Articles
August 2000
The Director - Features
"Detailing" a Body
Practical tips and advice on embalming, cosmetology and restorative arts
Most funeral service professionals agree that when the families they serve authorize embalming and request viewing the deceased, they expect the most recognizable, detailed "memory picture" possible. Despite the many changes taking place in so many areas of the profession, this has stayed constant and remains perhaps the most important responsibility funeral directors have to those they serve.
In "Detailing" a Body, Ken Whittaker, a licensed embalmer and funeral director, explains how proper embalming is the key to creating a final memory picture that will satisfy the family. The article gives advice on embalming, cosmetology and restorative art and provides a checklist for preparing a body for viewing or shipping.
Whittaker has served as an instructor and administrator with the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service for more than 25 years. Author of several articles for numerous funeral service trade journals, Whittaker has also been a contributing author to funeral service books on embalming and restorative art. Whittaker performs numerous continuing-education seminars around the country dealing with a variety of professional issues.
