Reginald Burgan ties a deceased man's shoelaces at Peace Chapel Funeral Home in Phoenix on March 12, 2021, as funeral director Ron Thornson works behind him. Contrary to other mortuaries’ practices, Thornson asks relatives of the deceased to provide clothes representative of the person’s character, meaning that the deceased is rarely seen in overtly formal clothes. He says families appreciate the opportunity to contribute to this process. Burgan, who is the funeral home’s office manager, was hired in August to run the office so Thornson could focus on his embalming work while COVID-19 deaths rose.