Geri Oliverie, manager and owner of Oliverie Funeral Home in Manchester Township, New Jersey, has been selected as "American Funeral Director" magazine's 2020 Funeral Director of the Year.

Last fall I had the privilege of joining the International Order of the Golden Rule as your new Executive Director/CEO. A lifetime of association and non-profit work has prepared me for this role, but I also know I have the advantage of having the Big 4 (family, staff, volunteers and members) by my side as OGR enters 2021.

2020 was a year of change, in more ways than one. OGR transitioned to a new management team led by Raybourn Group International in Indianapolis; funeral homes adapted to serve their families without traditional connection and service opportunities; and associations like ours – across all sectors – have learned they can’t rely on their annual conference as their primary means of networking and growth.

INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 6, 2021) – The Order of the Golden Rule (OGR), the world’s leading professional association dedicated to making independent funeral homes exceptional, is pleased to welcome INEX as its newest partner.

OGR is hosting a series of roundtable discussions to provide a networking platform for members to share their best practices, ideas and questions around common challenges facing funeral service today. These informal discussions will be your opportunity to connect with other members, share your expertise and learn from their experiences.

The longtime industry expert will assume responsibility over the day-to-day operations of Foresight, one of OGR's supply partners.

INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 4, 2021) – The Order of the Golden Rule (OGR), the world’s leading professional association dedicated to making independent funeral homes exceptional, is pleased to welcome BerylMartin as its newest partner.

Funeral directors across the United States, including Shauna Kjos-Miotke of OGR member firm Fiksdal Funeral Home, discuss the spike in coronavirus-related death cases.

INDIANAPOLIS (Dec. 17, 2020) – The Order of the Golden Rule (OGR), the world’s leading professional association dedicated to making independent funeral homes exceptional, is pleased to welcome Final Security as its newest partner.

INDIANAPOLIS (Dec. 9, 2020) – The Order of the Golden Rule (OGR), the world’s leading professional association dedicated to making independent funeral homes exceptional, is pleased to welcome Cremation Consulting as its newest partner.

The Artisan Cremation Container line offers affordable options for modest viewings.

INDIANAPOLIS (Dec. 7, 2020) – The Order of the Golden Rule (OGR), the world’s leading professional association dedicated to making independent funeral homes exceptional, is pleased to welcome Veterans Funeral Care as its newest partner.

Did you know the Order of the Golden Rule Foundation is a registered charity at AmazonSmile? It's a program run by Amazon.com designed to help you support your favorite charity at no cost to you.

SOUTHLAKE, Texas (Dec. 1, 2020) — OpusXenta, an OGR Supply Partner, has recently launched byondcloud, the premier online marketplace for the deathcare industry. After its introduction in Australia, New Zealand and the UK, OpusXenta has now launched byondcloud in the United States.

INDIANAPOLIS (Nov. 10, 2020) – The Order of the Golden Rule is excited to announce Wendy King as its new executive director and CEO.

WOODSTOCK, Ill. (October 30, 2020) – Thumbies® Inc., an OGR Endorsed Supplier and creator of one-of-a-kind jewelry and keepsakes worn or carried in memory of a loved one, is pleased to announce a new affiliation with industry-leader Bass-Mollett Publishers. This strategic alliance will allow Bass-Mollett’s team of independent representatives to offer the Thumbies line of jewelry in their portfolio of products, supporting the needs of their funeral partners nationwide.

With funeral homes being in “all hands on deck” mode for the past six months, the importance of strong talent coming out of our mortuary schools has become more apparent than any other point in recent history.

Candace Hawkins is a 35-year-old funeral director and care center supervisor at Lakeside Memorial Funeral Home, Inc. in Hamburg, New York. She also serves as the location manager for one of their offices.

Many funeral directors may be struggling to cope with their own grief overload

For many funeral directors, COVID-19 has been a nonstop wrecking ball, decimating families and communities. And who’s in the midst of this crisis providing care to the hundreds of thousands of dead and their grieving people? The funeral home staff whose vocations have placed them squarely in the wrecking ball’s path.

OGR asked some of its international members to offer perspective on how the coronavirus pandemic is playing out in their cities and countries.