About me…

Cassie Van Gelder here, at your service. I’m a classically trained pianist and vocalist who decided to become a piano technician. I have taken care of pianos professionally for over 15 years in private homes, and full time at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, then the University of Michigan, and now at the University of Arizona here in Tucson, AZ. I was blessed to have several key mentors in my life who helped mold me into a skilled piano technician. One of those mentors was also a long-time hospice volunteer, an experience about which I was always curious. I reached out to that former teacher/mentor and spoke with him about how I wanted to help people in a similar way, and as usual he was quick with words of advice and encouragement. I proceeded to enroll in the University of Vermont’s End of Life Doula program, and I knew I was headed in the right direction.

Born and raised on a farm in Northwest Iowa, I’m a small-town person at heart who loves a good chat session. I enjoy listening to people’s tales of their hopes and dreams, and even more so I’d love to help bring those things to fruition, however possible. Let’s fast forward: maybe you’re on your deathbed, or maybe you’ve just received a terminal diagnosis. Now what? What’s the first thing that comes to mind? What do you wish you’d said or done? To me, the end of life is actually about bringing your life itself into focus, right here, right now.

Let's create a will. Let’s talk about your funeral and how you want to be buried. Let’s create something special to leave behind for your loved ones.

And then, let’s make plans for all of the things you want to do before you go.