The Role of a Funeral Director

Everyone, at some time in their life, will experience the death of a loved one. You can rely on a licensed funeral director to compassionately and respectfully guide and support you and your family during this emotionally challenging and vulnerable time. At Park Memorial, we believe every life has a story to tell and your funeral director’s responsibility is to guide you through the many choices and decisions to be made to create a meaningful ceremony that honours the life of your loved one. 

Funeral Directors attend college for two years, in addition to fulfilling an apprenticeship and passing an examination to become licensed. To maintain their licensed status, each funeral director and embalmer must complete a certain amount of certification training every three years. This licensure and ongoing training ensure that your family will be guided within the framework of all provincial laws and mandates that govern the funeral profession and will be given factual answers to all your questions. 

Whether you choose burial or cremation and a public or private ceremony, the director arranges each aspect of the funeral, respecting your wishes and budget, and religious and cultural traditions. The director arranges to bring your loved one into our care, meets with you to gather details about your loved one and register the death with Vital Statistics, applies for permits, notifies Canada Revenue and Canada Pension Plan, maintains records of ceremony details, and coordinates the visitation, funeral ceremony, burial/cremation, and cemetery details. A funeral director will also assist with an obituary notice, clergy/celebrant, musician, flowers or other tributes, memorial stationery, caterer, transportation needs for family and pallbearers, funeral location, benefits forms, and arranging other unique details or special family requests. 

On the day of the ceremony, your director will coordinate the funeral home’s funeral attendants, educate pallbearers about their role, arrange reserved seating, set up entry tables with memorial stationery and other tribute displays, liaise with clergy and musicians, display floral tributes, greet attendees, and support the family as needed. Your director aims to ensure the funeral ceremony provides you with a meaningful experience that will aid you on your grief journey. 

In addition to being provincially licensed to arrange funerals at the immediate time of need, a funeral director can also arrange prepaid funeral plans to help alleviate emotional and financial stress at a future date. Directors will also arrange for the provincial, national, and international transfer of a deceased’s body or cremated remains. 

So much more than a funeral planner, your funeral director is also a community resource for funeral service information, grief support, public education events, and helpful aftercare programs for grieving individuals.