About Shane A.S. Ritchie, CFSP
Shane A.S. Ritchie, CFSP is an Ohio-licensed funeral director and embalmer, educator, author, speaker, and postmortem reconstruction specialist with more than 25 years of experience in embalming and restorative art.
A magna cum laude graduate of the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, Shane received the school’s Award for Excellence in Restorative Art. He is also a recipient of the 2016 FNA Distinguished Service Award and currently teaches Embalming Theory at the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science.
Throughout his career, Shane has specialized in difficult-case embalming, restorative art, and the reconstruction of traumatic injuries. His lifelong interest in special-effects makeup, combined with extensive study and practical experience in mortuary restoration, led him to develop new techniques, materials, and approaches for cases involving massive trauma, severe tissue loss, complex discoloration, and other challenging conditions.
For Shane, however, restoration is about far more than technical skill.
In 2007, his 24-year-old daughter, Felicity, died from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. At her visitation, seeing her restored to a peaceful and recognizable appearance profoundly changed his understanding of the work of the embalmer. What he had practiced professionally for years suddenly became deeply personal. That experience strengthened his commitment to the value of viewing and to helping families have the opportunity to see, recognize, and say goodbye to someone they love.
That philosophy is at the heart of Shane’s teaching. His signature program, The Four Pillars of Embalming, Reconstruction, and Restoration — Emotion, Legal, Science, and Art, combines the human purpose of our work with sound professional practice, embalming science, case analysis, reconstruction techniques, color theory, and mortuary cosmetics.
Shane has presented educational programs to funeral service professionals throughout the United States, including at the NFDA National Convention, and his articles have appeared in The Director, Southern Calls, Funeral Business Advisor, The Dodge Magazine, and American Funeral Director. His goal as an educator is not simply to demonstrate techniques, but to give other embalmers practical knowledge they can take back to the preparation room and use to better serve families.
In addition to his mortuary education, Shane holds a B.A. in Management from Ottawa University.
For information regarding speaking engagements, continuing education programs, seminars, or customized training:
Shane A.S. Ritchie, CFSP
shane@shaneritchie.com
(304) 299-9069
Shane Ritchie presenting continuing education to funeral service professionals
Need information to share with your planning committee? Download Shane’s Speaker One-Sheet.