Mrs Isobel Oates

When we meet, we can explore your preferred wording for an obituary which can be published on our website, Facebook pages, for a card in our branch window and traditional newspaper notices. We can book and coordinate these for you including collate the messages left for you to reflect at a later date.

Our advice is simple – respect the request made by the family or the person who’s passed. In the absence of a specific rule, consider the person’s age and style to determine what may be appropriate.

Typically a service in most churches or crematoria lasts around 20-30 minutes. A formal mass may take a little longer and we would expect this to be nearer an hour. Finally, burials can vary in length as they are weather dependent.

You don’t need to have a deep or long-standing relationship to send a condolence message. Typically, messages are issued quite quickly in response to an announcement. They acknowledge what’s happened, provide comfort and show the recipient that others care about them during a difficult time.

Family and close friends typically reserve the first couple of rows in a service. We recommend sitting nearer the front than the back of a service space in order to support the family and enabling late arrivals to discreetly fill back rows.

Often a family will express a preference for flowers - or charity donations in lieu of flowers. We recommend you keep an eye on notices posted in newspapers, or online or in the funeral director window so you are able to follow their wishes.