Dead on Earth

In this episode of Dead on Earth, we sit down with Hunter Beattie, owner of Ends Well Funeral Home, for a deeply personal conversation about the death of his father.Hunter’s father was the primary inspiration behind many of his accomplishments, including his path to sobriety. Following a diagnosis of a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, Hunter's father made the decision to reclaim control over his final chapter, choosing to end his life on his own terms.Hunter joins the podcast to openly share the complex grief journey that followed, exploring what it means to honor a loved one's autonomy while navigating the heavy reality of their absence.Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of end-of-life choices and assisted dying. Listener discretion is advised

In this episode of Dead on Earth, Denis McDowell shares the deeply moving story of his late wife, Christine, her struggle with drug addiction, and her tragic death by suicide. Left to pick up the pieces with young children, Denis reveals the difficult reality of grieving out loud while parenting through trauma. Now remarried, Denis reflects on the healing power of time, resilience, and the joy of watching his children thrive in their blended family.

In this episode of Dead on Earth, we sit down with Charles Morris to explore the profound, layered grief of losing his mother, Phyllis. Charles shares the agonizing reality of watching his mother’s cancer accelerate her dementia, creating a dual mourning process long before her physical passing.Compounding this heartbreak was the timing: Phyllis’s final days took place during COVID-19, a time when the healthcare system was stretched to its brink and crucial hospice support was virtually non-existent. Charles opens up about the raw, exhausting experience of navigating caregiving in isolation, the anger of systemic failure, and how he honors the enduring imprint his mother left behind.

This week on Dead on Earth, hosts Sarah Lipscomb and Kerrith McDowell sit down with William English for a deeply personal and vital conversation about family, systemic barriers, and profound loss. William opens up about his journey through grief following his aunt’s battle with breast cancer. Living next door to him his entire life in rural Alabama, she was a constant, nurturing presence who helped raise him. William shares what it was like to step into the role of her fierce advocate as she navigated treatment as an African American woman in the Southern healthcare system. He candidly explores the devastating reality of losing a part of himself when she passed, and the unique weight of mourning a lifelong anchor

In this episode, Sarah and Kerrith sit down with Ramona, a dedicated social worker, to talk about the passing of her mother. Ramona’s mother was her absolute rock and, as a hospice nurse, a pillar of strength for countless families.Ramona opens up about the devastating reality of watching her mother battle lung cancer and reflects on the profound, heavy grief of sitting at her mother's bedside at the end of her life. It is a powerful conversation about love, legacy, and learning to live with a shattering loss.