If you're here, then probably somebody you cared about has died. We can't bring them back, but I can help you to give them a fitting send off.
Traditional funerals usually mention God, or life after death. However, there's an alternative. I can deliver a non-religious ceremony, often called a Humanist ceremony. Humanists don't believe in supernatural things, such as gods, an afterlife, or prayers. We believe in what we can observe, and test with science. We think that humans should work out their own rules for life, for the benefit of human beings and the other creatures in the World.
If the deceased thought like this, then ask for a funeral ceremony that reflects that. Even if you're unsure, but aren't religious yourself, ask for a Humanist ceremony. A funeral is about the person who died, but for those left behind!
Ask your funeral director to contact me, or you can approach me directly.
What I do
I write a short life story (‘tribute’). I deliver this in a ceremony with music, poetry, and words spoken by friends or family.
I’ve taken a ceremony with the chapel full, and with only a handful of people. I’ve spoken at a burial high up in the Pennines, wind blowing and rain on my (waterproofed) script. I’ve spoken about an international cyclist, and about a man with learning difficulties who led a simple life. I’ve spoken of a man who fell into drink and drugs, whose closest friends couldn’t afford travel to his funeral, and the next day given the tribute to those friends in the humble flat in which he lived. I’ve coped with a cortège arriving 15 minutes late and had only two thirds of the time I expected, and I've used the excess of time at the funeral of an unloved man whose relatives wanted ‘a funeral without sympathy’.
Whatever it is you want saying (or not saying!), I’ll make the best of the job you give me.
Who am I?
I was a doctor. After spending four decades caring for people who were ill, when I retired I wanted a job that would continue caring for people. I trained as a funeral celebrant with Humanists UK. I’m accustomed to talking about death, and to being with emotional people. I’ll listen to whatever you want to say about the deceased, and help you decide what goes into my tribute to them.
Likes: Spending an evening with my partner watching a thriller. Walking the dog. Reading, Listening to music. SCUBA diving.
Personality traits: Confidence. Humour. Obsession over detail.
