Chilifest will spice up life at Bothell funeral home

The Rev. Dale Amundsen keeps things lively around the Bothell Funeral Home.

The merry minister hands out Halloween treats from the back of a hearse and schedules Easter Bunny visits to area nursing homes. Later this month, town clergy are invited to an appreciation social, complete with harp music.

Thursday things will heat up even more with a first for the funeral home — Chilifest. More than a dozen chefs and dozens of tasters are expected to fill the funeral-home chapel for the event sponsored by the Greater Bothell Chamber of Commerce.

The contest categories are pure Amundsen: Hotter than Hell, Mr. Meaty and Herbivore's Delight. He's suppling the Rolaids, Bean-O and a fire extinguisher, as well as the spoons and napkins.

He's held pumpkin-carving contests, officiates at the occasional wedding in the funeral-hall chapel and is known for his clever door prizes at chamber events. One favorite is a miniature black cardboard coffin filled with chocolate he calls the Kiss of Death or Chocolate to Die For. Another is the book "1,000 Places to See Before You Die."

"I tell people that after they've seen all 1,000 places, to come see me," he said.

When not giving eulogies for the dearly departed, Amundsen celebrates life with one-liners.

He says he wants to bring people into the funeral home before death and share his philosophy: Appreciate life more.

"We should celebrate our lives while we're living them," he said.

Amundsen, communityrelations coordinator for the Bothell branch of Evergreen Washelli, respects death and grief. For 15 years he was the lead chaplain for King County; before that for the Tacoma Police Department. He counseled grieving police officers and accompanied officers or medical examiners when they notified families of a death. He averaged 200 death notifications a year. It was never easy.

"Years ago a man was killed in an industrial accident," Amundsen said. "I had to go tell the widow. The wife told me they had a big fight that morning. She said, 'I told him where to go and now I'll never have the opportunity to take it back.'

"The lesson I learned is to let people know I love them," he said.

Amundsen, 55, grew up in Kirkland and graduated from Lake Washington High School in 1970. He became an ordained minister after attending Grace Bible College, Seattle Pacific and Fuller Theological Seminary.

He's been at Bothell Funeral Home for four years, and the community has snacked better since his arrival, thanks to a large tray of Morticia's cookies on the front-hall table. Morticia is Amundsen's nickname for his wife, Wendy.

Skateboarding youth have been known to wheel up to the covered entry to grab a cookie or two.

While he delights in puns and jokes, Amundsen said some things are off-limits, even for Chilifest.

There will be no caskets — full or empty — in the room. And when it comes to background music, he already has eliminated one song.

"We won't be playing 'Amazing Grace,' " he said.

However, Meatloaf's 1977 hit "Bat out of Hell" is a definite possibility.

Sherry Grindeland: 206-515-5633 or sgrindeland@seattletimes.com