Family Stories
Since we started our company in 2014 we have been re-telling peoples’ stories to help demonstrate how things can be done differently when it comes to funerals and to show how a good funeral can really help a healthy grieving process.
This year we decided to ask some families if they would be prepared to share their stories directly. We recognise that this is a really hard thing to do, so have been overwhelmed by the way in which people have wanted to tell us about some of the hardest moments in their lives, and the candid way in which they have shared those stories.
We hope you find their stories helpful.
Ghie Berry
“Funerals are for the living”
Ghie tells us about the conversation he had with his dad before he died, what happened and what they did next.
He tells us that funerals are for the living not for the dead, and why they are an important part of the grieving process to help you move on after someone has died.
Kelly Anne-McNally
“ I want that fancy dress party, I want that 70th birthday party, and I want everyone in fancy dress”
Kelly shares the reasons behind her mum’s unusual fancy dress funeral, how people responded to it and how important the space and support was, that they were given ahead of the funeral.
She also talks about how important and special it is to plan a funeral together ahead of time, with the person who will die.
Jo Hindley
“I think those most important entrances and exits are often taken out of people’s hands by people who think they know better”
Jo talks about how important choice and knowing your choices are when it comes to funerals.
She focuses on ways you can make a funeral more environmentally friendly, and explains how important community and gathering together is when someone dies.
Rob Grady
“You can do anything but I don’t want brass handles.”
Rob tells us what was special about his mum’s funeral and how his family have now created new rituals and traditions when someone dies within their family
Pauline Grace
“I feel really lucky and blessed that I was able to have dad at home after he died.”
Pauline shares her emotional story of her dad, Wal’s, death.
She tells us about the time running up to his death when the two of them were planning and plotting what to do for his funeral, and then when he died how she was determined to keep him at home a bit longer.
She explains how that helped her come to terms with his death and she compares her experience of her dad dying with what she experienced when her mum died.
