Talk:Funeral director

Separate Article Needed on Funeral Services?

I'm amazed that the keyword "Funeral services" redirects here! A Funeral Director may or may not be an aspect of a funeral service. I can envision (and would be happy to begin an article if anyone agrees) a separate article called Funeral services that details worldwide practices by geography, culture, religion, etc. With 85 million of us boomers about to bite the dust, this is a relevant article!! Anyone think this is relevant or worth doing? It would be inappropriate for this article as it is a different topic, as the "director" aspect could also be a priest, rabbi, mullah, nondenominational, etc. Let me know!Pdecalculus (talk) 19:44, 15 March 2015 (UTC)

I agree, you should start the article on Funeral Services, it is quite different from Funeral Director. Vanadoodle (talk) 17:14, 28 July 2018 (UTC)

FD

A Funeral Director or FD for short is someone who cares and is often the manager of a funeral home. He/she may have apprentices, interns and/or assoiciates that help with the care taking. This person also prepares the body for a viewing, funeral or visitation (sometimes called a wake) by the embalming operation; these persons handle and guide visitors and families through the funeral process. Almost every true FD is extremely passionate and willing to advise and demonstrate professionalism in practice of funeral rites to a spouse or the remaining family of a deceased person when that family has asked for one.

In my experience as an assistant funeral director, not all funeral directors are involved in the preparation of the body. I know several who aren't even licensed to embalm. Granted, the majority of funeral directors are also embalmers, but many are not. I've changed the article to reflect this.--5th Angel 23:58, 12 April 2006 (UTC)

Worldwide view

The article discusses the role of funeral directors and related professions in the UK only. Obviously it would be excessive to discuss each of the nearly 200 countries on the planet separately (I for one have no intention of researching the role of funeral directors in Guinea-Bissau, but surely something more general can be said. —Angr 21:07, 24 December 2006 (UTC)

Actually I'd say that in at least some respects this doesn't reflect the practice in the UK. For instance I've never heard of embalming being done at the deceased's home. As the reference cited is dated 1953 it may well reflect an older tradition which is not widespread now.

Also I may be mis-reading parts of the article, but it seems to imply that the funeral director does themself things that in Britain they would normally just liaise over or not have any responsibility for. e.g. I don't think for a burial the funeral director would be working down to the detail of co-ordinating grave diggers, that would be done by the cemetery staff. It also seems to imply that funeral services often happen at the funeral director's premises, which again seems unusual. And undertakers don't arrange for death certificates here, these are issued when someone registers the death "the law states that a death may be registered by (in this order of preference): A relative of the deceased /A person present at death / The occupier of the house or institution where the death took place, if there is no known relative who is able to register / The person who is arranging the funeral, that is the person instructing the Funeral Director" (This is taken from my parish website, so I guess isn't authorative enough to be a Wikipedia source, but is almost certainly taken from a source that would be good enough.) Perhaps we could clarify what parts of the article reflect specifically USA (or Canadian?) practice. 217.205.245.75 (talk) 01:29, 18 January 2008 (UTC)

See also: Euphemism?

Euphemism is in the "See also" list, and I'm wondering how that's directly relevant to this article? ERobson 00:44, 28 July 2007 (UTC)

the wrestler

not here. I was astouded to find a comment about a pro wrestler "the undertaker" in this entry, and immediately deleted it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.16.56.137 (talk) 19:11, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Scotland a Third World country?

I don't believe I've seen an article worse than this in the Wikipedia. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.9.120.68 (talk) 00:32, 25 December 2007 (UTC)

Embalming Facts - Wrong?

Within the Embalming section it states that many UK families prefer to keep the body at their own home, but I cannot really say this is the case, are there any facts to prove this? Becen (talk) 15:49, 7 March 2008 (UTC)

Redirect?

In all honesty, you have to believe that the professional wrestler is more commonly searched on this wiki, and all around generally referenced more then a funeral director. I'm not just saying this because I'm a wrestler or just as a fan in general, but, really, if you would check edit counts that weren't vandalism, or viewing counts the pro-wrestler would win both. KP317 23:52, 30 October 2008 (UTC)

Contradiction

"Most modern day funeral homes are sometimes run as family businesses."

Excuse me?

24.250.195.105 (talk) 18:47, 14 May 2011 (UTC)

Somewhat incongrous. Assuming what the editor meant to say didn't need the term "sometimes," I have no idea whether family businesses or big chains dominate. In most cities, it's the chains. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.180.241.73 (talk) 04:10, 1 May 2012 (UTC)

Renting caskets and urns?

That doesn't make sense: the caskets get buried and the urns are usually kept with the family...

Quote: "They also normally have choices of caskets and urns for families to purchase or rent."

Changed to "They also normally sell caskets and urns." 82.22.227.170 (talk) 16:33, 25 August 2013 (UTC)

Miscellaneous

Sounds like me Lin Rongxiang 14:54, 30 December 2013 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ronggy (talk • contribs)

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asking for advice

I am thinking of adding a section specifically to reflect the statistics on corporate vs. privately owned funeral homes. I would also like to add more specifics about licensing in the various states. Vanadoodle (talk) 17:22, 28 July 2018 (UTC)

That would be useful Feralcateater000 (talk) 18:45, 11 March 2019 (UTC)

Etymology

Only for the American term. 174.115.100.93 (talk) 03:32, 21 October 2019 (UTC)