Monday, October 27, 2025
7 pm ET (NYC time)/ 4 pm (PST)
Free! To RSVP/Register, click HERE.

In collaboration with Morbid Anatomy, music-thanatologists Jane Franz and Kate Davis will present a free, one-hour online lecture. This resonant evening explores the deep history and living practice of music at the bedside of the dying, tracing its roots from medieval monastic traditions to modern clinical care. Jane and Kate will share stories, historical insights, and musical excerpts that illuminate the practice of music-thanatology.

About the Presenters:

Jane Franz is the Executive Director for Accorda Music-Thanatology Institute and has been a certified music-thanatologist for over twenty years. She served as lead music-thanatologist for PeaceHealth Medical Centers and Hospices in Eugene, Springfield, and Florence, Oregon. Jane was the co-founder and director of the Music-Thanatology Training Program through Lane Community College, in Portland, OR, where she also served as a faculty member from 2007-2015. In 2015, with Sandra LaForge, Jane co-authored From Behind the Harp: Music in End of Life Care. Her music appears on two albums, Loom of Love (2005) and From the Deep Earth (2007). She currently resides in Henderson, NV.

Kate Davis is a lifelong musician, songwriter, and current Music-Thanatologist at Providence St. Vincent. She grew up in West Linn, Oregon, before spending 15 years in NYC, where she attended the Manhattan School of Music and freelanced as a bassist and singer. Last year, she returned to Portland to study at the Accorda Music-Thanatology Institute, and in doing so, returned home to her formative and meaningful roots in the PNW.

A Community Conversation About Death and Dying

Location: Astoria Visual Arts - 1000 Duane Street, Astoria, OR

RSVP or For questions: dardi@viemort.com

A meditation on end-of-life and what comes next.

Presented by Astoria Death Cafe

Location: Astoria Visual Arts - 1000 Duane Street, Astoria, OR

RSVP or For questions: dardi@viemort.com

A Community Conversation About Death and Dying

Location: Astoria Visual Arts - 1000 Duane Street, Astoria, OR

RSVP or For Questions: dardi@viemort.com

Description

Axios Consulting will share how personal experience inspired the creation of a service that supports families considering Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) abroad, specifically with DIGNITAS in Switzerland. This presentation will introduce what DIGNITAS is, the origins of Axios, and the challenges that shaped its mission. We will describe the practical support we provide—guiding families through membership, coordinating travel and logistics, and offering translation services in Zurich—along with insights into costs, accessibility, and the legal research that informed our work. Most importantly, this session will answer questions, spark meaningful conversations, and demonstrate how Axios can compassionately walk alongside families during one of life’s most difficult journeys.

Presenters

Bryan M. Rigg is a Yale and Cambridge-educated historian, former U.S. Marine Corps officer, and author of several acclaimed books on World War II and the Holocaust, as well as a book on ADHD and dyslexia. He has taught at Southern Methodist University and American Military University, and is also the founder of Rigg Wealth Management LLC.

Justin B. Rigg is a student at Vanderbilt University, double-majoring in Computer Science and Economics. A graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy, he studied abroad in Iceland and Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic. He holds a Series 66 Securities License, has worked at GDS Wealth Management, and has managed marketing, fulfillment, and restructuring operations for product lines.

Register

9/21 Death Cafe Cancelled

Jim Van Buskirk, is a volunteer Regional Coordinator for Final Exit Network (FEN). He will discuss his new book, a collection of unique first-person accounts of FEN clients and volunteers over the past 20 years as clients and their families come to terms with their end-of-life decisions.
 
“We are honored to include original reminiscences from pioneers Derek Humphry, Faye Girsh, and Myriam Coppens. This is not a history of FEN, nor an articulation of policies, procedures, or polemics. It is personal voices telling their stories – offering a never-before-seen portrait of FEN’s committed and compassionate volunteers as well as their grateful clientele.” ~Jim Van Buskirk

Register for the Zoom Presentation

Making Visible the Invisible: A Community Conversation about Death and Dying.  Death Cafe is a co-generational gathering that aims to create a comfortable and open space for people to gather and discuss topics related to death, dying, and mortality, and all that it is to be human, navigating the most profound transition of our lives. A Death Cafe offers a space and place for people to be supported, comforted, respected, honored, and, most importantly, connected. It provides a platform for individuals to share their thoughts, fears, and experiences surrounding death and dying in a supportive, non-judgmental, and safe environment.  Adhering to Death Cafe's mission, participation is free, although contributions to support the cafes are accepted. 

Click here to learn more about Death Cafe's history. If you're interested in exploring virtual Death Cafes, click here.

Description
Nestled just outside the small town of Mosier, Oregon, in the breathtaking Columbia River Gorge, our dedicated 20-acre natural burial cemetery, with 6.5 acres dedicated to burial plots, is part of the 150-acre Great River site. The cemetery burial areas are interwoven with hiking trails and offer majestic mountain views of Hood, Adams, Defiance, and the Simcoe range. The panorama extends to the Columbia River and the Mosier Creek Valley and encompasses forests, sprawling orchards, and vineyards.

Presenter

Russell Hargrave lives with his wife and two children in Mosier, Oregon. He enjoys the outdoor life, his job, and raising a family. The land's rugged beauty beckons him to the outdoors daily, as he and his brother did growing up on a small farm. However, when his younger brother died unexpectedly 10 years ago, he was unprepared for the grief. With the anguish from his brother’s death still palpable, Russell was faced with the question of where his mother, he, and his wife would be buried. After realizing they could continue to be a part of this beloved land, Russell became passionate about creating a lasting, natural place connecting the living and the dead. Russel Hargrave is President of the Cemetery Association of Oregon.  Russell’s career includes extensive experience in leadership, innovation, and business, as well as working as an executive for high-technology companies and the state of Oregon. He is a successful entrepreneur, having co-founded two locally based companies.

Register: Click here

Presenter: Margo Lalich, MPH, RN, Co-Founder - North Coast EOL Collective, Certified Advanced Care Planning Facilitator, NEDA Proficient/INELDA Trained EOL Doula, NEDA Proficient After-Death Care Educator (ACDE)

Description:
Have you been curious about End of Life Doulas (EOLD)? Who are they, and what do they do? This presentation covers the history and development of end-of-life doulas and their role in supporting individuals and families during the dying process. It provides an overview of how the doula profession has evolved and the different types of support they offer. The session also includes practical information on how to screen and select qualified end-of-life doulas. Participants will receive PDF resources. Attendees will gain useful tools and criteria to make informed decisions when choosing a doula. This presentation is ideal for healthcare providers, caregivers, and anyone interested in end-of-life care options.

Registration for Zoom Offering

Cost: no cost, although contributions to the North Coast EOL Collective are appreciated

Making Visible the Invisible: A Community Conversation about Death and Dying.  Death Cafe is a co-generational gathering that aims to create a comfortable and open space for people to gather and discuss topics related to death, dying, and mortality, and all that it is to be human, navigating the most profound transition of our lives. A Death Cafe offers a space and place for people to be supported, comforted, respected, honored, and, most importantly, connected. It provides a platform for individuals to share their thoughts, fears, and experiences surrounding death and dying in a supportive, non-judgmental, and safe environment.  Adhering to Death Cafe's mission, participation is free, although contributions to the cafes are accepted. 

Click here to learn more about Death Cafe's history. If you're interested in exploring virtual Death Cafes, click here.