There is a new celebrity walking the halls of the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, although this particular member of the PIMS family measures only about a foot tall and prefers belly rubs to autographs.
Winifred “Winnie” Valentine, PIMS’ Director of Love and Affection, is featured in a new Pittsburgh Magazine story exploring the important role she plays in the lives of students and staff preparing for careers in funeral service.
The feature, written by Kristy Graver, takes readers inside a part of the PIMS experience that can’t always be captured in a course description: the importance of compassion, emotional support, and simply being present for someone who needs you.
For Winnie, that comes naturally.
Following Her Servant’s Heart
Funeral service education asks students to prepare for a profession unlike almost any other.
At PIMS, students develop the knowledge and hands-on skills necessary to care for the deceased while also preparing for the tremendous responsibility of serving grieving families. That education can involve difficult days, emotionally challenging experiences, and lessons that extend far beyond the classroom.
That’s where Winnie has found her place.
As PIMS President and CEO Dr. Barry Lease explained to Pittsburgh Magazine, Winnie embodies the Institute’s guiding message to “Follow Your Servant’s Heart.”
Her job description may be unconventional, but the lesson behind it isn’t.
Compassion matters.
Continuing Sydney’s Legacy
Winnie is the second dog to hold a special position at PIMS.
Before her came Sydney Elachko, PIMS’ longtime therapy dog and Director of Love and Emotional Support, Emeritus. Sydney spent years providing comfort and companionship to the PIMS community before her passing this summer.
The Pittsburgh Magazine feature recognizes Sydney’s legacy while showing how Winnie is helping students and staff continue that tradition.
Winnie isn’t replacing Sydney. She’s carrying forward something Sydney helped establish: the understanding that emotional support has a meaningful place in an institution preparing people to spend their careers caring for others.
Sometimes that support comes from a professor, classmate, colleague, or mentor.
And sometimes it arrives on four paws.
Learning to Care for Others
Winnie’s role also connects to something larger happening at PIMS.
As Pittsburgh Magazine highlights, the Institute is preparing to dedicate its new Chapel of the Servant’s Heart, where students will gain experience organizing visitations and conducting funeral services while honoring unclaimed decedents entrusted to the Institute’s care.
PIMS students participate in more than 900 embalming cases each year through relationships with medical examiners, organ procurement organizations, and funeral homes. That extraordinary level of hands-on experience develops technical skill, but funeral service demands something more.
It requires empathy.
The Chapel of the Servant’s Heart and Winnie’s presence may seem very different, but both reflect the same educational philosophy: preparing students not simply to perform the responsibilities of funeral service, but to understand the people at the heart of them.
As Dr. Lease told Pittsburgh Magazine:
“We can’t instill a servant’s heart, but we can fortify it.”
A Little PIMS Love Goes a Long Way
Winnie’s influence already extends beyond campus.
As part of her therapy-dog training, she visits hospitals, nursing homes, and other public spaces. Around PIMS and the surrounding neighborhood, she has also become something of a local celebrity, complete with “I Met Winnie Today” stickers and even her own plush counterpart.
Still, her most important role happens every day at PIMS.
She brings a little levity to difficult moments, offers companionship without asking questions, and reminds future funeral service professionals that caring for others can take many forms.
We’re proud to see Winnie, Sydney’s legacy, and the compassionate educational environment of PIMS recognized by Pittsburgh Magazine.
Read the full feature:
Therapy Dog Provides Comfort to Those Who Care for the Dead | Pittsburgh Magazine
And as Winnie continues her training and her work at PIMS, we’re fairly certain the increased media attention won’t go to her head.
Her compensation package remains unchanged: belly rubs, treats, and the occasional reminder that she is, in fact, a very good girl.