May 26th, 2008 · 3 Comments

Frankel recalls when he realized that the company was serving an even greater purpose than the already lofty goal of rehabilitating reefs along our coastlines. The former Georgia Emission Testing executive and search and rescue specialist for the United States Coast Guard officially embraced the memorization niche of the death care industry after two key incidents.

“First was the Noble, Georgia, event where more than 300 bodies had not been cremated,” says Frankel. (The Tri-State Crematory in Noble, Georgia, had been in business for about 30 years when it was discovered that it had been foregoing cremations for years. The Georgia Emergency Management Agency later recovered 334 bodies from the property and identified 222 of the bodies.)

“This is what caused us to invite families to come and participate with the casting process,” says Frankel, “and it allowed us the opportunity to meet and interact with the families. We saw first hand how important it was for people to feel they were a part of the process and how it added in the closure process. Nowhere is this more evident than where we work with parents memorializing one of their children, whether it is an 80-year-old couple with a 50-year-old son or daughter, or a 20-something couple with an infant death. They all said the same thing: ‘My child did not get to live their life to completion. This way they are still active and participating in life and people who do not even know them will come and visit and appreciate who they are for what they have left behind.’

Photo: Eternal Reefs
 
Dedications take place aboard the boat placing the reef.

“The second was a call I received late one night from someone who was telling me that their mother had just passed away. The person had placed her in hospice care several months ago and she had been very difficult and would not talk with the social workers, doctors or family. Then, one day, she found the Eternal Reefs videotape and from that point on she was showing the tape to everyone, especially the grandchildren, explaining to them that this is what she would be doing when she passed away, and that they could come and visit anytime and she would have lots of fish and lobster waiting for them.”

Having been a part of these experiences, Frankel became aware of how the process of death can be an enriching and nurturing process for the living.

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