Caroline – Funeral Arranger at Burnside

Meet Caroline, an Arranger at Fosters Funeral Directors, Burnside

Meet Caroline, Funeral Arranger at Fosters’ trusted funeral directors in Burnside. Learn how she offers compassionate care and guidance to local families.

What is your favourite part of being a Funeral Arranger?

My favourite part of being a funeral arranger is being there to help and guide families through a very difficult time and to listen to their loved one’s wishes and helping the families fulfil those wishes with as much respect and care as I can.

Why were you drawn to the funeral industry?

I was interested in the funeral industry because my family has a history in this line of work. This means I have a deep-rooted understanding of the emotional attributes of the job.

What is a common misconception about the care of the deceased in the funeral industry?

Some families believe their loved one is removed from their coffin prior to their cremation taking place. This is not true. Furthermore, some people have concerns that they are not getting ‘all’ of their loved one’s ashes and that other loved one’s ashes have been mixed in with their own loved one’s ashes. I can assure you that this is also not true. The ashes families receive are 100% from their loved one.

In which ways can you help families personalise their loved one’s funeral, so it feels unique to them?

We can provide bespoke Order of Service booklets or Memorial Cards. We can also assist families with slideshows, or personalised audio messages from grandchildren to be played during the service.

Are there any particularly memorable and/or heart-warming moments during your time with Fosters?

There are far too many memorable/heart-warming moments for me to mention them all, but there are three that I hold dear.

A gentleman had lost his mother and he had no family, so I travelled to the crematorium with him, sat with him throughout the service and made sure he was ok before I left him at his home. He sent a beautiful card afterwards stating how much he appreciated me being there for him.

A lady had lost her husband, and they always loved their holidays in Australia, so when she returned from her trip after her late husband’s funeral, she came into the parlour with a koala bear keyring for me, which I still have to this day.

A family had lost their parents within days of each other, and we all went above and beyond to ensure that both parents travelled to the crematorium together, and the angel wings that the family had requested to be with their parents remained. After the funeral the family came into the parlour with ceramic angel wings for myself, which I still have.

It never ceases to amaze me, that after a family has gone through such a difficult time, they still find the time to return to the parlour with words of thanks, hugs, thank you cards and gifts, and when leaving they mention that my help and support helped them so much, those comments just fill my heart.

How have you made your parlour feel more comfortable and accommodating for your families? 

I always make sure the parlour in Burnside is warm, clean, tidy, and that it smells nice. We provide nice hand lotions and perfumes in the WC. There are also thank you cards on display.

I also think that it’s important to make sure the arrangement room looks like a family gathering room to help the family feel more at ease.

How can you cater to the specific needs of your community?

I had a deaf gentleman who had lost his wife so when he returned to the parlour I greeted him in sign language, which I had tried my best to memorise on the lead up to him returning to the parlour, it wasn’t much but I made sure to learn the sign language for; “Morning”, “how are you” and “Take care,” but he appreciated the gesture so much.

Outside of your role, what do you most enjoy doing?

Holidays in my Hobbie, I always have one booked. I go to spin classes every week with my friends, I love eating out and meeting up with family and friends. The highlight of my week is when my daughter and her fiancé come to visit, especially when they bring their cat, Meeko, to stay with me also.