Expert Contributor: Choosing the Right Funeral Director

Qualities to Look For in a Time of Grief and Sorrow

by Robert D'Anjollel, Jr., F.D., Executive Director of D’Anjollel Memorial Homes

It can be a challenging and often overlooked task to choose the right funeral director in your time of grief. The choice may seem arbitrary, and the opinions of them may be negative at times, but the right funeral director can help comfort those in mourning and manage the service so that it is honoring and beautiful.

The job of a funeral director is often misunderstood, but a good funeral director can be caring and supportive while also being incredibly helpful. Directors will have to work unpredictable schedules and routinely do the difficult job of caring for those in time of grief and suffering. A good director should be able to withstand that adversity in their profession and showcase the following skills when working with a grieving family.

Empathy

A good funeral director should have high empathy when they do their work. Every time a director arranges a service and speaks with the family, they need to be able to relate with them on a deeply personal level. That kind of true empathy is what gives a family comfort when they need it most.

Reverence

The work of a funeral director can be challenging, but a good funeral director should have a constant unwavering respect for life and the service they provide. They should value their role and understand the large importance of honoring the dead and bidding farewell in a respectful and loving way.

Dedication

A good funeral director should be dedicated to their work and every client they work with. The schedules are very unpredictable, just as life and death can be. Work hours can be random and often grueling, but a funeral director should be able to come to the aid of those in need no matter the time. It is his job to help the grieving whenever they need him and begin the process of a respectful and appropriate funeral from the moment the deceased has passed.

These three elements of a good funeral director can be used as a rubric when determining the right funeral director for your needs. This decision is very instrumental in how appropriate and efficient the service can be, especially as the family is still in grief and not able to put adequate time into the process.

The many ways we can honor the life of a loved one

Butterfly Releases • Memory Tables • Bookmarks with Seeds • Flower Selection • Dove Release • Picture Boards • Remembrance Jewelry • Online Remembrance • Candlelight Ceremony • And more

D’ANJOLELL MEMORIAL HOMES AND CREMATORY

www.DAnjolell.com

Robert D'Anjollel, Jr., F.D., Executive Director

D’ANJOLELL Memorial Home of Broomall

2811 West Chester Pike, Broomall • 610-356-4200

D’ANJOLELL Stigale Memorial Home & Cremation Services, Inc. of Aston

3260 Concord Road, Aston • 610-497-5505

D’ANJOLELL Memorial Home & Crematory of Malvern-Frazer

392 Lancaster Avenue, Frazer • 610-296-9555

D’ANJOLELL Barone Memorial Home of Wallingford

908 S. Providence Road, Wallingford • 610-874-7700