Todd's Gift: Starting the Conversation
Todd and Melissa's Story
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Todd's Gift: Starting the Conversation
Todd and Melissa's Story
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"I'm not afraid of saying the things that people are just afraid of saying," Todd Warner states matter-of-factly. For Todd, openness about death isn't just a personality trait—it's become a gift to his family and friends.
Todd is living with a rare genetic disease called VCP that he knows is terminal. He made a choice that surprises many: he talks about it. Openly. With his wife. With his father-in-law. With friends. And in doing so, he's discovered something profound.
"When you mention it more and more frequently, they get less and less afraid of talking about it. It feels less awkward for them," Todd explains.
Planning as an act of love
Todd's journey to Earth Funeral began with a simple but powerful motivation: protecting his wife from unnecessary hardship.
"I have no idea how long I have left," he shares candidly. "I really wanted to plan for my end of life—ultimately just to make things easier for my wife."
He's witnessed too many families struggle through the aftermath of loss. "I've seen so many people in my life who have passed and their families have had such hardships having to deal with it. I want to make things as easy as possible."
Now, all the documentation sits in their trust binder, everything in one place. "All my wife has to do is maybe one or two phone calls and it's done. That really is my goal."
A new kind of family planning
What began as Todd's personal planning quickly expanded to include his wife Melissa and her father. The conversation wasn't difficult—because in Todd's family, these conversations have always been part of the landscape.
"We're pretty open about things, especially because of my disease," Todd explains. "I've had to be very open about my feelings about my health and about my wishes going forward because of the massive amount of issues that we have and the expenses that we have."
When Todd did his research and presented the option to his family, the response was immediate. "I talked to my wife and she was in agreement. She talked with her father and everybody said it sounds good. We're all happy with it."
The relief has been palpable. "The stress has gone. Everything is in our trust binder, all the documentation, it's in one place. My wife and I both feel better. My father-in-law feels better that it's taken care of, it's already paid for, and that's it."
What Todd didn't want
Todd's clarity about what he did want for his end-of-life came from first understanding what he absolutely didn't want.
Traditional burial was out of the question. "I do not believe that anybody on this planet deserves to occupy a plot of land for eternity. That just to me is a waste of space and it's something that most families rarely if ever go to visit at the cemetery. It's just kind of a creepy thing. There's only so much land on this planet to do it. It just seems stupid."
Cremation, which he initially considered, fell short on environmental grounds. "Really realizing that it's just not good for the planet, the environment. The amount of toxins that go into the air just seems kind of terrible."
Finding Earth Funeral
When Todd discovered Earth Funeral's soil transformation process, it resonated immediately.
"I love the idea that you're using the remains to create life. You're taking my body, which is just, you know, it's organic material, and you're turning it into soil. And that soil is going to be used to grow flowers or plants or trees. You're returning it back to the Earth. It's being put to use. It's not going to waste, you know, it's creating life."
The process aligned with his values in a way nothing else had. "It was kind of a no-brainer compared to everything else. My family was really all for it."
Making it less awkward
Todd's advocacy extends beyond his own family. He's become an informal educator, sharing his choice with friends and acquaintances—and watching the conversation shift.
"I think people just shouldn't be afraid of talking about those things. It should not be awkward because everybody has to deal with it, and literally everybody."
His approach is simple but effective: persistence and honesty. "I've said to people, 'Hey, look, I'm using Earth Funeral. This is the process.' And explaining it to them and just repeating it and then having to correct them when they're like, 'Are you getting cremated?' And I'm like, 'No, no, no. I'm doing this Earth Funeral thing.' And then explaining it, they're like, 'Oh, wow, that's really cool.'"
The reaction is often surprise, followed by genuine interest. "A lot of them will say, 'Wow, you know, I didn't even know that this was a thing.' And so they end up going online and researching Earth Funeral."
A new, better process
For Todd, the peace of having everything planned is matched only by the satisfaction of knowing he's chosen something better.
"It's nice to know that there is a new, better process for something that is really hard for people to deal with," he reflects. "I really love what you guys are doing because I just think it's best for the earth and for people and families. I really do."
His message to others? Simple: "As much as people don't want to think about their end-of-life plans, they really should plan for it. It's just so much better. I feel much better about it."
And perhaps most importantly: "Why not?" Because everyone has to face this conversation eventually. Todd's just decided to face it now—and help others do the same.
More Lasting Legacies
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Carol and Kirk’s Last Supper
After Kirk's unexpected passing, Carol Kassner found profound comfort and meaning in Earth Funeral's soil transformation. Her family crafted deeply personal rituals to honor Kirk and spread his legacy around the world.
A Perennial Peace
At 65, Kimberly embraces human composting as a way to nurture her beloved garden after death, finding peace and a sense of continuity in becoming part of the Earth she tends.
