| Before I went onto full time LTD and SSDI, I had | | | | wheeling a casket through the kitchen (and I |
| my DREAM job. I was the first female part | | | | wasn't as long as the body was embalmed).Now, |
| owner/VP Human Resources for an American | | | | that Friday, as luck would have it, was Halloween. |
| Ship Repair Yard. We employed over 2,500 | | | | And, remember this is a rough and tumble, |
| employees; 24/7 operations; 11 unions, and lots of | | | | grubby ship repair Yard!! Just years before the |
| turmoil!!!My agreement with the Managers who | | | | yard would host Halloween parties with an open |
| fixed ships was simple: I did people; they did big | | | | casket filled with ice and booze! And, even though |
| metal "things".It was a rainy Wednesday, end of | | | | we were kinder and gentler now, I didn't want the |
| October night - around 8:00 pm. We had a ship in | | | | Swing Shift to see a group in the all windowed |
| for repair with an English Capt., Head, and his wife | | | | room off of the Cafeteria with an open casket! |
| aboard (they traveled the world together). They | | | | So, we purchased and figured out how to hang |
| were out for a stroll, and, for whatever reason, | | | | drapes.Then, I remembered that I needed to find |
| were walking down the middle of the one way | | | | a Priest! Took a while to find one at the last |
| street leading out of the Ship Repair Yard. 8 pm is | | | | minute~ It is finally Friday, around noon. I panic, |
| "lunch time" for Swing Shift; and, they only get 30 | | | | remembering that I don't have any appropriate |
| minutes.A young man working in the Yard for a | | | | "funeral Catholic Mass" music to play, and run to |
| Contractor came tearing out of the yard going | | | | the nearest Mall's music shop. I ask for funeral |
| way over the speed limit, trying to drive while | | | | music, forgetting, momentarily that it is Halloween, |
| wiping the windshield. He felt a thud, and stopped | | | | and the clerk tries to sell me the Monster Mash. I |
| the car - only to discover that he had hit and, | | | | explain and get the correct music; get back to |
| regretably killed - Capt. Head. I got a call at home | | | | the Yard and get the room set up for the |
| about 3 am to come into the Yard and "deal" with | | | | Service. Dash home to change clothes; dash back |
| the situation, since I did "people". I came in, dealt | | | | to the Yard, where I remembered that I had to |
| with the police, the grieving widow, the hospital, | | | | pay the Priest for his services!!So, I dash to |
| etc. Got the widow into a downtown hotel; | | | | Accounting and ask for a check made out to the |
| contacted her family in England and arranged to | | | | Priest, and receive the wierdiest looks - until I |
| get them tickets to fly over to stay with her; | | | | remembered that not all folks working in the Yard |
| went home for a few hours of sleep.Now | | | | knew about the upcoming Memorial Service.Get |
| remember, the customer is always right. So, the | | | | back to the room; all arrive and the Service |
| next day, Thursday, I met with the family, and | | | | begins. Now, I hope you realize how serious an |
| the widow wanted to have an open casket, full | | | | event this is. I had preped the Priest, that the |
| Catholic Mass, Memorial Service, the next day, in | | | | Capt.'s name was Richard Head. But his family |
| the Yard, so that the Ship's company could say | | | | came from the UK, and they insisted in calling him, |
| one last good-by to the Capt. I had already priced | | | | throughout the service by his nickname, Dick. I |
| caskets, embalming, cremation, etc., and when I | | | | was horrified when folks in the service put the |
| started to convey the information to the family, | | | | two names together, in "American slang", and |
| the "Ship's Representative" - our "customer" said: | | | | started snickering. Well, we got through the |
| "They no pay; you pay!"I thought OK, but I | | | | Service; we had arranged for light food |
| wonder what Accounting was going to think when | | | | afterwards, and the evening ended, with all |
| they saw my next month's VISA statement | | | | satisfied.Observations: first of all, I challenge any |
| wherein I charged a casket, embalming, and | | | | other HR Executive to have this type of task to |
| cremation onto it!!!!!I leave the family; make | | | | perform! Second of all, this is a True Story! Only |
| arrangements with the Funeral Parlor to prepare | | | | in an American Ship Repair Yard can you have a |
| the Capt. for the service the next evening - | | | | full Catholic Mass Memorial Service for Capt. Dick |
| Friday - for a 6 pm service. Now, the only place | | | | Head on Halloween.About DisabilityKey.comThe |
| within the Yard suitable for the service was a nice | | | | Disability Key Website ( ) is designed to assist |
| room off of our Company Cafeteria. And, the | | | | each person in his/her own unique quest to |
| only door wide enough to accept a coffin was the | | | | navigate through the difficult and often conflicting |
| one that would lead the coffin through the kitchen. | | | | and misleading information about coping with a |
| So, I had to call the State Health Dept. to make | | | | disability. |
| sure that I wasn't violating any health codes by | | | | |