Tawnya is a Home Funeral Guide, End-of-Life Doula, and Life-Cycle Celebrant specializing in memorials & celebrations-of-life. She offers home funeral education and support, end-of-life care and planning, and custom ceremonies across the life-cycle with an emphasis in death and dying.

Home funerals are when the bereaved hold a home vigil/viewing/wake with the decedent in the privacy of their own home or space. Home funerals are legal in all fifty states. Additionally, Coloradoans do not have to hire the services of a funeral home/Funeral Director at all. See Dear Departures’ FAQ page for more information.

Celebrant ceremony types include but are not limited to: living funerals (aka exit parties,) funerals/memorials/celebrations-of-life, graveside services, ash scatterings, pregnancy & infant loss ceremonies, ceremonies for those with whom the relationship with the decedent was complicated/traumatic, and do-over ceremonies. Tawnya also does weddings, baby namings/blessings, retirement ceremonies, divorce ceremonies, trans-renaming ceremonies, and more.

End-of-Life Doula (aka Death Doula) offerings include advanced care planning, caregiving, respite, down-sizing, legacy projects, care calendar coordination, vigil planning, sitting vigil, and more.

Education & Affiliations

-Life-Cycle Celebrant Certificate, Specializing in Funerals

    -Bereaved Sibling Support Group Facilitator

    -Holding Space (& Advanced Holding Space) for Pregnancy Loss Certificate, Institute of Birth Breath & Death

-Board of Directors, National Home Funeral Alliance (NHFA)

-National End-of-Life Doula Alliance (NEDA) Member

    -Denver Hospice Volunteer

-Bachelors of Science in Human Services/Counseling & Mental Health, Metro State College of Denver