Voices of Funeral Service

Funeral service is a unique profession, but one that rewards those who receive the call to serve families during their most difficult days. We sat down with funeral professionals and talked about many aspects of their service. Hear their stories in their own words on the Remembering A Life Podcast.

Today's Funeral Professional

Think you know what a typical funeral director looks like? Get ready for a new generation that challenges your perceptions! In fact, the funeral directors of tomorrow are mostly women, many are people of color - and they’re ready to lead the profession into the future. Leili McMurrough, president of Worsham College of Mortuary Science, and student Sioux Westby join us to dispel the myths!

From the Classroom to the Prep Room: A New Generation of Funeral Directors is Ready to Lead
Leili McMurrough, president, Worsham College
Sioux Westby, student, Worsham College

A Day in the Life of a Funeral Professional

There's no such thing as a "typical day" in funeral service, which is why so many people are drawn to a career as a funeral professional. Benny Capaul, LaShonda Martin and Tim McLoone walk us through how they spend their days and what a career in funeral service is all about. Benny is a funeral director by day and a ska-punk rocker by night. Listen to learn how his two very different worlds complement each other.

Funerals Unplugged
Benny Capaul, Capaul Funeral Home, Ida, Michigan

A Day in the Life of a Funeral Professional
LaShonda Martin, Kemp Funeral Home, Michigan
Tim McLoone, William R. May Funeral Home, Inc., Pennsylvania

Inspiring Youth

Funeral professionals are eager to share what they do to serve families and they're particular drawn to inspiring young people to consider a career in funeral service. Two funeral directors even hold an annual funeral service camp for kids!

Putting the "Fun" in Funeral Service Camp for Kids
Madeline Lyles, After Life Mortuary Services, LLC, Tennessee
Dana Taylor, After Life Mortuary Services, LLC, Tennessee

High-profile Funerals

Sometimes funeral directors are called upon to prepare services for high-profile individuals such as celebrities, political figures or even royalty. Tim Purves, William Purves Funeral Directors in Edinburgh, Scotland, participated in planning one of the most high-profile funerals in history, helping the world pay tribute to and say goodbye to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

A Funeral Fit for a Queen
Tim Purves, William Purves Funeral Directors, Edinburgh

The Changing Landscape of Funeral Service

Funeral professionals recognize that services are not one size fits all and that many people want options that allow them to be more directly returned to the earth. Natural burials are a wonderful option and the Prout Funeral Home in Verona, New Jersey, is all in on providing families with eco-friendly options.

Natural Burials: The Changing Landscape of Saying Goodbye
Robert Prout, Prout Funeral Home
Julie Prout, Prout Funeral Home

Helping Families and Communities During Our Darkest Days

There are times when funeral professionals work with families after national tragedies, such as natural disasters or mass shootings. These can be some of the most difficult days in a funeral director's career; however, they are called to help even in the most trying of circumstances.

A Nation Reflects: The 25th Anniversary of Columbine
John Horan, Horan & McConaty Funeral Service and Cremation, Colorado
Chuck Bowman, Hornung Family Funeral Home, Kansas
(formerly of Horan & McConaty Funeral Service and Cremation, Colorado)
Jennifer McBride, Horan & McConaty Funeral Service and Cremation, Colorado (retired)

20 Years Later: How Funeral Directors Helped Families Heal After 9/11
Christie Whitaker, Whitaker Funeral Home, South Carolina
John Carmon, Carmon Community Funeral Homes, Connecticut
Bryant Hightower, Martin & Hightower Funeral Home, Georgia
Dominic Carella, Donohue-Cecere Funeral Home, New York

Helping Families Heal: The Role of Funeral Directors in Mass Tragedies
Tim Schramm, Howe-Peterson, Michigan