Funeral director

Funeral Director

A Funeral Director is a professional involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks often entail the embalming and burial or cremation of the dead, as well as the planning and arrangement of the actual funeral ceremony.

Duties and Responsibilities

Funeral directors, also known as morticians or undertakers, are responsible for providing comfort to the bereaved and setting up the details of a funeral. Their duties include:

• Meeting with client families to plan the details of the funeral
• Filing death certificates and other legal documents
• Preparing the body for viewing, which may include embalming and dressing the body
• Arranging transportation for the deceased and mourners
• Providing support and counseling to bereaved family members
• Overseeing the preparation of obituaries
• Managing the logistics of the funeral service and burial or cremation

Education and Training

Most funeral directors have a degree in mortuary science and have completed an apprenticeship in a funeral home. They must also pass a state licensing exam. Continuing education is often required to maintain licensure.

Related Professions

Related professions include embalmers, who are responsible for preserving, sanitizing, and preparing bodies for interment; coroners, who determine the cause of death; and funeral service managers, who oversee the operation of a funeral home.

See Also

• Death Care Industry
• Mortuary Science
• Funeral Home

References

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• A funeral cortege with a McLaren hearse.
  A funeral cortege with a McLaren hearse.
• A shop displaying various urns for ashes.
  A shop displaying various urns for ashes.
• Salmisen funeral home.
  Salmisen funeral home.
• Tools used by a mortician for restorative work.
  Tools used by a mortician for restorative work.