A person's death is a sad and often traumatic experience for family and friends. It is comforting to know that there are people who can help alleviate the distress associated with the funeral arrangements.

There are about 160 funeral directors' assistants working with 30 funeral directors in Western Australia. Nearly 70% work in the Perth metropolitan area, 10% in the South West, 6% in the Lower Great Southern and Midlands regions with the remainder working throughout the State.

Most funeral directors and their assistants are male, but increasingly, the important contribution of women is being recognised in the industry.

People employed as funeral directors' assistants receive on-the-job training. They are encouraged to undertake additional accredited courses offered by the Australian College of Funeral Service (WA).

The Final Farewell

Funeral directors' assistants and funeral directors work closely together to ensure that the funeral meets the physical, financial, psychological, social and spiritual needs of family and friends.

Once a funeral home has been contacted to organise a funeral, the funeral director meets with the deceased's family and helps them to arrange the funeral. People say goodbye in different ways and this is reflected in the service, the flowers, the music and the coffin they choose.



'I meet with the family at their home or invite them to come and see us. The first step is to book a funeral date and then to take care of all the arrangements so they don't have to worry that anything has been overlooked,' says Mareena Purslowe Funeral Director, Sue Marr.

It's then over to the funeral director's assistant to attend to many of the details. They may be instructed for example, to collect a body from the place of death, and to take it to the funeral home for preparation.

While embalmers prepare the body for burial, it is usually the funeral director's assistant who dresses and places the body in the coffin. On the day of the funeral, a funeral director's assistant provides transport for the deceased's close relatives.



'I drive the mourning vehicles and the white hearse, which is used to carry the body. It's great being there for people, making a difficult time easier for them,' says Leanne O'Dea Funeral Director's Assistant, Stephanie Keskic.

Stephanie says she became interested in the industry after attending a family funeral.

'I really liked the way they looked after the family and I thought the service was beautiful and meaningful. I applied to Bowra and O'Dea and at the time they were setting up a Ladies Division (female employees only).'



The Special Touch

During the service, a funeral director ensures it flows well. Some funeral homes allow their funeral directors' assistants to oversee funeral services, but only after they have had lots of experience. At the service, the funeral director's assistant displays the cards and floral tributes and returns them to the relatives afterwards. Another of their duties is carrying the coffin to the graveside, or into the crematorium.

'Quite often, I'm dealing with people who are emotional and tense, and they don't know how the service will go. But later they will come and say 'thank you' because the service has helped them to deal with their grief,' says Martin, a funeral director's assistant with Bowra and O'Dea.



A Certain Kind Of Employee

'People say my job must be a very sad one, but it's not like that at all. We're doing people a service in their time of need and that's something to be proud of,' says Bowra and O'Dea Funeral Director's Assistant, Phillip Booth.

You'll be working with people who are emotionally vulnerable, so you need excellent communication skills and an understanding of how people deal with grief. Physical strength to lift coffins, a good driving record and a well groomed appearance are also prerequisites. You'll also need to be prepared to work after hours and on the weekend.



Funeral directors' assistants can work their way up to the position of a funeral director. According to Peter Weller, a former Western Australian representative of the Australian College of Funeral Service, employment opportunities are limited by the small size of the funeral industry and a low staff turnover.

However, employment forecasts suggest that as the population ages, the demand for funeral services in the Perth metropolitan area will increase significantly over the next 15 years.



The rates for both funeral director's assistants and funeral directors fall under the WA funeral award rate. The rate ranges from $27,996.80 up to $30,836.00 per annum and is calculated based on time in employment.

Many funeral companies do pay in excess of the award rate. Interested persons should contact individual funeral homes to clarify the pay rates.

There are no specific educational requirements to enter this occupation, as training is largely provided on-the-job. However, it is desirable that applicants demonstrate a mature and responsible attitude, given the sensitive situations they will be dealing with.

It is also recommended that once in the industry, people complete the nationally accredited part time courses available through the Australian College of Funeral Service (WA). These are only offered in response to the demands of the industry. Contact the Australian Funeral Director's Association (WA) for further information on the Certificates II, III and IV in Funeral Service.

	Other Training Providers
	National Training Information Service website.

Australian College of Funeral Service
700 High Street Kew East Victoria 3102 Phone: (03) 9859 5722

Australian Funeral Directors Association (WA)
180 Hay Street East Perth WA 6004 Phone: (08) 9365 7512

GetAccess Links Disclaimer

All links to other sites from this service have been pre-screened and assessed for appropriate content. However, GetAccess cannot guarantee that quality content standards will be maintained at other sites. Please notify GetAccess immediately if any sites display inappropriate content.

It may sound cliched, but valuable lessons do come out of difficult times. Learning to take life day by day and appreciating every moment has been the most important lesson for Sue Marr, who works as a funeral director.

'It's true. When you see the number of young people and babies who have died so young, it really makes you appreciate life. But you also realise that death can happen at any time, so you've got to make the most of life.'

Ten years ago, Sue, who was registered with an employment agency, was contacted to do receptionist work at a funeral home. She gained on-the-job experience in the different areas of the funeral industry and gradually worked her way up to her current position. She now arranges and conducts funeral services.

'I get a lot of satisfaction out of the job because it's about helping people in their time of need. I can see myself working in this occupation indefinitely.'

'For anyone thinking about working in this occupation, it's important to remember that it's not nine to five. People die and funeral arrangements often need to be attended to on the weekend.'



Sue says it's only natural that funerals can be very difficult for family members and friends of the deceased, but despite this, she regards it as a highly rewarding occupation.

'Quite often you are dealing with people who are emotional and tense, and that's generally the sort of atmosphere throughout the service. But afterwards, I'll often have family members come up to me and say how pleased they were with the preparation and the way the funeral went. That's all you can really hope for in these types of situations.'

Sue says that humorous situations occur at the oddest times, even at funerals.

'One lady, whose funeral it was, had always been on time, very punctual. But because of car problems on our end she was late for her own funeral. Fortunately, her family saw the funny side of this, and she definitely had the last laugh.'

So the old cliche, that laughter is the best cure , obviously has a place in this occupation.