Kate Bagnati
Member & Volunteer
Middlesex County Wife and mother of 3, originally from Geneva, New York, Kate has been living in Connecticut since 2004. In her spare time she enjoys being in nature, creating art, gardening, birding, swimming, and dancing Bollywood.
Having end of life conversations, providing information and education while we are still alive is her passion. There is a great need to empower fellow humans to make their own choices so they can feel safe and supported in their end of days. Time is fleeting, she’d like to spend the rest of hers making connections, growing community, and holding space for others in great times of transition. Kate completed the Deathwives Deathschool certificate program in full spectrum death care in Spring 2024. She is currently offering educational workshops on Funeral and Legacy Planning, as well as, hosting Death over Drafts events all over the state. |
Melissa BennettMember & Volunteer
Tri-State Area Melissa and her sister Kate attended the first community potluck with the Connecticut Death Collective in June 2022. Less than a month later they were sitting at their mother’s bedside as she took her final breath. Their family was supported by two end-of-life care providers they connected with at that first gathering, forever altering the idea of what is possible at the end of life.
Melissa is passionate about sharing her experience of death and grief with others and hopes that through education and community building, folks may feel less alone when they or a family member are facing decisions about end of life or a life-altering illness. As a certified INNATE Postpartum Care Practitioner as well as aspiring death care provider, Melissa is often contemplating the similarities between the sacred thresholds of birth and death. Connect with her at the CTDC monthly virtual Death Cafe. |
Sara Tinnesz
Member & Volunteer
Fairfield County Sara brings a holistic approach to living, aging, and dying well. She’s felt a lifelong calling to share her view of death as a sacred space for growth, connection, and healing which began in childhood and continued in her work as a hospice social worker and at the bedsides of family and friends over the years. After partnering with her mom through her journey living with Alzheimer’s disease and her death, she began an in-home consulting practice where she coaches, educates, and supports elders and those with progressive illness (and their care partners) to navigate the simple and complex transitions and uncertainties that challenge joy and meaning at the end of life. She has a deep appreciation for how even small shifts in perspective can have a profound impact on well being, meaning making and hope especially at end of life and brings that awareness and compassionate presence to the families she works with. In addition to her masters degree in social work and training in palliative care, she is an INELDA trained death doula and mother of 2 fully-launched young adults who live on the other side of the country. Sara serendipitously attended the inaugural Death Collective potluck in 2022.
Maureen Moriarty
Member & Volunteer
Hartford County Maureen’s curiosity about mortality began in her teenage years as an avid obituary reader. Later, she was part of a group whose mission was to educate the public on their consumer rights when planning a funeral. She also trained as a hospice volunteer. Being by her Dad’s bedside when he took his last breath was a transformative experience, as was being her Mom’s in-home hospice caregiver.
In 2023, Maureen completed the University of Vermont’s EOL Doula course. One of the most valuable discoveries she made while taking the course is the potential for a person’s dying and death to be a sacred time. She’s been allowing the results of the training to ferment, while contemplating how best to be of service to others. She’s in the process of compiling a comprehensive directory of death, mortality, and eldercare resources. She’s eager to receive recommendations for the directory and is open to having brainstorming sessions about forming partnerships, setting up educational events, or anything else related to mortality. Maureen is also passionate about animals of all kinds, and volunteers both as a wildlife transporter to rehabilitators, and as an educational assistant with Ferncroft Wildlife Rescue, which specializes in rehabilitating opossums (North America’s only marsupial!). |
Geralene Valentine
Member & Volunteer
Fairfield County Geralene is a holistic health practitioner and educator that specializes in pranic healing. She is a holistic thana doula and the founder of Celestial Singers, bedside singing group.
Her intention is to educate and enlighten people who are interested in enhancing their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being. She is available for in-person or remote non-medical holistic “bedside” healing for loved ones during their journey to the Spirit world. In January 2024, she formed a wonderful group of empathetic and passionate singers, who create a peaceful environment for individuals who are preparing to transition to the Spirit world. "When we sing together, our harmonious voices promote a feeling of tranquility and wellness, enabling the body to resonate with positive vibrations." Geralene has been attending and hosting events with the Connecticut Death Collective since June of 2022. 
Member & Volunteer
Litchfield County Becca is an end-of-life guide and multimedia artist from Newtown with a deep commitment to transforming death-care. Her early experiences with death, including her father's passing and the Sandy Hook shooting, have driven her passion for addressing our culture's approach to death. Certified as a Death Doula by Going with Grace in 2020, Becca now hosts Living Funeral Ceremonies, volunteers with the Connecticut Death Collective, and advocates for green burial and home funerals. She currently resides in Litchfield County and is pursuing a degree in Social Work. Becca aims to become a licensed grief counselor and is dedicated to providing compassionate and accessible support to families during their times of grief.
|
