Funeral director Kerry shines a light on her dream job and why she cares so much about helping people

Posted by rob smyth | Published: 13/07/2017


Kerry Marcer, Funeral Director at both JH Grice, in Hatton, and Dove Funeral Service, in Uttoxeter, has finally landed her dream job after waiting over 25 years to pursue the career she has always wanted.

The 44-year-old spoke candidly about what makes her passionate about her career, why she has always dreamed of becoming a funeral director and why she cares so much about helping people deal with the many taboos that surround funerals.

Kerry has been working for Central England Co-operative Funeralcare since 2010 and revealed she decided that it was the career for her because it would allow her to ‘help people’.

She said: “When I was about 16, I had my first family bereavement, it was my grandad and I went to see him in the chapel of rest.

“The visit got me thinking about funeral directors and the amazing work they do.

“I also saw the tough time that my grandma was going through and it made me realise that working as a Funeral Director would let me help people, put them at ease and help get through such a difficult situation.

“I knew at that point that it was something that I would do at some point in my life.”

Kerry worked in a law firm in Scotland before moving down to Swadlincote in 1999. After having children she, worked in retail before becoming part of Central England Co-operative Funeralcare in 2010.

“The opportunity came about when I was driving through Swadlincote past Ward and Brewin Funeral Home and I turned to my husband and said ‘I am going to work there one day’,” Kerry added.

“I kept on saying it and then he said ‘how many times are you going to tell me that before you do something about it?’.

“So one day I went in and asked if there were any vacancies and luckily there was a role on offer as a Funeral Administrator.

 “I got the job and made sure I worked hard. I then completed several training courses that allowed me to take on the role as Funeral Director for JH Grice and Dove Funeral Service.

“I already know the area well as I used to work at Ward and Brewin and during my time there learned all I needed to know about how to be a good funeral director.”

One of the most recent trends in the industry has been the rise in the personalisation of funerals and this is something Kerry has now witnessed first-hand in her
new role.

Now more than ever people want to ensure that their funeral features their favourite colours, music, hobbies or sports teams.

This shift towards personalisation has also coincided with a notable rise in people opting to sign up to pre-paid funeral plans or to fill out a funeral wishes form to ensure they get the tailored send-off that they want and also that the costs do not impact on their family. 

Kerry said: “More people now are looking at funerals as being a celebration. There really is not a traditional funeral anymore. People are now looking at doing all sorts of things and they can have what they want.

“Once we have families in and talk about their options the fear surrounding funerals eases and people understand they can have what they want.

“We have had people in our business asking to be dressed up as Star Wars characters and if someone has a favourite colour we will try and incorporate that into their day.”

Personalisation can even go further with some families choosing to transform a lock of hair from a loved one into a memorial diamond set in a piece of jewellery or even ashes into a glass ornament

One of the many questions Kerry regularly gets asked away from work is ‘what is it like being a funeral director?’

Kerry said: “People often ask me why and my answer is job satisfaction.

“It is being able to help families from when they walk through the doors right up to the funeral and beyond.

“I love helping people and I hope this comes across in the way that I deal with families and ensure they get everything they want.

“It is a job that features a lot of emotion and a lot of responsibility because families need different things from you at different times. 

“You also play the role of a counsellor. You have to judge when a family walks through the door what they need from you. You need to sit and listen to them and feed off what they want.

“It is an amazing job and the team that I work with are absolutely brilliant and make the job a lot easier. It is a tough job but a great job.

 “I am so proud to be a Funeral Director and proud to be able to honour the lives of those who have passed away.”

Both JH Grice and Dove Funeral Service offer a 24-hour service, seven days a week.  In addition to arranging funerals, Kerry and both of her teams are also able to offer advice on floral tributes, monumental masonry, funeral stationery, pre-paid funeral plans and probate advice.  The teams can be contacted on 01283 812192 or 01889 564431.

Notes to editors

Photo caption: Kerry Marcer now oversees both JH Grice, in Hatton, and Dove Funeral Service, in Uttoxeter, for Central England Co-operative Funeralcare.

Sidebar

Six alternative requests for funerals at Central England Co-operative
Funeral Directors are seeing higher demand for alternative options for services than ever before, with the some of the requests over the last twelve months as follows:
1.     Portraits of loved ones on memorial stones – ranging from drawings to photos. 
2.    Funerals conducted in highland attire and pipers playing music at funerals.
3.    Personalised, themed coffins such as parrot designs, TV shows and football teams.  
4.    At one funeral the family wanted a coffin design based on the solar system that featured planets. The accompanying flowers were all in the shape of stars. The family also had a special star flower arrangement made with each of the five prongs featuring a message from the client’s five brothers. 
5.    Unusual vehicles are often requested including a Volkswagen campervan, HGV lorry and white horse and carriage.
6.    Flowers are a popular way to add a personal touch, such as a recent request for a display designed to look like a glass full of Baileys.

About Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK. It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with projected gross sales of £927million for 2016/17. The Society recently celebrated being named Leading Co-operative of the Year 2016 by Co-operatives UK. The Society’s principal areas of activity are food, funeral services, and property. The company’s funeral business consists of over 120 funeral homes across 16 counties, 10 florists, masonry production and administration, Bretby Crematorium and Terry Smiths coffin factory.

Central England Co-operative has more than 430 trading outlets across 16 counties including; West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.  The Society has an ambitious food store and funeral home development programme for 2017. 

Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.  It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence.  The Society supports a number of charities including Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.

Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.
Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://www.members.coop

For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, @mycooplife and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative
Rob Smyth at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140
Email – publicrelations@centralengland.coop