Grief, Perspective, and the Only Maximal Loss – A Conversation with Ian DiOrio

In this episode of Death Care Collective, host Keith Page sits down with longtime friend and colleague Ian DiOrio to explore what it means to find a calling in death care—and to stay faithful to it over time.

Drawing from nearly two decades of shared history, Keith and Ian reflect on entering hospice and spiritual care at a young age, the personal formation that comes from walking alongside loss, and the ways faith, friendship, and leadership evolve when shaped by real proximity to death.

Their conversation moves beyond job titles and industry language, touching on vocation, mentorship, distance and connection, and the responsibility of serving individuals, families, and organizations during life’s most vulnerable transitions.

This episode is a thoughtful exploration of death care not as an industry alone, but as a lifelong practice of presence, compassion, and purpose.