August is National Grief Awareness Month, a wonderful time to recognize two important members of a Crossroads’ integrated care team, a chaplain and a bereavement coordinator. In this edition we spotlight Bereavement Coordinator Tom Daniel of Crossroads in Cincinnati. In our previous edition we recognized Chaplain Christian Bennett of Crossroads in Philadelphia.
Spotlight on Bereavement Coordinator Tom Daniel
Tom Daniel Supports Loved Ones through Loss
After more than 40 years in youth and pastoral ministry Tom Daniel thought he was finally ready to slow down. But his deep sense of purpose and a new opportunity to serve led him to Crossroads in Cincinnati where he now helps families carry the weight of grief with steady compassion and professionalism as a Bereavement Coordinator.
After retiring from local church ministry in 2021, Tom and his wife moved to Cincinnati to be near their three grown sons and “mainly” two granddaughters. But retirement didn’t last long. Encouraged by a former pastor to consider hospice work, Tom joined Crossroads that same year as an overnight on-call chaplain.
Tom worked long shifts, primarily from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m., sitting with patients and their caregivers, offering them quiet companionship and spiritual support. After just a few months, however, Tom contracted a serious case of COVID-19 and was hospitalized for nearly a month. He feared that this new path might come to an early end.
Instead, it became a turning point. Tom recovered and returned in February 2022 with a renewed sense of purpose as he continued his on-call chaplaincy work. Then, in November 2023, when the Bereavement Coordinator role became available, Crossroads asked him to step in. It was a natural fit.
Supporting the Bereaved
As Bereavement Coordinator Tom primarily supports families after a loved one passes. Sometimes he meets with caregivers and relatives during hospice care, offering emotional support and helping to prepare them for what’s to come. After a death he speaks to and meets with families, offering compassion and consistency. He leads Grief Recovery Method groups several times a year and organizes meaningful memorial services with the chaplains three times a year.
Tom is mindful of the sensitivity needed in those early days after a death. While the legal standard is to contact families within 48 hours, he makes sure his first call is short and thoughtful. He always offers to call back in a few weeks, when families may be more ready to talk. That intuitive gesture alone brings comfort.
After accepting the Bereavement Coordinator position Tom completed a Crossroads required four-day training course by the Grief Recovery Institute to deepen his understanding of loss. But his greatest personal tools remain empathy, listening and presence. “I want my legacy to be that I was there for them (families) for a day, month or year,” he says.
Tom fondly recognizes the strength of the full Crossroads team, working with chaplains, nurses and social workers to tailor his approach for each family. “Everyone plays a part,” he says. And when he hears praise from families about the care they received, he always makes sure to pass those words on to the entire integrated care team who made it possible.
Tom’s advice for anyone entering the field? “Be open-minded. Be kind. Listen. What might feel small to you could be something a family never forgets.”
For Tom, retirement didn’t mean stepping away from service, it just meant a new path to show up for people in their hardest moments. After his bout with COVID-19, Tom feels lucky to be able to continue his work. “I feel I have been granted extra time to help people who have been struggling.” And that’s what he hopes families remember: that he was truly there for them with compassion, understanding and availability.
Tom has a philosophy that’s been shaped by wisdom earned through decades of working in ministry. Included are the following simple concepts:
- Everyone grieves differently.
- Every loss matters.
- Grief has no one path.
- Everyone grieves, regardless of faith.
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