A Meaningful Day
Dan Furmansky, Officiant
Memorials
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When a loved one passes away, the challenge of finding the right way to honor and celebrate their life can be overwhelming. I have been humbled by the opportunity to help guide people in this process.
I put all I have into making a fitting tribute for your loved ones. My goal is to convey all that they mean to so many people, as well as create a cathartic experience for everyone present, and an affirmation of life and love overall.
Each service is individually tailored. In addition to helping you craft a meaningful service and facilitating the service, I can also assist family members in writing a fitting eulogy if that is an element you would like to include.
Larry Mann, on the memorial service for his husband, Bill
May 2017, Fort Hunt Park, Virginia
"When my husband died after a long and difficult illness, I had three great hopes for a memorial service for him:
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1. A gathering of friends at sunrise in a quiet woodland setting;
2. A tribute video featuring his finest achievements set against a gentle and sensitive composition for harp and oboe – a piece we had both loved;
3. Someone who could conduct the proceedings with kindness, sincere warmth, and assuring wisdom.
The first two items had been on my mind for quite a while, and came together wonderfully. But as for the final and most important of my three wishes – finding someone who could bring the kind of dignity, honor, and sensitive goodness I envisioned – there was only one person I could think of; only one person I knew who would have the personal qualities I felt I had to have for this most important occasion. And that person was Dan Furmansky – the same fellow who had officiated with charm, wit, and warmth at our wedding ceremony four years prior.
I didn’t know if Dan would feel inclined to take on such a weighty task - what could be more daunting than a memorial service? - but I asked him anyway, hoping for the best. To my deepest gratitude, Dan not only agreed to officiate the service, but also spent several planning sessions with me so that the service that evolved from our combined ideas went above and beyond my fondest hopes. Drawing from many sources, there were memories, stories, readings, group participation, and exactly the right music. It was spellbinding. As one of my close friends confided to me afterwards, “That was the most sublime and moving memorial service I have ever experienced. I doubt I will ever again participate in something so incredibly, wonderfully beautiful. I can hardly find words to tell you how glad I felt to have been there.”
For as long as I live, the memory of that remarkable event will warm my heart. Thank you, Dan Furmansky."