Greetings,

We hope that everyone had a safe holiday season and is looking forward to this New Year as much as we are. We are very excited to announce the start of the” “House of Hope” Blog by Rev. Douglas J. House. Beecher & Bennett Funeral Homes and Rev. House have had a successful collaborative relationship for over 30 years, serving countless families in our community. Without a doubt, we consider him a part of our family. The main reason we enjoy working with Rev. House so much is that our beliefs in helping people, in any way, are completely aligned. This new opportunity is simply an extension of those beliefs. This blog is the culmination of many discussions with our staff and Rev. House over the last few years, simply exploring how to adapt to the needs of the families we serve who are going through one of the most difficult times in their lives. Because of his experience, education, openness, and many other qualities, Rev. House has gained a wealth of knowledge to help people through grief. “Overqualified” is appropriate, and in this case, definitely a positive. From his resume, we read the following:

Rev. House was born in Brattleboro, VT but spent his formative years in Guilford, CT. He graduated from Hamden Hall Country Day School in Hamden, CT and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication with a minor in Religious Studies from Southern Connecticut State University. Following his undergraduate work, he was accepted into the three-year Master’s program at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia where he received a Masters of Divinity degree. He has done continuing education study at the University of Bridgeport (CERT), Yale University Divinity School, Yale University School of Sacred Music, and the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. He is an ordained Minister in the United Church of Christ and has served parishes in Branford, East Hartland, and Hamden, CT. Currently, he is serving as Supply Pastor at the First Congregational Church, UCC in Derby, CT.

Rev. House began his teaching career at the University of Bridgeport in 1998. In addition to teaching courses in Mass Communication, he has focused his work in teaching courses in English, Sociology, and World Religion. In 2009, he was awarded an “Excellence in Teaching” award by UB’s College of Public and International Affairs. In 2014, 2015, and 2020 Rev. House represented the University of Bridgeport as a visiting professor at Wuhan University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China. In the fall of 2021, he began working with the university’s English Language Institute, a program for international students. He was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi academic honor society in 2018. Rev. House and his wife Sandy, make their home in Hamden, CT with their three dogs.

As you can see, his resume speaks for itself. Because we have seen his education and experience put to practical use helping the families we serve, we thought, why let it end there? Through the House of Hope Blog, our goal is to reach more people who are having a tough time navigating grief due to loss.

With that being said, this is a first for Rev. House and Beecher & Bennett, and it will be a work in progress. We intend to have open discussions with our community and will be open to suggestions.  If anyone needs more information about a particular topic, please just call or email the funeral home (203-288-0800; info@beecherandbennett.com). We will be sure to respond in a timely manner. Please know that we have the best intentions at heart, and our mindset from the start was that if House of Hope helps anyone, even one person, it will be worth it.

On my behalf, as well as that of Rev. House and all the staffat Beecher & Bennett,  we wish everyone a happy and healthy new year.