Getting to know: Ashley Cozine

As if a family business and six children aren’t enough to keep busy, Cozine is serving a one-year term as president of the National Funeral Directors Association.

“It’s a big job, but it’s exciting,” he said. “I love being a funeral director, so being able to give back to my profession is a great thing.”

The association is the funeral industry’s largest, with some 20,000 members in the United State and 48 other countries. He’s the association’s fourth president from Kansas but the first from Wichita.

“That’s kind of a special thing, too, I think.”

Cozine, 50, a third-generation funeral director, was born and raised in Wichita. He earned a psychology degree from the University of Kansas and studied politics at Oxford University in England before earning an MBA from Friends University.

Despite interests in medicine and politics, he said, “I think I realized I wanted to carry on the family business. My dad, Bill, is still active in the business. It’s just a real blessing to be able to work with him every day.”

The Cozine Memorial Group owns Broadway Mortuary and Kensington Gardens cemetery. Cozine said he was participating in the Leadership Kansas program when a fellow funeral home owner suggested he become involved in the Kansas Funeral Directors Association.

He has served as president of that organization and held several positions with the national organization, including secretary and treasurer.

The association serves as both an educational and advocacy tool for the profession. Cozine said he will be heavily involved in planning the next annual convention, to be held next October in Boston.

Also in 2017, the Federal Trade Commission will review its “funeral rule,” which governs the funeral home business.

“We will obviously play a big role in those discussions,” he said. “I’m looking forward to that opportunity.”

Cozine and his wife, Carolyn, have six children: daughters Hadley, 19, and Elsa, 15; plus sons Hillard, 17, Elliott, 12, Jenson, 5, and Graham, 2. He’s been active in the Salvation Army and Boy Scouts and said most of his family’s time is spent attending youth sports events.

Joe Stumpe

This story was originally published December 21, 2016 at 1:18 PM with the headline "Getting to know: Ashley Cozine."