins, Owner
(503) 665-4200

After their nearly 9-month-old son died at Salem Hospital, a Seattle couple says staff gave them a handwritten note on a prescription pad instead of proper death documentation — then sent them home with his body in the back seat. The couple is now suing for $10 million.

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/courts-news/seattle-parents-sue-salem-hospital-staff-told-drive-infant-sons-body-home-car-back-seat/283-efcd2db7-d3ab-4748-942b-3c263030ecc8?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_KGW-TV

Last call to RSVP for this upcoming event. Only a few more seats are available for each session!

Upcoming educational session on September 22, 2026, at Anderson Tribute Center in Hood River, Oregon.
Anderson Tribute Center
1401 Belmont Avenue
Hood River, OR 97031

Angelique Simpson, Professional Development Director with Matthews Aurora Funeral Solutions, will be the featured speaker, presenting:
“Cremation: It’s NOT About the Price”
It’s not shocking when we say there is often a gap between the revenue generated from casketed burial and direct cremation. But do you know just how big that gap is—and why you should know it?
As cremation rates continue to grow year over year, is your business positioned to grow with that trend? The real question is, is cremation the problem, or is it how we typically serve families who choose cremation?
Angelique will share how providing information and knowledge of ALL THE OPTIONS is key. Rather than focusing on price, the goal is to focus on providing value and insight so families can make informed decisions every time.
You Will Learn:
• The financial impact of the growing cremation trend
• How to better serve families who choose cremation
• How to distinguish your full-service funeral home from direct cremation businesses
• Options for sharing information with families in an easy and relatable way
We will start with a 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. session. Depending on attendance and interest in the morning session, we may offer a second session from 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
This event is open to all OFDA members, students of funeral service, and licensed funeral directors and embalmers.
If anyone is interested in attending, please reach out to me at 541-510-2154 or [email protected].

We’re still accepting RSVPs for the upcoming OFDA District Meeting on Wednesday, September 30!
Join us for an evening featuring great speakers, valuable insights, and plenty of opportunities for networking and connecting with colleagues. You won’t want to miss it!
Reserve your seat today! If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact the OFA office.
We look forward to seeing you there!

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/ORHA/bulletins/4293d7a

content.govdelivery.com

A quick note from OFDA Executive Director:

I was contacted by the head of the honors team at Willamette National regarding times when honor guard personnel have been asked to help get a casket from the vehicle to the shelter. This is not in their protocol, and while they want to be helpful, they feel it's not a good look for the team. He has asked me to give the funeral homes a heads-up that as of September 21, 2026, they will not be assisting funeral homes in this way. So please make allowances for time and personnel, knowing that you won't have that assistance from the team. Here is their quote from our correspondence:

"With that in mind, beginning 21SEP2026, Army Funeral Honors will no longer provide assistance with this process in front of the veteran's family. If the cemetery staff, Funeral Director, or family would like our assistance, we can help pre-post the remains prior to the family's arrival at the shelter."

Wally O.

'Dead people are not home decor': New law in Idaho targets the sale of human remains Idaho has a new law banning the sale of human remains, spearheaded by a first-year law student.

Upcoming educational session on September 22, 2026, at Anderson Tribute Center in Hood River, Oregon.
Anderson Tribute Center
1401 Belmont Avenue
Hood River, OR 97031

Angelique Simpson, Professional Development Director with Matthews Aurora Funeral Solutions, will be the featured speaker, presenting:
“Cremation: It’s NOT About the Price”
It’s not shocking when we say there is often a gap between the revenue generated from casketed burial and direct cremation. But do you know just how big that gap is—and why you should know it?
As cremation rates continue to grow year over year, is your business positioned to grow with that trend? The real question is, is cremation the problem, or is it how we typically serve families who choose cremation?
Angelique will share how providing information and knowledge of ALL THE OPTIONS is key. Rather than focusing on price, the goal is to focus on providing value and insight so families can make informed decisions every time.
You Will Learn:
• The financial impact of the growing cremation trend
• How to better serve families who choose cremation
• How to distinguish your full-service funeral home from direct cremation businesses
• Options for sharing information with families in an easy and relatable way
We will start with a 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. session. Depending on attendance and interest in the morning session, we may offer a second session from 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
This event is open to all OFDA members, students of funeral service, and licensed funeral directors and embalmers.
If anyone is interested in attending, please reach out to me at 541-510-2154 or [email protected].

Detectives say the trio broke into niches and mausoleums in at least nine states, and investigators warn there could be far more victims who haven't checked on their loved ones' burial sites in years: http://www.kgw.com/article/news/nation-world/tomb-raiding-trio-cemeteries-thefts/507-2b0a72b4-fb4b-46b3-a5cf-8105db95679e?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_KGW-TV

I-5 Rose Quarter Project: Important Information for Portland-Area Funeral Homes

The I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project is scheduled to begin September 11, and it is expected to have a significant impact on traffic throughout the Portland metropolitan area.

What does this mean?

All southbound lanes of I-5 are expected to be closed for up to five weeks. This closure will likely result in increased congestion, longer travel times, and significant changes to normal traffic patterns.

The Oregon Funeral Directors Association (OFDA) has notified medical examiners throughout the Portland metro area and requested patience and understanding regarding potential delays in first-call response times.

Funeral homes in the Portland area should be prepared for:

Longer commute and travel times.

Significant traffic congestion and delays.

Additional planning required for timely first-call responses.

Potential requests to assist neighboring funeral homes with removals.

OFDA encourages all funeral home operators to work together and support one another during this period. There may be more frequent requests for assistance with removals, particularly when traffic conditions make it difficult for a funeral home to respond promptly.

This is an opportunity for our profession to come together and be good neighbors. If you are able to assist a fellow funeral home, please consider doing so. By working together, we can help ensure that families continue to receive the care, dignity, and timely service they deserve.

Please plan ahead, allow additional travel time, and communicate with your staff and neighboring funeral homes as needed.

Thank you for your cooperation, patience, and commitment to serving families.

Oregon Department of Transportation : Project-Details : Projects : State of Oregon An official website of the State of Oregon Learn How you know » (how to identify a Oregon.gov website) An official website of the State of Oregon »