CHICAGO — The new Cook County Medical Examiner has a unique perspective on death. She died two years ago.

“There are a lot of jokes … oh, God, a lot of jokes,” said Dr. Meredith Asquith. “But the majority of them are in good fun.”

Since the discovery of the afterlife in 1997, she’s one of the few medical examiners in the country who’s seen the process from the other side and talked about it. Asquith died in a car accident in Chicago and went with her body to the morgue to see her own autopsy. She was an assistant examiner in the office at the time of her death.

“I got to see Larry (Dr. Larry Imamoto) do me. I mean, I was immediately aware of what had happened. Saw everything clear as a bell. And you know, somehow Larry knew I was there.”

When Imamoto retired this year, he contacted her and suggested that she apply for the job.

“Of course, I’ve known her for a number of years. I was very sad when she died and I know her death stopped a brilliant career in the medical examiner’s office.”

Asked if he knew she was there when he did her autopsy, he said, “Yes. I mean I figured it was likely. She was one of the most efficient and conscientious people I’ve ever worked with. I knew she would want to be involved.”

Asquith will be aided by the other medical examiners in the office and will communicate with them via portable terminals.

“I like to think I’m doing my bit to make the disembodied accepted in the workplace. But none of this would have happened without Larry’s help,” Asquith said.