Woman achieves highest funeral service distinction

CROOKSVILLE — When she was contemplating her career as a young girl, Vanessa Ross-Frash was certain of one thing: she wanted to help people.

And in her current position, she does. However, the primary subjects she helps are not in a position to thank her, but their families are.

Ross-Frash has been a funeral director and embalmer for 13 years and is one of the most accomplished in the region. She is the funeral director at Ross-Frash Funeral Homes in Roseville and Crooksville.

“I want to give families the best care that I can,” she said.

Ross-Frash recently earned the title of Certified Funeral Service Practitioner or CFSP from the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice about an hour outside Atlanta.

CFSP is the highest distinction in the field. Ross-Frash likens it to a law degree for funeral directors and embalmers in that she can append “CFSP” to her name like a lawyer would with “esquire,” which is something she wears proudly.

Having the title of CFSP, to Ross-Frash, means the funeral director has gone beyond what is expected to provide the best care to those he or she serves.

“It’s an elite club among funeral directors,” Ross-Frash said.

Ohio has 2,824 active licensed funeral directors and embalmers, according to the state board. Only 27 percent of those are female. Of those active licensees, only 91 hold the title of CFSP and only 20 are females.

While there are numerous CFSPs in Southeast Ohio, including C. Jeffrey Hardwick in Zanesville, Ross-Frash is the only female CFSP southeast of Columbus. The next nearest is Dawn Scott of Ralph F. Scott Funeral Home in Portsmouth.

Ross-Frash developed her curiosity in funeral service when she was young. She worked in a flower shop next door to Jay Short’s Cannon and Cannon Funeral Home in Roseville, where Ross-Frash is from.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in three years from Ohio University, then attended the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science and took state and national board exams to earn her license.

While some may consider the job of morticians, undertakers and funeral directors to be morbid or melancholy, Ross-Frash finds it very emotionally rewarding. She said treating the dead and their families with dignity and respect is her top priority.

“There is a certain level of comfort and a certain level of personality that appeases people,” she said.

Aside from maintaining her CFSP designation — Ross-Frash must complete a certain amount of educational activities like professional conferences, public speaking, etc. each year — she is uncertain what will come next in her career. She said she would like to perhaps build her own crematory.

For now, though, Ross-Frash is content with her achievement and continuing doing the job she cherishes.

bparks2@gannett.com

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Twitter:@Bradley_W_Parks