Comments on: The Life Of A Funeral Director… From Head To Toe

By: Dave Letch

Dave Letch — Sun, 31 Jul 2016 13:47:22 +0000

A read I know well. And most recently my partner of forty years passed. His anniversary was only two days ago. I selected an all female run parlour in our little village of Bowral, in the Southern Highlands of NSW, Australia. She made it easy. She helped with celebrants – this was “Sue” – a marvel of a woman – sympathetic, wrote down things I couldn’t even remember saying and captured, ‘womanfully’ – the life of my one and only partner in the world.
Over the past t wo days I have had hundreds of fb messages, and post about a dozen of my favourite pics – from 18 month toddler – through the brilliant days of ‘prime’ and on to the end.
I admire the work you do. You are thoroughly astonishg folk – it isn’t just a job, it’s a calling. Bless your cotton socksies Caroline McGil. You’re outta dat box!!!! Dave xxx

By: Cherie DeArment

Cherie DeArment — Mon, 09 May 2016 05:29:26 +0000

My daughter wrote this for me after reading this article and I wanted to share it.

My Mother is a Creep.

When I tell people that my mom is a Funeral Director, the usual responses are “ew,” “woah,” “gross,” “weird,” and “is she a creep?” Every single time I correct them by saying, “it’s actually one of the most compassionate jobs someone could have. She loves every family she meets and treats their deceased as her own” it usually shuts them up, but sometimes people just don’t get it.
This article definitely got to me because I see it all. I see what my mom does, I hear her and I watch her. She cries for, she mourns and she loves every person she meets after they have passed, some more than others, but there is always love. She not only loves caring for them in their final moments above ground, she genuinely cares about who they were as people, how they lived and loved and what they did for their family and friends.
She hangs up on me, her (obviously favorite) child to answer a random number that could be a family, she refuses to take personal days off when her Mortuary is busy or when she hasn’t finished the process of a funeral to it’s entirety. She misses my sister’s games, she misses dinners, she misses time visiting with people when they’re in town, and she passes up on trips; however, she is always the first to jump on a long road trip for her job, even if it’s to pick up something and turn right back around and come home.
What she never misses though, is a chance to hand a stranger a tissue box, a chance to give someone the final hand squeeze that lets them know they are in good hands.
Reading this reinforced everything I know to be true about my mom. She is strong, she is compassionate, and she is human. She is in the right field, that’s for sure. With her creepiness and all.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mamma. I love you.
funeral creep funeraldirector dying love compassion dead work mom mother mothersday iloveyou mammasgirl
Apr 26th, 2016

By: Matt Soderstrum

Matt Soderstrum — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 17:19:25 +0000

Good words. A great, heart-felt description of the life of a funeral director!

By: Dianna Mace

Dianna Mace — Sat, 02 Jan 2016 20:09:39 +0000

Wonderful article, so true. I work for a funeral home as a greeter, I have seen so many hearts broken and sadness. I want to show compassion for the one who has a loss, hope I can lend a helpful hand and shoulder to lean on, as I continue my work as the greeter.

By: Isabel Dennis

Isabel Dennis — Thu, 31 Dec 2015 19:44:26 +0000

the author of this fine article has certainly caught the feel of the moment as it happens. And it will eventually happen to all of us. Such a change of pace has to come about and come about quickly as the funeral director tries to direct his own personal life around the circumstances as they happen. Such a wonderful, tender and caring “calling” this must be to a man or woman. No less then the “calling” of a person to become a minister. His or her life is dedicated too God and naturally you want the best when God is in the picture. Hurrah too all the unselfish men and women that choose this vocation. Bless them and their families, as is needed.

By: Rebecca May

Rebecca May — Wed, 30 Dec 2015 21:13:17 +0000

Wonderfully written, thank you.

By: Neil Breed

Neil Breed — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 20:35:15 +0000

well written….I will share this if you dont mind me doing so

By: Graham Burton

Graham Burton — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 17:06:51 +0000

Very interesting reading .In a nut shell you have to have and show compassion ,have the understanding of ones feelings of their loss together with the knowledge and the experience one gains over many years that you can put yourselves in the beavered shoes .Many hats we may wear but it’s ones all round help to guide the families who put their trust in the appointed Funeral Director ,trust you have to gain over many years .There is no other job like it ,what ever hat you wear it’s more of a vocation for some of us .

By: Janis Hopkins-Nugent

Janis Hopkins-Nugent — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 14:10:08 +0000

What a beautifully written article! And I think one of the most important things is we feel this every time and that what we do never feels “normal.” When we feel this deeply, we never stop being difference makers! God Bless!

By: Dora Carpenter

Dora Carpenter — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 13:18:58 +0000

What an awesome, enlightening article. It sheds light onto the many facets of the funeral director. Thanks for sharing Caroline and continued success to you!