05/06/2026
This afternoon, the Second Annual Gary M. Gise Embalming Award and Scholarship was presented to a student from the 2026 graduating class of the Mortuary Program at the University of the District of Columbia. The recipient of this award is selected by the program professors and shows a passion for embalming and has the skill to match. This year’s recipient was Jane Baden. This year was extra special, as Jane is a member of Hines-Rinaldi’s funeral assistant team!
This award was created in memory of one of our dear funeral directors, Gary Gise, who was a licensed funeral director and embalmer for over 38 years. Gary served families at Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home for the last 15 years of his career, before succumbing to a hard fought battle with esophageal cancer in March 2023. Our General Manager and Mortuary Program Advisory Board Member, Neva FinGado, was honored to be able to create and present this award to honor the legacy of a wonderful colleague and friend. She states “Gary’s memory will continue to live on in those that show the same dedication and reverence he did and I am so very excited to see those qualities in the next generation of funeral professionals.”
Congratulations to all of the 2026 graduates of our local mortuary programs and those throughout the country!