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ENSPIRE MAGAZINE WS20 ENSPIRE MAGAZINE WS20
P E O P L E
Given the pervasive COVID-19 pandemic , it is becoming more unrealistic to do so . Fortunately , Mortuary professionals like Evans St . Fort are stepping forward to better equip society in dealing with loss and understand the valuable work that funeral homes across the country are doing .
changed , however , if someone passes away from the virus , they cannot be seen until after embalming , which kills any viruses within the body . While St . Forts Funeral Home has had to sacrifice certain luxuries like limo service and coffee , they have noticed a promising potential for streaming funerals , which they will continue beyond the pandemic .
St . Fort was born in Florida to humble beginnings . His father fostered a strong Haitian heritage in St . Fort throughout his adolescence , as his father began a multitude of funeral homes across their native island . St . Fort graduated second in his class at Lynn University with a degree in Mortuary Science and aced his board exam on his second attempt . At the young age of 25 , he took up the North Miami Beach location of the family business as his own and has earned his stripes in dealing with all of the funeral home and business responsibilities since .
As to be expected , St . Fort ’ s line of work has not been isolated from the effects of COVID-19 . “ The most challenging part of this COVID-19 pandemic has been keeping all clients and staff safe . Dealing with grieving families that have lost someone with the virus has not been easy .” They are only allowed to admit ten people for each funeral and adhere to social distancing in the funeral space . The cremation process has not
Families should know that open-casket funerals are absolutely permitted . St . Fort also wants families to know that they can delay a loved one ’ s funeral if the family is unable or unwilling to travel to the service . Ultimately , he advises against this from an emotional perspective as families often grieve for longer if they cannot put their loved ones to rest and allow themselves to move on .
“ I don ’ t want to scare anybody , because living in fear is no way to live , but what ’ s happening is very real , so everyone should do anything they can to take the necessary precautions to keep themselves and others out of harm ’ s way .” Times like these call for the insight of Americans like St . Fort , who professionally deals with loss on a daily basis . Learn more about St . Forts Funeral Home and Cremation : https :// www . stfortsfuneralhome . com /
The passing of life is an unfortunate reality , which most of us are typically fine with pushing to the back of our minds .
WRITTEN BY : LUCAS RASKIN
EVAN ST . FORT IS DOING HIS PART TO HELP FAMILIES ALL OVER WITH THIER COPING AND THEIR GRIEF IN THE MIDST OF UNPRECEDENTED AND TRAGIC CIRCUMSTANCE - WRITTEN BY LUCAS RASKIN