Jim Van Buskirk shares his journey from death ignorance to death education through hosting Death Cafés, volunteering with Final Exit Network and compiling resources on death and dying. Through personal experiences and insights, attendees will be encouraged to embrace conversations about this stigmatized topic. From Advance Care Directives to options for choosing one's time of death, we'll explore essential end-of-life issues together, fostering greater comfort and appreciation for life's preciousness. Let's break the taboo and find solace in open dialogue about mortality.                       

Jim Van Buskirk, a retired SFPL librarian, has co-facilitated Death Cafes since 2016. He volunteers with Final Exit Network, a national right-to-die organization, and has presented programs on death and dying at various venues.