Gail Rubin, CT, The Doyenne of Death®, is a Certified Funeral Celebrant and pioneering death educator. She was one of the first people in the U.S. to host a Death Cafe in 2012, and continues to host these gatherings monthly.
She's the author of the award-winning books A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die; Kicking the Bucket List: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die; and Hail and Farewell: Cremation Ceremonies, Templates and Tips. She is also the coordinator of the award-winning Before I Die New Mexico Festival and creator of Mortality Movie Night at funeral homes.
A doyenne is a woman who’s considered senior in a group who knows a lot about a particular subject. Gail is a Certified Thanatologist (a death and grief educator) and speaker who uses humor and films to get end-of-life conversations started. Her 2015 TEDx talk (https://youtu.be/r9qR4ZiGX2Y) focuses on the importance of starting end-of-life conversations before there’s a death in the family. She also hosts The Doyenne of Death podcast and Mortality Movies TV series.
The Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) recognized her pioneering work with their prestigious 2024 Community Educator Award. Albuquerque Business First named her one of their Women of Influence in 2019. She’s a member of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, ADEC, Toastmasters International and the National Speakers Association. She holds an umbrella license from the Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPLC) to show films and film clips in her talks.
Her motto is: “Talking about sex won’t make you pregnant. Talking about funerals won’t make you dead.”