What is a Funeral Director
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Who is he?
He is our first port of call ~ The man none of us really wants to meet on a professional level (a bit like the police really!!), but generally one of the first people we think of calling in the event of the loss of a Loved One.
He does most of our liasing with the authorities ~ from hospitals and coroners, to crematorium or burial site organisers and ministers - the people we don't generally want to deal with ourselves at times like these.
He's a family advisor, a manager, co-ordinator of the funerary process, and a liason officer between the bereaved and the funeral organisers.
He's a person who relies greatly on his experience and his company's service abilities to provide the most expansive option range for the service of his Charge, and the family and friends who remain.
He's everyone's shoulder and ever-listening ears; he's empathetic, non-judgemental, and he's ALWAYS there.... 24 hrs, 365 days.
Historically
Historically
As the power and influence of the Church of England has declined in this country over the last century, so the Funeral Director has had to change his operations to cater for increasingly diverse requirements, associated with the beliefs of an increasingly diverse, multicultural and, perhaps, less spiritual society.
This is highlighted by the increase in crematorium based services which are flexible enough to cater for a whole range of religious and non-religious services and committals.
The Funeral Director has become increasingly important in this relationship with his public as the guide and advisor as people become more distanced from what was once a mor orthadox procedure.
The days when "The Undertakers" came to take away your Dearly Departed and told you "This is what happens now.... this is how the story goes...." have been and gone .....thankfully; and it seems that the bereaved public want more of a say in what goes on with 'Auntie's' funeral ..... you have a choice; and that, more importantly than ever, is where the Funeral Director comes in...
Community
As the public have become more and more aware of the fact that they have an option ~ a voice if you like ~ a say in what happens in their lives immediately folowing the death of loved one, so the need for an impartial advisor - a discreet business man who knows the ropes - is becoming seriously evident; and he needs to be able to offer them what they want .... or they'll find some-one who can!!
They are looking on him as some-one to direct a 'play' that htey have had a hand in writing, and for some-one to do the bits that they can't (physically or psychologically) handle.
So Culturallythe Funeral Director needs to be some-one with no boundaries around him regarding others faith or beliefs.
He may be a Christian or a Muslim or Jewish or even a Wiccan but he must, regardless of his own beliefs, be able to empatise with absolutely anyone - from absolutely any cultural or religious leaning.
Everyone, regardless of race, creed or gender has a basic human right to a decent and dignified farewell, and it is your Funeral Director's place; his sole role, to help them get it.
Funerals are a changin'
....... for certain! Take weddings ... 50 years - even 30 years ago, most people in the UK were married in some sort of religious institution. Then came Register Offices ~ by comparison, not unlike our irreligious chapels and crematoria we use for funeral services today; and who would have believed 20 years ago that people would be getting married on a roller coaster, or while jumping out of a plane???!
For many, religious ceremonies are just a tradition. Admittedly, an awful lot of people are of that traditional leaning; but a lot aren't. This generation has views and ideas that they want heard, and scripts that they want to write - Funeral Directors are the Production Engineers of the future of Funeral and Farewell Planning. They're business people, but also tactful, compassionate and imaginative human beings who, almost without limit, should be offering the public exactly what they want.
Whether it's a woodland burial, or a simple humanist farewell, or a scattering of ashes from a plane or the back of a motorbike, or some-one who wants their ashes shot off into space ... it is your Funeral Director's role, his privilege, to be the one the public come to to help them realise that final wish.
YOUR FUNERAL DIRECTOR ..... THAT'S WHY HE'S HERE.
