There at the End: Voices From Final Exit Network With Author Jim Van Buskirk
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
Introduction to Axios Consulting - Medical Aid in Dying and Dignitas
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
Astoria Death Cafe
A Community Conversation About Death and Dying
Location: Astoria Visual Arts - 1000 Duane Street, Astoria, OR
RSVP or For Questions: dardi@viemort.com
Astoria Death Cafe
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.
Introduction to Great River Natural Burial - Columbia River Gorge
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
End of Life Doulas: History, Evolution, and Best Practice for Screening
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
End of Life Doulas: History, Evolution, and Best Practice for Screening
End of Life Doulas: A virtual presentation about their history, evolution, and practice.
Before I Lose My Own Mind: Navigating Life as a Dementia Caregiver
1:30 - 3:00pm Pacific / 4:30 - 6:00pm Eastern
“What to say to someone who is dying” A facilitated community conversation
So, what do you say to someone who is dying? Or to someone who has recently lost a spouse, or a child to cancer? Conversations around death, dying, and grief can be awkward, painful, emotional, and difficult, but they can also lead to bittersweet intimacy and make all the difference.
As we age, more of our family members, friends, and neighbors are seriously ill, dying, or grieving. Whether you are a family member, friend, co-worker, or just an acquaintance, figuring out what to say and do in those situations can feel impossible. Out of discomfort, and “fear you might say the wrong thing”, you may even be tempted to turn away and avoid the conversation altogether. We hope after you attend this session, you won’t turn away. This community conversation is designed to offer support and help you prepare so that your words, and your presence may offer much needed comfort during challenging times. And as we all become better prepared, our community becomes stronger and more resilient.
We are so very fortunate to have an outstanding panel of five compassionate professional women with diverse experience with death, dying, and grieving, to facilitate our conversation.
Paula Sansum
Paula is a retired healthcare provider and long-time community member. For many years, she has provided a variety of end-of-life services and support to individuals and their families. She advocates for hospice services and a person’s right to have agency over all aspects of life, including dying.
Margo Lalich, MPH, BA, RN
Margo’s work spans nursing, public health leadership, and community-based end-of-life care, including two decades as a disaster / humanitarian response nurse. This informed her skill with being with death and dying, personally and professionally. As co-founder of the North Coast End-of-life Collective and a long-time local resident, she helps communities explore death and dying as a shared human experience through A Collective Approach to Death and Dying.
Janine Carranza RN
Janine has been a hospice nurse for 31 years and is the author of the book, “ Bedside Portraits”.
Cami Aufdermauer
Cami is Hospice Chaplain for Adventist Health in Tillamook, where she has supported over 75 families in the past year through the end-of-life journey. Cami offers spiritual care, emotional support, and compassionate presence to patients and their loved ones - regardless of faith background - helping them navigate some of life’s most sacred and difficult moments. She holds a master’s degree in human services with a focus on Marriage and Family Counseling and has completed over 1600 hours of clinical pastoral education. With deep empathy and a heart for community, Cami is passionate about helping people feel seen, heard, and held as they face life’s final chapters.
Morgan Motsinger
Morgan is an entrepreneur, host of the “P.S. we expire” podcast, speaker, writer and student. She is currently studying psychology and neuroscience at Portland State University. Herself a bereaved mother of 2 years, Morgan and has a big heart for families navigating childhood illness, disability and bereavement. She has spoken with hundreds of families with special needs kids, and cares deeply about the mental health impact of facing a difficult diagnosis, and grief and loneliness for caregivers.
Location: Pine Grove Community Center, Manzanita, OR
Cost: $5.00 donation at the door
Astoria Death Cafe
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.
Death Cafe in Astoria
Applying the values of Acceptance, Belonging, Connection, and Legacy, Death Cafe is a cogenerational gathering that aims to create a comfortable and open space for people to gather and discuss topics related to death, dying, and mortality.
Death Cafe in Nehalem
Applying the values of Acceptance, Belonging, Connection, and Legacy, Death Cafe is a cogenerational gathering that aims to create a comfortable and open space for people to gather and discuss topics related to death, dying, and mortality.
Death Cafe in Astoria
Applying the values of Acceptance, Belonging, Connection, and Legacy, Death Cafe is a cogenerational gathering that aims to create a comfortable and open space for people to gather and discuss topics related to death, dying, and mortality.
Death Cafe in Nehalem
Applying the values of Acceptance, Belonging, Connection, and Legacy, Death Cafe is a cogenerational gathering that aims to create a comfortable and open space for people to gather and discuss topics related to death, dying, and mortality.
Death Cafe in Astoria
Applying the values of Acceptance, Belonging, Connection, and Legacy, Death Cafe is a cogenerational gathering that aims to create a comfortable and open space for people to gather and discuss topics related to death, dying, and mortality.
