Local Team Becomes Life Tribute Specialists

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Rev. Lewis W. Macklin and Emma Linnen of the J.E. Washington Funeral Services recently completed a three-day workshop to become certified funeral celebrants. The training was held at the Ohio Funeral Directors Association in Columbus.

The training, presented by InSight Institute, is a new approach to personalized funerals. A funeral celebrant is a lay-person, clergy person or funeral director who has been trained in the specific area of conducting life celebration services for families who wish to have a personalized and individualized funeral service experience.

Many people are not affiliated with a religion or theology. Some do not have a clergy person on whom to call in times of death. Others are not comfortable with a traditional religious funeral ceremony.

Celebrants offer personalized funeral services, tributes, memorial services, grave side memorials. They meet with the family to help them design a service that reflects the life and attributes of their loved one.

Macklin is currently serving his internship as a funeral director. He continues to serve as the lead pastor of Holy Trinity Missionary Baptist Church and chaplain for the Youngstown Police Department.

Linnen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in women & gender studies with a minor in philosophy in 2020 from Youngstown State University. She is enrolled in Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science and anticipates graduating this year.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.