funeral process

Undertaker, funeral director and funeral service provider can all describe the person or business helping to organise a funeral. The words have different histories, but today there is no single title that tells you exactly what someone does.

Where did “undertaker” come from?

The word undertaker originally meant simply someone who undertook a task or responsibility. The specialised use of the word for someone who managed funerals and arrangements for burial dates back to the late 17th century.

The name makes quite a lot of sense when you think about it. An undertaker was someone who undertook the responsibility of the funeral, like;

arranging the coffin, transporting the deceased, organising the burial and bringing together the various people and services needed.

Historically, undertakers often came from trades such as cabinet making, stonemasonry, printing and upholstery. In Queensland, the State Library describes undertaking as a business that brought together many different trades and skills.

So where did “funeral director” come from?

As funerals became more organised and the role expanded, funeral director became increasingly used to describe someone who directed and managed the various parts of a funeral.

There isn’t a single clear date when “funeral director” replaced “undertaker”. The change happened gradually, particularly around the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as the funeral industry became more formalised. The British Undertakers’ Association, for example, was established in 1905 and later became the National Association of Funeral Directors.

The important thing is that the change in title did not necessarily mean a completely different job. A funeral director was still, in many respects, undertaking the responsibility for arranging and managing a funeral.

What about “funeral service provider”?

Funeral service provider is a more descriptive and less traditional term. It recognises that there are many different ways a person or business might help a family after someone dies.

A funeral service provider might collect and care for the deceased, arrange a burial or cremation, help with paperwork, coordinate a funeral or memorial, or simply provide some of those services.

It also avoids suggesting that every funeral has to be directed in the traditional sense.

What do we call ourselves?

We use undertaker and funeral service provider because both describe what we actually do.

We undertake the practical responsibility of bringing everything together, while recognising that the funeral itself belongs to the family. We can organise as much or as little as you need, rather than assuming there is one traditional funeral that everyone should have.

No. Queensland law does not require you to use a funeral director for every part of a funeral.

A family can take an active role in arranging a funeral, and the law provides for a close relative or personal representative to make applications such as an application for permission to cremate, either personally or through an agent.

The practical difficulty is that some facilities and service providers have their own processes and may only accept arrangements through an authorised funeral service provider. That is one of the reasons Rest exists: to help families understand what they can do themselves while stepping in where professional assistance is actually needed.

You do not have to choose between doing everything yourself and handing everything over. There is a lot of ground in between.

Related

• What does Rest do
• What doesn’t Rest do
• What happens when someone dies in Queensland

What happens after someone dies in Queensland depends on where and how the death occurred, but there are a few important steps that need to happen before burial or cremation.

The first priority is establishing the death and determining whether the death needs to be referred to the coroner. After that, the family can begin making decisions about care of the person, burial or cremation, and the kind of farewell they want.

If the person is to be cremated, Queensland requires permission to cremate. A close relative or personal representative can apply, either themselves or through an agent such as a funeral director.

The death also needs to be registered with the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. It must generally be registered within 14 days.

There is much more to the process than can sensibly fit in an FAQ. We have written a detailed guide covering the journey from the moment of death through to the death certificate:

Read the funeral process in Queensland.

Related

• no standard funeral director
• Can my loved one stay at home
• When will I receive a Death Certificate
• Application for Permission to Cremate (Form 1)