MORTUARY SCIENCE

Graduated in 1964

Q: Why did you choose Wayne State? 

A: I already had a bachelor’s degree but I still wanted the best education possible. Wayne State offered that with the added bonus that it was in my hometown.

Q: What inspired you to pursue Mortuary Science?

A: I decided to join my father in our family business.

Q: Who was your most memorable instructor?

A: I do not remember his name 60 years later but it was our business professor. He was an excellent and very interesting instructor — in fact, I received the department business award that year. I also knew that I would oversee the business activity at our funeral home immediately upon graduation, so I placed an emphasis on that part of my education.

Q: What was your most challenging class?

A: Anatomy. I was not good at memorizing the details.

Q: Share some reflections about your time at Wayne State.

A: It was a necessary step to obtain my mortuary science license. I felt the academic side was very worthwhile and challenging. Overall, it was a very good experience.

Q: In your opinion, what is one of the biggest changes that has occurred in your profession since graduating?

A: The decline of ceremony and subsequent rise of cremation and ways of dealing with death.

Q: Share a career highlight or summary.

A: I started in a local neighborhood funeral home and we have grown into one of the largest firms in metro Detroit. Two highlights are supervising the construction and subsequently opening our funeral home in Troy, and then receiving both a first and second place in NFDA’s Pursuit of Excellence competition in the beginning days of that program.

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Since 1939, the Wayne State University Mortuary Science Program has been dedicated to educating and developing funeral service professionals who serve their communities with care and distinction.

Through traditional, online and hybrid programs, students benefit from high quality instruction and practical experiences that lay the foundation for their funeral service careers. Learn more about the application process and make plans to attend a college information meeting, held for prospective students at 6 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month.

An anchor in urban health care

The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is built on more than 100 years of tradition and innovation in the heart of Detroit. We have grown deep roots in our city, harnessing its powerhouse hospital systems and community service organizations as vibrant, real-world training grounds for students, with an ongoing focus on social justice in health care. And our research at all levels – from undergraduates to veteran faculty members – translates into creative solutions for healthier communities.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering approximately 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 24,000 students.