Death Cafe in Nehalem
Applying the values of Acceptance, Belonging, Connection, and Legacy, Death Cafe is a cogenerational gathering that aims to create a comfortable and open space for people to gather and discuss topics related to death, dying, and mortality.
Voices of Comfort: A Presentation and Demonstration by the North Coast Oregon Threshold Choir
Join us for a meaningful exploration of how the North Coast Oregon Threshold Choir’s compassionate music can offer solace at life’s final threshold.
Peaceful Presence Book Club
Bearing the Unbearable: Love, Loss, and the Heartbreaking Path of Grief by Joanne Cacciatore
Death Cafe in Nehalem
Making Visible the Invisible: A Community Conversation about Death an Dying
Applying the values of Acceptance, Belonging, Connection, and Legacy, Death Cafe is a cogenerational gathering that aims to create a comfortable and open space for people to gather and discuss topics related to death, dying, and mortality.
From 3-4:30pm PST at North Coast Recreation District - Fireplace Room
Spring Equinox Celebration
Guided tour of The Forest Conservation Burial Ground. Oregon's dedicated natural burial ground
Ashland, Oregon
Compassion & Choices: Learning About and Understanding Advance Directives for Dementia
This presentation explores end-of-life decision-making, including advance care planning for dementia.
Dying with Dementia
DYING WITH DEMENTIA: A 2-PART ONLINE WORKSHOP, $40 Registration Fee for 2-Part Workshop
Part 1: Supporting Communication & Connection
Feb. 20, 2025, 5:00-6:30 Pacific Time, Online via Zoom
Part 2: Enrichment at End of Life
March 6, 2025, 5:00-6:30 Pacific Time, Online via Zoom
It's Complicated: Grief and Estranged Relationships
When someone dies, it is not uncommon for people to assume that our relationship with the person (or people) was a positive one. Navigating grief after the death of someone in our lives can be inherently complex, because relationships are complex.
Befriending Mortality 6-Week On-Line Course
Befriending mortality can be seen as a spiritual quest, a psychological assignment, a philosophical riddle, or a culture making undertaking. In this six-part series we approach the fact of our deaths as a subject for learning.
Dying with Dementia
DYING WITH DEMENTIA: A 2-PART ONLINE WORKSHOP, $40 Registration Fee for 2-Part Workshop
Part 1: Supporting Communication & Connection
Feb. 20, 2025, 5:00-6:30 Pacific Time, Online via Zoom
Part 2: Enrichment at End of Life
March 6, 2025, 5:00-6:30 Pacific Time, Online via Zoom
Compassion & Choices: Learning About and Understanding Advance Directives for Dementia
This presentation explores end-of-life decision-making, including advance care planning for dementia.
Grief as an Addiction? The Dangers of Pathologizing Grief
Labeling people who are grieving with “mental disorders” like Prolonged Grief Disorder, Complicated Grief, or Dysfunctional Grief has its proponents and critics. In this webinar we’ll take a brief but critical look at the movement and evidence for pathologizing grief, some of the implications of doing so, and why this matters.
Death Cafe in Nehalem
Making Visible the Invisible: A Community Conversation about Death an Dying
Applying the values of Acceptance, Belonging, Connection, and Legacy, Death Cafe is a cogenerational gathering that aims to create a comfortable and open space for people to gather and discuss topics related to death, dying, and mortality.
From 3-4:30pm PST at North Coast Recreation District - Fireplace Room
Death Cafe in Nehalem
Making Visible the Invisible: A Community Conversation about Death an Dying
Applying the values of Acceptance, Belonging, Connection, and Legacy, Death Cafe is a cogenerational gathering that aims to create a comfortable and open space for people to gather and discuss topics related to death, dying, and mortality.
From 3-4:30pm PST at North Coast Recreation District - Fireplace Room
North Coast Oregon Threshold Choir (NCOTC): Song Bath Healing Invitation
North Coast Oregon Threshold Choir (NCOTC): Song Bath Healing Invitation
Death Cafe in Seaside
Making Visible the Invisible: A Community Conversation about Death an Dying
Applying the values of Acceptance, Belonging, Connection, and Legacy, Death Cafe is a cogenerational gathering that aims to create a comfortable and open space for people to gather and discuss topics related to death, dying, and mortality.
From 3-4:30pm PST at Mary Blake Playhouse - 1218 Avenue A, Seaside, OR 97138
Becoming Grief-Informed: Foundations of Grief Education
Being grief-informed sets the foundation for understanding and responding to the needs of people who are grieving the death of someone in their lives. Misassumptions lead to misunderstanding and mistreatment. Tune in for more information on this important topic, including the ten core principles of grief-informed practice. Thank you to the New York Life Foundation for their continued support on topics surrounding equity, inclusion, and Dougy Center's commitment to children who are grieving.