The Death Network
End-of-Life Collective
We are a collective of death doulas, end-of-life guides, funeral professionals, and death educators offering compassionate support through one of life’s most sacred transitions.
With deep roots in tradition and an openness to what’s emerging, our nationwide network provides seamless care—from bedside to burial, from planning to parting.
We believe in doing death differently—with intention, with care, and in ways that truly reflect a life well lived.
Penny, Tara, Kara and Selena—four passionate death workers, united by a shared vision: to bring family, natural care, ritual, and ceremony back to the heart of end-of-life care.
Each of us brings something uniquely our own—skills shaped by experience, spirit grounded in service—but together, we walk alongside the dying and the dead with deep compassion, reverence, and understanding.
We believe that death is not only a moment of loss, but a sacred opportunity to honor a life, to connect in love, and to return meaning to the way we say goodbye.
As The Death Network grows beyond our San Diego roots, we’re honored to expand our vision across the U.S.—connecting with like-hearted practitioners, communities, and families who believe, as we do, that death deserves dignity, presence, and personal meaning. This nationwide network is the next step in our shared calling: to reimagine how we care for one another at the end of life.
The Death Network
Founding Team ~ San Diego, CA
The Death Network San Diego CA
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![Penny Waugh CEO & Founder The Death Network]()
Penny Waugh
END-OF-LIFE GUIDE & FUNERAL PLANNER
I believe our end-of-life experience should be as unique as the lives we've lived—honest, intentional, and deeply personal. Death isn’t just an ending; it’s a transition, a story that deserves to be honored in a way that reflects who we are.
With a deep respect for tradition and a love for thinking outside the box, I guide individuals and families through the end-of-life journey with creativity and compassion.
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![Selena Jong The Death Network]()
Selena Jong
END-OF-LIFE GUIDE
I guide individuals and their loved ones through the sacred transition of dying. I offer emotional, spiritual, and logistical support, creating space for peace, dignity, and connection.
My mission is to help families reclaim death care by honoring ancestral rituals and offering sacred tending guided by tradition.
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![Christa Folkers The Death Network]()
Christa Folkers
END-OF-LIFE COACH
I am a certified End of Life Coach, available to assist clients and families navigate the challenges that are unique to the end of life and dying process. I am passionate about holding space for fear, love, grief and all the other emotions that arise as we near the end of life.
I’m a Hospice Volunteer and believe that each death is as unique as the full life that was lived, to honor death as a sacred ending is beautiful and necessary.
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![The Death Network Kara Hallett]()
Kara Hallett
END-OF-LIFE GUIDE
I am a death doula, educator, and facilitator, creating spaces where people can explore grief, mortality, and the liminal spaces in between. I offer in-person death doula support in San Diego county and also support online for anyone, anywhere, in the world. I work with both people and their beloved pets of any type.
My work extends beyond one-on-one support… I also help to lead workshops, discussion circles, and community grief rituals, helping others reclaim death as a natural and sacred part of the human experience.
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![Tara Novak The Death Network]()
Tara Novak
END-OF-LIFE GUIDE & CERTIFIED DEATH DOULA
Death is a universal experience. I aim to create spaces that normalize discussion around death and dying. Discussing our own death can provide an opportunity for agency and help create the opportunity to die a meaningful death.
I have always felt very comfortable with death as a part of life. It is an honor and privilege to help my clients achieve their wishes and allow space for their loved ones to focus on spending time with them.
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![Jenny Leverman Yellow Trellis Counseling]()
Jenny Leverman
YELLOW TRELLIS COUNSELING
My name is Jenny, and as a grief counselor, I’ve seen time and time again how grief is an expression of love. Together, we will nurture the love that endures.
Common grief messaging tells us to “move on” and have “closure.” I’ve often seen it be more helpful to stay in relationship with our loved ones and keep their voices close. I encourage clients to invite families/friends to their counseling sessions or to join a community grief group for support. Grieving is not meant to be done alone; grieving is a community practice.
End-of-Life
Guidance
End-of-Life guidance with The Death Network includes:
Death doula services
End-of-life planning
Rituals & vigils
Sound healing
VSED support (voluntarily stopping eating & drinking)
MAiD support (medical aid in Dying)
Funeral planning
Water & flame cremation
Natural green burial
Home funerals
Legacy planning & projects
Grief support & therapy
Death education workshops
Death Cafe discussion groups
Public speaking
Advance planning workshops
Funeral attire & etiquette
Community events
The Death Network Community Offerings
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![The Death Network discussion group]()
Death Network Discussion Groups
Gather with like minded people and dive into conversation about death, dying and grief. Our discussion groups are a great place to get comfortable tallking about these taboo topics and connect with others.
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Creative Grief Releasing Activities
All of our events have a grief releasing component because grief can impact our everyday life in a big way. Our grief tree is adorned with notes from loved ones and travels to all of our workshops.
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Home Funeral & Shrouding Demonstrations
At our Home Funeral events we demonstrate how the community can care for their loved ones at home with body-care basics and a shrouding demonstration that uses materials most of us have at home.
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Grief Meditation & Yoga Workshops
Learn creative ways to integrate grief into everyday life with our yoga, meditation and breathwork workshops. Because we never really overcome or heal from grief, movement and meditation are powerful tools for integrating & accepting grief.
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Sound Healing & Meditation
Quieting our minds can be a challenge! Modalities like crystal bowl sound healing and meditation help us to go within and tap into our intuitive ability to heal ourselves.
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![The Death Network shrouded body home funeral]()
Community Death Care
Not so long ago, friends and family cared for the dying in their own home. After death, they would clean their body, shroud them in natural linens and hold a home funeral. These ancestral death care practices are experiencing a revival and we strive to help make community death care accessible to all.
See All Community Events
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See All Community Events 🤍
Private Events & Experiences
We will help you create a unique event that your guests will remember for the rest of their lives! We bring a lively approach to our favorite taboo topic (death), along with activities to spur on engagement & contemplative conversation.
Craft an experience that will deepen the connection among guests and explore how death can be done differently.
Popular Experiences
Dinner & Death - a delicious meal accompanied by a lively guided conversation about death & dying.
Movement & Meditation - embrace the art of slowing down with yin yoga, meditation and journaling to help integrate grief into our everyday lives.
End-of-Life Planning - there is no better gift you can leave your loved ones than planning ahead for your own death, but it’s a lot of work! Rather than your monthly book group, consider an end-of-life planning gathering where we’ll explore rising deathcare trends and alternative options that oftentimes aren’t offered at the standard funeral home.
*Currently available in San Diego, CA.
