Death & Dying

Since retiring from American University in 2018, I have devoted my life to advocating for reform in aging, death, and dying. I am an end-of-life activist.

My book on death and dying for Bloomsbury, Achieving a Good Death: A Practical Guide to the End of Life, was published on October 1, 2024. All proceeds from my books fund scholarships for American University students.

I also work as a hospice volunteer and run an aging, death, and dying group for the Bethesda Metro Area Village (BMAV).

I serve on the boards of the Green Burial Association of Maryland (GBAM), Montgomery Hospice & Prince George's Hospice (MHI), and BMAV.

I am vice chair of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Maryland & Environs (FCAME) and on the Advisory Council for the Maryland Office of Cemetery Oversight (OCO).

I serve on the boards of Final Exit Network and Hemlock Society of San Diego (where I also serve as Vice President).

My wife and I have created and funded the “Finishing Strong Award” with the Washington Area Village Exchange (WAVE) to encourage villages to hold more discussions about end-of-life issues. WAVE is the largest regional village organization in the nation.

I give pro bono presentations and workshops on various topics, including how to live a meaningful and successful life, aging well, achieving a good death, living well to die well, medical aid-in-dying, decluttering and death cleaning, completing advance directives, writing memoirs, composing legacy letters and ethical wills, funeral planning, green ways of body disposition, and hospice care.


Below are some of my handouts on aging, death, and dying.

  1. Letters to my family describing how I want to die (known as a dying will)

  2. Legacy letters (also known as ethical wills) to my family

  3. A letter to my family describing some ideas for my burial and memorial service (known as a death will)

  4. Funeral Planning Talk, Funeral Freedom: Taking Control of Your Last Act

  5. 50 Ways to Improve Your Life and Thus Your Death

  6. Advance Care Planning (advance directives and living wills)

  7. Hospice

  8. Legacy Letters and Ethical Wills (how to create them)

  9. Decluttering

  10. How to write a memoir

  11. How to Age Well

  12. Live Well to Die Well

  13. Conversation about Dying

  14. Green Burial

  15. Legacy: Ways to Strengthen It

  16. Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) in Maryland

  17. The Art of Living a Fulfilled and Purposeful Life

  18. Wayne Schmidt's Review of Chris Palmer's book Achieving a Good Death

  19. "I took a workshop on intentional life design" by Sophie Clarke

  20. Advance directives and dementia riders 

  21. Ethical wills: A lasting gift of wisdom and love

  22. End-of-Life Options

  23. Death cleaning: A generous gift to our survivors