Tawnya (she/her), is a 2018 Conscious Dying Collective alumna. As a death and grief tender she works hard to make sure that individuals and communities know what’s available to them in the world of death and dying by advocating for choice. She is an emeritus board member of the National Home Funeral Alliance (2020-2023) and co-authored the organization's Home Funerals Guidebook that teaches people how to be with and care for their departed themselves in the privacy of their own home or space. She also co-authored an end-of-life planning guide for the non-monogamy community, and educates communities on a variety of niche topics like non-carceral support for suicidality.  

As the founder of Dear Departures Tawnya has offerings as a death doula, life-cycle celebrant, grief companion and group facilitator. At any given time you might find her crafting a custom ceremony for a celebration-of-life, working on a legacy project with a dying person, throwing an advance planning party, leading a grief group for people who had a complicated relationship with the dead, or consulting workplaces about how to support the bereaved.

She balances the heaviness of her deathwork with gardening, hiking, hot springs, laughter, and live music!