Cremation Is Different As Night And Day
Stephen Dawson is a funeral director. He creates celebrations of life for a living. So is it really a leap to believe that this man spends his off hours as the member of a rock and roll band, creating yet another kind of celebratory event, albeit a much more festive one, in the evenings for hundreds of dancing, singing fans? Dawson who is third generation funeral director and the current owner of Sax-Tiedemann Funeral Home & Crematorium, in Franklin Park, Ill. , did not initially set out to follow in his family’s footsteps. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in speech communications/theatre arts from Bradley College, he spent some time with the Players Workshop of Second City in Chicago, but he later decided-at his father’s urging -to go back to mortuary school. According to Dawson, this was “the best decision I ever made. “He graduated from Worsham College of Mortuary Science in September 1982. While attending Worsham, Dawson began working full time at Sax-Tiedemann, a firm that was started in 1924 by his maternal grandfather. He now owns and operates the funeral home and crematory that serves 200 families a year and has a 40 percent rate. However Dawson’s artistic streak never left him and in 1998 he joined the Coyotees-a rock and roll band that has been together for the past 20 years-and has played with them even since. The current bank consists of eight members and they play 1960’s and 70’s music which has landed us a few interesting gigs,” said Dawson. “We have shared the bill with the Doobie Brothers, The Temptations and Mark Farner of Grand Funk Rail Road. “They consistently play summer festivals and local pubs around the Chicago area; their goal is to have one gig per month but as Dawson explained they all still have day jobs. Dawson plays keyboards, guitar and a little banjo. Given Dawson’s leaning toward the creative outlets in life, it is not surprising that he believes funeral service is full of creativity as well and always has been. “Personalization has been a part of funeral service from day one. The manufacturing part of our industry has found a buzz word that funeral directors have been doing on their own for years,” he said. “The funeral ceremony is a unique creation that takes on many different forms for many different people. As funeral directors, we need to recognize that each of these forms exist and he able to assist families in fulfilling their specific needs of memorialization. “The greatest challenge in the business today, according to Dawson, is the ability for funeral homes to reinvent themselves. One of the ways he has done this at Sax-Tiedemann is to open and operate a crematory on the premises. Also he strives to get away from the “cookie cutter” standard arrangement conference. His staff is trained to have conversations with families, not just take orders. Again it is not surprising or unusual to hear these words from a man who has reinvented himself-from actor to funeral director to funeral director/musician. “I think the most exciting part of being involved with the band has been the way there is a complete joy that is shard,” he said. “The music we play gets people up dancing and singing. Something about those moments that just can’t be put into words-it is more of a feeling. “Dawson enjoys being in front of an audience and “winning them over. “In fact he admitted that being in the band is a “positive force” on his career in funeral service. “This gives the families I serve and their friends a chance to see that I am not just one of the original men in black. I am able to share joy instead of sorrow,” he said. “I have found that music helps people through all aspects of their live. “Dawson likes to think of the Coyotees as not just a band but more of a party. Stephen Dawson is the immediate past president of the Funeral Directors Service Association of Greater Chicago and has been a part of the board of directors of FDSA for 10 years. More information on the Coyotees can be found at www. thecoyotees. com. Information on Sax-Tiedemann Funeral home can be found at www. sax-tiedemann. com.
If you or a family member have any further questions or concerns with respect to cremation, cremation services, cremation costs or a direct cremation please feel free to contact Cremation Options toll free 24 hours daily at 1-877-989-9090.