The Funeral Is Not the Finish Line: Kelly Edmondson on Grief Support That Lasts

What happens after everyone goes home? In this deeply moving episode of The Teaching Journeys Podcast, host Dave Roberts sits down with Kelly Edmondson — nurse executive, certified grief counselor, and bereaved mother — to explore the one truth most people avoid: grief doesn't end at the funeral. It's just beginning.

After losing her son Darius on January 3rd, 2023, Kelly founded A Timely Presence, a year-long grief support service designed to show up for the bereaved long after the flowers fade. Drawing on her clinical background and lived experience, Kelly shares how ongoing presence — not platitudes — is what grieving people truly need.

Dave, who lost his daughter Jeannine to cancer over 23 years ago, brings his own profound perspective, making this one of the most honest, human conversations you'll hear on grief, mortality, and healing.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why society avoids talking about death — and why that silence harms the bereaved

• What NOT to say to someone who is grieving (and what actually helps)

• How grief peaks between months 3–6, long after support disappears

• The 3 Rs of workplace grief support: Regulate, Respond, Remain

• Why the second year of grief is often harder than the first

• How reframing rituals around holidays and milestones can transform the healing journey

• Kelly's framework for turning loss into legacy

Whether you're grieving, supporting someone who is, or an HR leader navigating employee loss, this episode will change how you show up.

Kelly’s Bio and Contact Information

Kelly Edmondson is a nurse executive, certified grief counselor, and bereaved mother whose personal loss became the foundation of her life's work. After losing her son Darius on January 3, 2023, Kelly founded Timely Presence, a year-long grief support service built on a simple truth: the funeral is not the finish line. Drawing on decades of clinical experience and her credentials a nurse and grief counselor she helps individuals, families, and organizations show up for the grieving long after the flowers fade. Her mission is to make ongoing presence the standard, not the exception, in grief support.

Connect with Kelly Edmondson & A Timely Presence:

🌐 Website: https://thetimelypresence.com

📷 Instagram: @the.kellyedmondson

💼 LinkedIn: Kelly Edmondson

📘 Facebook: Timely Presence

To connect with Dave go to davidrobertsmsw.com