Privilege

Our position as a Funeral Director is nothing short of a privilege. Just as it is a privilege to have a driver’s licence, to vote in a provincial election, it is a privilege to care for families during the most difficult times in their lives. Within our chapels, you will find a sign in the front foyer of the following quote - “This building is dedicated to the loving and sensitive care of people in times of need. In this building, we honour and remember human life which is unique and irreplaceable”. 

Our role within the community is a unique one, and vital to those who call upon us when needed. We are entrusted with the care of those who have passed on in a way most people cannot. Several years ago, a Funeral Director, who I was assisting with the arrangements of his own father’s funeral, taught me a special attention to detail he does for each person he serves – before the closing of the casket.  He will take a moment to hold their hand and wish them farewell on their last journey. He said he does this to protect them from the very last moment while also giving the family peace. As a Funeral Director, we are the last ones to ever hold the hand of a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle and friend.

We are the last ones to stand by their grave, protecting them until the last piece of earth is placed back into their burial plot, before we depart the cemetery. Our dedication to their loved one does not waiver until our position has been fulfilled. My calling to Funeral Services is more than a job, it has always been a vocation. A pathway I knew I was destined to journey each day.  I am provided the privilege of being the last one to hold their hand, wish them a peaceful farewell. With each family I have served through my seven years with the funeral home, my mind takes a little piece of them home with me, and I feel I have the honour of calling them a friend.

Our position within the community extends further than physically honouring someone; the bereaved look to us for the answers to their questions. We are often asked to honour those by being the ones to illustrate their life histories within an hour-long Funeral Service or by saying those final prayers before an urn or casket is placed within their final resting place. We take on each task, each celebration and each final disposition with grace, integrity, and honour, knowing that, at the end of each day, we have made a difference in those who we have served and in their lives for years to come.