Award-Winning Funeral Director Timothy Parry offers a little insight into why he joined the funeral industry and how this led to him opening his own funeral service in Burton Upon Trent, which has fast become the heart of the community providing a service of distinction.
Tim writes:
Having experienced and unfortunately been a part of two close family funeral arrangements at the age of 13 and being unable to talk about death beforehand, I had a calling to explore more about funerals, their meaning and what happens ‘behind the scenes.’ At the time, I was starting to talk about work experience in my later years of school. I decided I wanted to spend my week at the local Crematorium in Bretby. As much of a shock that it was coming home from school, now aged 14, to tell my parents I wanted to go and work at a Crematorium for a week; they supported my decision and later dropped me in for a mock interview.
The date set, I set off to my work experience. I loved my week at the Crematorium and made some great relationships with funeral professionals, some of which I still work with today and others who have now retired and again keep regular contact.
I loved working there so much that I went to work voluntarily in the holidays and at weekends for my remaining school months. During my exams and voluntary work, I was introduced to a funeral director who also offered me work experience but this time on a funeral director’s side. I took to this and loved it even more; this is what I set out to do, and this is me, I thought. Having completed my week there and completing my school exams, I was offered an apprenticeship as a funeral service operative at a well-known out of area independent firm. I completed my qualifications and worked there for some time before being contacted by another large independent firm to work a little closer to home. I moved to this firm aged 18 and worked my way up the ladder.
I have always believed that I have good leadership skills and the inclination to provide exemplary personal care and funeral services to ‘your way.’ I decided, therefore, to look into opening my own funeral home, having grown to become unhappy where I was. A considerable risk but one I felt was worth taking with my knowledge and customer-based following. After months and months of arduous work, smiles, tears, and late nights, I opened the doors to T. J. Parry & Family Funeral Directors Ltd on 17th September 2018. Since then, we have been providing a service of distinction to Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, and Derbyshire districts. We are so proud to have won 3 awards and become a community pillar and ‘go to’ name.
Our honour is to care for families and their loved ones in what we believe to be one of the most challenging times of anyone’s life. We believe in being the heart of the community providing a service of distinction and building everlasting relationships with those around us.
Tim works closely with Steve to provide a quality and compassionate service to the bereaved. “It is a delight and an honour to work alongside Tim and his team,” says Steve, “ever the professional, and always on point, offering the highest quality care and outstanding personal service to families at a very difficult time.”
Congratulations to Tim on recently becoming the Town and County ‘Staffordshire Business Champion 2021.’