Jill Caruth, 82, was the mother of three girls. She adored traveling with and to see her friends, as well as having them stay at her home in London. She lived on her own from aged 50 very happily. Mumma created a home that she adored, as did all who spent many happy hours there with her. She went to the theatre and ballet whenever she could and was obsessed with an eclectic array of sporting events - Wimbledon, Ascot, and the Tour de France.
At my mother's request and organisation before she died, there was no funeral. She asked for direct cremation and a half-day open house as a wake. What made such a huge difference to myself and my sisters was finding Poppy’s who provided direct cremation and made the whole process simple and stress-free. I had always dreaded the process of organising a funeral and Poppy’s affirmed our wish to not have one. She took all the emotion out of the process of the cremation.
My clearest memory from the day was the joy of seeing all Mumma’s friends in her home talking as if Mumma was still with us. No one cried and there was a lot of laughter. It was important that we didn’t have to go to a crematorium or to a funeral director’s office. I think my mother would have been so proud of us all.
If I could give someone a piece of advice about organising a funeral I would say call Poppy’s. Talk about you and your family members’ wishes with the people working there as much as you can. You should feel totally unencumbered by conventions, just organise the ceremony, day, or event that best reflects the person who has died.
*Photo by Hugo Burnand