Aftercare Coordinator/Funeral Celebrant
Dr. Maria Hess is an InSight-certified celebrant, highly skilled in guiding families through their time of loss by creating personalized eulogies and services for secular ceremonies. Her compassionate approach ensures that each ceremony authentically reflects the unique personality and life of the deceased, achieved through intimate consultations with families and seamless coordination with funeral homes. Dr. Hess finds it an honor to support families during these profound moments, bringing solace and meaning to their farewells.
Before becoming a celebrant, Dr. Hess had a distinguished career in communications. She has worked as a consultant, writer, producer, moderator, journalist, editor, content strategist, and documentarian. Her extensive media experience includes creating thousands of profiles and interviewing high-profile celebrities such as Linda Ronstadt, Mary Tyler Moore, Tim Conway, Loretta Swit, Roddy McDowall, and Valerie Harper. Equally important to her are the profiles of individuals from all sectors who have made significant contributions to their workplaces, communities, and the world.
Dr. Hess’s celebrant work is enriched by her deep experience in conducting interviews, speechwriting, news and literary editing, obituary writing, ghostwriting, public and media relations, documentary production and direction, television news, scriptwriting, and teaching. These skills have uniquely prepared her to tell the important stories of loved ones. She has served as editor-in-chief for five magazines: WilmU Magazine, Delaware Today, 302 Health, The Ultimate Guide to Delaware, and Delaware Bride. For television, she created the PBS flagship series “Living in Virginia,” for which she earned two Emmy® Awards. Dr. Hess has received numerous local and national awards for writing, editing, and television production, including the PBS National Communications Award and several honors from the National Federation of Press Women. Additionally, the Delaware Press Association named her its Communicator of Achievement.
Dr. Hess holds a Doctorate in Education.
