Just another brilliant day in Seattle...

Apparently the sun was unseasonably visible during my brief visit to the Pacific Northwest, which is certainly how I prefer it. The crisp air, cool breeze and quirky inhabitants were a refreshing change from 'Summer in the Swamp' back home in the D.C metropolitan area.

Attending a funeral is never an experience to be longed for, but this one was special in that the deceased, though he died unexpectedly, had accomplished a great deal and the ceremony conveyed his life magnificently. There was an uplifting element within the sadness. The typical funeral today may not carry as much ritual significance as in the past; this one showed that when prepared thoughfully, it can be a seriously meaningful experience.

This one began with "Time Warp" from The Rocky Horror Picture Show and concluded with a standing ovation, then a wonderful two-hour repast with barbecue, vintage refreshments native to Washington State, and a nice social get-together.

It was a stellar tribute to Dave's life, with a video retrospective and numerous displays of memorabilia - little vignettes providing a window on his interests and personal history. You left feeling you knew the man better and appreciated him more. The cemetery and funeral home he ran, Evergreen-Washelli, is itself the spectacular evidence of a life's work.

On that note, I'd like to add that if you have any plans of cashing it in any time soon, or at least planning a final disposition, you could do a lot worse than to book a reservation at Evergreen-Washelli Cemetery and Funeral Home in Seattle. Dave was one of the leading lights in the cemetery/funeral business, and the property reflects his ingenuity and avante-garde vision. Even if imminent death is not your bailiwick right now, a tour of the grounds is an experience to remember. I'm a bit of a cemetery aficionado, but even for the layman I think the artistic aspects would be quite impressive.

Washington has something like a 60% cremation rate - compared to a national average in the 25% range - which means in order to get folks to use the cemetery you absolutely must be be willing to break with convention. This means creating spaces that enchant the imagination while at the same time retaining an atmosphere of permanence.

The downside of having one's cremated remains dumped in the ocean or out in the woods somewhere is it can be difficult for survivors to return to the spot for quiet remembrance - I've experienced this in my own life because my father's remains were deposited in a place on the St. John's River which has since been converted into a resort. Drive through a cemetery on any given day and see what those sitting beside the graves are doing, and you'll immediately see why so much thought has been invested in making cemeteries pleasant places to visit.

Under Dave's leadership, Evergreen-Washelli created a plethora of unique areas - microcosms of memorialization - so there would be a place of rest for every personal taste.

For the cremation customer, you have to think out of the box, and Dave did that probably better than anyone in North America.

For more traditional tastes, various distinct portions of the property are breathtakingly beautiful, from the military section to the classic upright monuments. The outrageously towering (from an East Coast perspective) flora is a key asset.

There's an overarching feeling of honor here: honor for those who have gone before us and for the dignity of human life. We tend to avoid thinking about death in our society; for that reason cemeteries are places that some of us rarely set foot inside. This is a shame, because a visit to one invested with creativity and diligent care like Evergreen-Washelli gives one a sense of the perpetuity of our society. It is an affirmation of the fact that while culture changes, civilization endures.