Death Doula Laura Lyster-Mensh

Death Positivity Comes to Congressional Cemetery

by Pattie Cinelli

gural session of Historic Congressional Cemetery’s (HCC) year-long residency for Laura Lyster-Mensh, a death doula.

“I want to bring courage, curiosity and a sense of humor to dying which all humans will experience,” said Lyster-Mensh. “Each Saturday I’ll be doing things that may help people make the end of one’s life easier for all involved.”

The songs sung by the Singers triggered tearful memories of sitting by the bedsides of both my mother and my aunt. How I wish they had had the comfort of relaxing music that would have made their transition easier. How I wish I had had a death doula to help support me in making decisions at the end of their lives.

What is a Death Doula?

Death doulas are trained, non-clinical supporters of dying people and their families. They o er support with telling one’s life story, planning for death and vigil at the end of life. Death doulas also promote death education and conversation as Lyster-Mensh is doing with her residency. She has training in the death process and coping with death.

Jackie Spainhour, HCC president, wanted to involve the community in programming that could help people feel more comfortable talking about and experiencing death and dying. “We wanted to do more in-depth death programs,” she said. “But we are a small sta . Laura, who was a volunteer at the cemetery, lled a void for us.”

Lyster-Mensh, writer, podcaster and activist, was the perfect person to lead this e ort. She is a certi ed death doula and a volunteer for a DC hospice. She said she fell in love with HCC when she began volunteering and presented Spainhour with a proposal for a death doula residency. Almost 60 participants showed up for the inaugural session in January.

“I’ve always been intrigued by the dying process and the ceremony of it,” said participant Rachel Smith. “My