7 Common Misconceptions About Funeral Directors

We’re going to say it – funeral directors (and funeral homes) aren’t always viewed lightly in the public eye.

Why?

A handful of factors play into the funeral director stereotypes – popular media, movies, TV shows, music, news segments, and much more.

Our goal of this post is to simply educate more people on what really goes down in the deathcare space, and provide a glimpse into just how important funeral directors are for their communities.

In this piece, we debunk 7 of the most common misconceptions and myths about funeral directors.

Myth #1: Funeral Directors Can’t Feel Sorrow

Funeral directors can feel sorrow and emotions. From a professional standpoint, funeral directors maintain their composure and emotions in order to provide the most meaningful, intimate experience for families, and keep the focus on honoring their loved one(s) that passed. 

Myth #2: Funeral Directors Just Prepare Decedent Bodies All Day

Actually, they wear many more hats. There is so much more – documentation, family collaboration, event coordination – that goes into planning a funeral than just body preparation.

Myth #3: Funeral Directors Just Do Their Job For The Money

For the most part, funeral directors genuinely want to help families through the most difficult time in their lives. They want to positively impact everyone’s perception of funeral services. They want to be a shoulder to cry on for people who don’t have a strong support system. Most of them join the profession for personal and emotional fulfillment, not financial gains.

Myth #4: Funeral Directors Don’t Care, They’ve Seen it All Before

Funeral directors see a wide variety of death. However, every death has a different story and a different meaning to people. They do care, and they experience new versions of trauma every day. Some of that stays with them forever.

Myth #5: Funeral Directors Are Boring People

Far from it! Believe it or not, funeral directors have a great sense of humor and are full of personality. To balance the heavy experiences they deal with on the job, they are able to easily find the great moments in life and will occasionally crack a joke to lift the spirits of a room (when appropriate).

Myth #6: Funeral Directors Are Pushy Salespeople

While operating a funeral home is considered a business, that is oftentimes not the reason someone wants to get into the industry. Funeral directors want to be the emotional rock for families. They strive to honor decedents and give families the best service possible.

Myth #7: Being a Funeral Director is a Thankless Job

Sure – the planning process may be a high-stress environment for families. But more times than not, families remain grateful that someone else is putting an enormous amount of care and time into honoring their loved ones. Many families will give their thanks before, during, and after services.

We Love Funeral Directors

Here at Gather, we want to do whatever we can to help funeral service professionals and give them a platform where they can succeed.

As you can guess from some of the common myths above, the profession isn’t always easy.

But it sure is fulfilling.

To all funeral directors – thank you for everything you do to go above and beyond for your community.