The Death Network

The Death Network A collective for the living, the dying and the grieving. San Diego, CA
lnk.bio/thedeathnetwork

06/17/2026

Grief… thank goodness our views on grief are shifting! The timelines for getting over it, the getting back to normal life… All of these things we believed for so long turn out not to be true!

Grief is a teacher. It is here to be integrated into our lives. And, grief is not a solo activity. When we acknowledge that everybody is grieving something, it helps to ground us in our own grief.

When we come together in community and share our stories, we learn from each other.

Nobody is escaping grief, it’s either integrated into our new lives or we walk a path that can be very challenging.

If you’re looking for a community, who believes that grief can be a teacher and a healer we hope you can join us soon at one of our upcoming events.

✨Friday Night Grief Club June 19 Suzette Wehunt
5:30-7:30 pm La Mesa $10

✨Living With Grief South Park Yoga and Wellness
Saturday June 20 4:30-6 pm $10

🔗RSVP link in bio or Venmo The Death Network | An End-of-Life Collective

💙 join our Meetup group for access to all of our event events MeetUp/TheDeathNetwork

We hope to see you soon!
Penny Waugh
Tara Novak
Claudia Faerber
Kara Hallett, M.Ed. 🖤✨🕯️ | End-of-Life Educator and Death Doula

There are SO many ways to tend to your body after death, but many funeral homes don’t offer all the options 🤷🏻‍♀️😢If you...
06/16/2026

There are SO many ways to tend to your body after death, but many funeral homes don’t offer all the options 🤷🏻‍♀️😢

If you’re looking for greener ways to care for your body after death, stop by and see us at EcoFest Encinitas 🌿

We are all familiar with flame cremation and American burial (embalming & casket burial) but did you know these options are also legal & available through The Death Network?
🌳green burial
🚢full body sea burial
💦water cremation
🌱organic reduction (human composting)
🏡home funerals & vigils
💫death doulas

💚Stop by and say hello - we’d love to meet you and open up the conversation about greener ways in death care.

June 29 12-4 pm
Encinitas Community Park

All the end-of-life experts will be on hand to answer all your questions!
Penny Waugh
Selena Jong
Claudia Faerber
White Rose Aqua Cremation
Water and Ash Burials
Orchid Cremations

06/12/2026

The first time we did a live shrouding event we weren’t sure what to expect… my-oh-my did the community respond with curiosity 😊

Most people have no idea that before the Civil War, death care was primarily home-based. We cared for our people while they were dying and then we cared for them after death, and our community rallied around us while we were grieving. Things have changed a lot since then and we turn the majority of this work over to the professionals now. That’s totally fine, but if you are looking for a simple, intimate way to say goodbye to your person, what we have to share may be for you!

If you’re curious about home-based death care, home funerals, and vigils, please swing by and join us at Eco Fest Encinitas.

We will also be talking about all of the greener ways to tend to your body after death. There will be plenty of experts on hand to answer all the questions about:
🌳 green burial
🌱natural organic reduction aka human composting
💦water cremation
🚢full body sea burial & ash scattering at sea
🏡home funerals & vigils

💚we hope to see you there!
Orchid Cremations
White Rose Aqua Cremation
Water and Ash Burials
Selena Jong
Claudia Faerber
Penny Waugh
EcoFest Encinitas 🌿

📍June 29 12-4 Encinitas Community Park

06/11/2026

We didn’t plan this formation, but somehow the doulas ended up filling the gaps walking into LightBridge Hospice Community Foundation Which is pretty much our job description 😉
Before, during, and after a death, a doula is there helping connect the pieces.

That’s why it’s so important to us that we spend time getting to know those who will also be helping the families that we serve.

The future of death care? It’s doulas like Penny Waugh Tara Novak and Claudia Faerber coming together with LightBridge Hospice Community Foundation and Orchid Cremations to streamline the transition from hospice to funeral home with doula led vigils.

💫 death doulas… who are your and trusted funeral directors and hospice coordinators? Tag them in the comments below! ⬇️

‼️Families are often blindsided at the end of life - we’ve either experienced it ourselves or we have seen a friend go t...
06/11/2026

‼️Families are often blindsided at the end of life - we’ve either experienced it ourselves or we have seen a friend go through it.

Not because no one cares—but because no one explained what was coming.

Join us at Death Over Drafts as special guest Dr. Kaishauna Guidry leads a discussion on the importance of a healthcare roadmap: understanding disease progression, changing care needs, and how families can better prepare for what’s ahead.

We’ll be Truffle Pig Winery July 29 5-7 pm

🍻 First 20 minutes: grab a drink and mingle
🩺 Next 40 minutes: guided discussion with Dr. Guidry Mourning Dove Medical
💬 Final hour: community conversation, networking, and Q&A

One of the things we love most about Death Over Drafts is the mix of people in the room. You’ll find death doulas, hospice workers, funeral professionals, healthcare providers, caregivers, and community members all sharing ideas and perspectives.

