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The industry lost a good friend, keen intellect and inspiring teacher last month with the untimely passing of ICFA Past President J. Asher Neel, CCE. For over two decades, Asher was one of the most influential educators in the industry, and mentor to a generation of prearrangement sales counselors and managers. Asher passed away on May 17 at the age of 48 from complications of cancer.
He held virtually every office in the industry trade associations where he was a member -- NAC-ACA-ICFA, the Southern and the Florida Cemetery Association -- including president, vice president and board member, and contributed his time as a committee member and chairman for a variety of programs. And although he was a tireless volunteer in all of the official capacities, Asher is probably best known for his tremendous talent as a speaker and motivator at innumerable workshops and conferences, instructing on topics related to preneed sales and marketing. Asher's legacy in part consists of the thousands of people he influenced directly through their attendance at those seminars, and the many, many more he has helped and will continue to help via the scores of audio and video tapes on which his training presentations have been preserved.
ICFA President David J. Shipper said, "Asher has had many well deserved titles and honors during his life but, for all of us, there is much more. He was a friend to all of us and maintained a deep commitment to our industry and our association. There are very few members who have spent such a large proportion of their time teaching and sharing their wealth of knowledge about the industry. In addition to the fact that he was a great manager, he will be remembered by hundreds, maybe thousands, as the best and most generous sales educator in our industry."
A third-generation cemeterian, Asher was sales and marketing director for 15 years and president for three years of Woodlawn Memorium Memorial Park and Funeral Home in Orlando, Florida. After his company affiliated with Service Corporation International in June 1995, he was vice president of sales and marketing for the Florida region of SCI. In 1993, the governor of Florida named him to the newly created Florida Board of Funeral and Cemetery Services.
He is survived by his wife, Debbie; son, Nathan; daughters, Courtney and Jordan; stepdaughter, Denelle Rhodes; his father, Bob; mother, Annette; sisters, Robin Neel and Nancy Neel Brown; and brother, David.
Hundreds attended the viewing and funeral service in Orlando, roughly equal numbers representing the local community and the cemetery and funeral service industry. Indicative of his personal commitment to the business in which he spent his entire professional life, the four individuals who shared their thoughts and memories during the funeral service were all friends of Asher's from the industry.
Thanks to Arlie, David, Gary and Tim for permission to share portions of their remarks.
Joe Budzinski
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Copyright ICFA 2000.
Individual written contributions and advertisements appearing in International Cemetery & Funeral Management do not necessarily reflect either the opinion or the endorsement of the International Cemetery and Funeral Association.
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