News & Events

On Tuesday, June 7 at 10 AM the Holyoke Public Library will host “Choices in Final Arrangements” with FCAWM speaker Sandy Ward. The public is invited to come in person (Community Room, 250 Chestnut Street, Holyoke) or view it online….

We invite you to read our Spring 2022 Newsletter, which includes news of progress in 2022, some history to put our 60 years in context, and an article by our president about lessons learned from two recent deaths in her…

The national Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA) invites the public to a workshop on basic funeral planning, Monday, May 23, 3:00 pm Eastern Time, via Zoom. You’ll learn: How to find a reasonable price by shopping around All the things you…

Consumers are warned to avoid the online marketer “Heritage Cremation Provider.” Its website can seem convincing, but this company has no legal basis for operating here in Massachusetts. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a press release on Friday April…

We appreciate the article in this week’s Greenfield Recorder publicizing our 60th anniversary. Five members of the FCAWM Board of Trustees gathered for a luncheon in March 2022 celebrating the 60th anniversary. Greenfield Reporter photographer Paul Franz stopped by to…

March 14, 2022, marks a 60th anniversary for this organization. On March 14, 1962, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts approved incorporation of the small nonprofit educational group “The Springfield Memorial Society.” As the organization grew, name changes reflected the broader service…

On Tuesday February 15, the Palmer Public Library is hosting an online presentation by Sandy Ward titled, “Planning for Final Arrangements.” To register for this free Zoom program, scheduled for 6:30-7:30 pm, please visit the Adult Programs and Services page…

Thanks to expert help from WizardPig.com, this re-designed website is now up and running. The public can now see the improvements that we and a WizardPig designer have been working on for months. We are delighted to reach this milestone….

We are working to improve the design and functionality of our website. Volunteer webmaster Sandy Ward, who learned from and built on the earlier work of Ed Brown (former board member; self-taught webmaster 2003-2013), is coordinating this new project with…

On Tuesday, December 7, 2021, at United Way’s “On Board” event in Springfield, Jim Couchon and Sandy Ward greeted potential volunteers, telling them about our mission and the opportunity to join us in this important work. Many people came by…