So bring all those questions you’ve been dying to ask 😉

Because good end-of-life care isn’t about predicting death—it’s about helping people make informed choices and align care with what matters most.

See you there 💀🍻💜
Mourning Dove Medical
Penny Waugh
Tara Novak
Claudia Faerber

Last week, we hosted Death over Drafts in Anaheim Ca and it was soooo good! If you haven’t been to an event like this, ...
06/09/2026

Last week, we hosted Death over Drafts in Anaheim Ca and it was soooo good! If you haven’t been to an event like this, you have to check it out! Super casual, lots of death workers among the crowd… It’s the ideal place to come and ask all your questions about death and dying - and have a beer! 🍻

There is a movement happening to bring death, dying and grief out of the shadows - if you think about how much we embrace the transition of birth and distance ourselves from the transition of death it’s really kind of mind blowing! Events like these are designed to unlock the dialogue, lift the taboo and encourage us all to think about end of life options that authentically reflect the life that we lived.

Our favorite thing about these events is that the crowd is split about 50-50 with death workers and those who are curious about death and dying, it’s really a great place to come and ask all of your questions 💀💬🍻

Thank you to everybody who made this event so special!





endoflifedoula lea.waugh


📆 Save the date! We will be with July 29 for the next Death over Drafts 🍻

Grief can be heartbreaking, confusing, lonely, insightful, strange, and sometimes unexpectedly funny - all in the same d...
06/08/2026

Grief can be heartbreaking, confusing, lonely, insightful, strange, and sometimes unexpectedly funny - all in the same day.

At Friday Night Grief Club, we welcome the full spectrum of the grief experience. Tears are welcome. Silence is welcome. Stories are welcome. Laughter is welcome too. Finding moments of joy doesn’t mean you’ve forgotten your person. It doesn’t mean you’re grieving “wrong.” It means you’re human.

This gathering is for those who are grieving and looking for community. Not a support group. Not therapy. Not a place to be fixed.

Instead, we’ll have real conversations about integrating grief and exploring how our relationships with those who have died continue to shape our lives. Many of us discover that death changes a relationship, but it doesn’t necessarily end it.

➡️Join us as we explore loss, love, memory, connection, and the many ways grief becomes part of who we are.
June 19 5:30pm
RSVP $10 venmo or Link in bio

🏳️‍🌈All ages, races, cultures, faiths, gender identities, and lived experiences are welcome.

💙Because no two grief journeys are the same - but none of us should have to walk them alone.

Hosted by death doulas .lea.waugh penny.lea.waugh .endoflifedoula and grief coach

06/08/2026

Three things are about to reshape death care.

1️⃣ survey reports almost 50% of funeral directors will be retiring by 2028, other sources report it’s closer to 60% Many funeral homes don’t have succession plans in place. At the same time, burnout is high and mortuary science enrollment remains low.

2️⃣ The Silver Tsunami is here. As the baby boomer population ages, the number of deaths each year will continue to rise, creating increased demand for end-of-life and funeral services. Because of the squeeze, prices will increase, options will be limited and timelines may be extended for visitations and services.

3️⃣ Families want more options. We should be able to walk into any funeral home and have access to green burial, water cremation, home funerals, sea burial, and organic reduction. Whatever options are legal in your state should be accessible through every funeral home and mortuary.

Put those three things together, and the death care landscape is facing some major challenges.

The solution isn’t funeral directors or death doulas.

It’s funeral directors and death doulas working together.

The future of death care is collaboration.

At The Death Network, we are grateful to be building bridges with 💜
Death doulas and funeral professionals working side-by-side. It really is the best relationship ever!

➡️What do you think the future of death care looks like?

06/04/2026

I’m getting ready for Death over Drafts in Anaheim tonight… after waking up with that familiar feeling in my belly. It used to be pure anxiety day of the event, now it’s more of a mixture of anxiety and excitement. I’ll say 80% excitement 20% anxiety 🤪

As death workers, stepping into the spotlight and hosting events like Death Cafe may not be in our wheelhouse naturally, but it is a skill we can hone.
I’ve hosted many many events between my first Death Cafe and this event tonight, it took me a while to get comfortable, but it’s finally happening! And, while I was practicing my host skills, a community was forming around The Death Network - people were showing up to the events and thanking me for bringing this topic out of the darkness and into the light.

I started a Meet Up account before the first Death Cafe and it has grown significantly! There are now over 1900 members and we have a 4.9 ⭐️ rating with almost 300 reviews! I also post events on .sd

My advice is to show up as your awkward, anxious self, and just settle into the space.
In these places, all you need to be is the welcoming presence that creates a space for honest open dialogue.

⬇️Tell me about your experience, hosting death events, and discussion group groups. Thanks so much!


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San Diego, CA
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