In this episode of Funeral Service Insider, we speak with Angela Woosley, a funeral director who has taken a solo approach to the business, catering to families with requests other funeral directors often won’t accommodate.

Modern Funeral Preferences: What I was hearing was not, “Oh, we really want this mahogany casket and this expensive, lined outer barrel container!” and “Absolutely, I love seeing embalmed people. They look so natural and lifelike, and certainly not like a mannequin!”

Rethinking Traditions: Everything we do with the dead, when you think about it, is really unpleasant. Everything. So, whatever we find for that particular family or person or client that resonates and feels good for them, for that person, that’s what we should be doing.

Celebration of Life: What truly matters about that person is not that they became a beautiful corpse, but that they lived a beautiful life and made an important imprint on other people’s lives.

Honoring Tradition: We took her out of her casket and placed her on a mattress and box spring that the family had gotten together. They brought red velvet ropes to separate her from grievers because her mom didn’t want people to cry on her (which is unlucky), and it was just the way that she wanted.

Breaking Down Barriers in Grief Support: The less we gatekeep and the more that we invite families in and partner with them rather than “serve” them or “guide” them or “direct” them, I think the more satisfied they’ll be with our services and the better their grief will be as well.