About Jackie Watson

Being a humanist celebrant is a great privilege because it means being creatively involved in the most precious events in people’s lives.  I have been a wedding and funeral celebrant for eight years, but have recently decided to focus on funeral and memorial ceremonies.

As a humanist, I believe we can make meaning in our lives by living life to the full, by sharing our lives with others, and by giving attention to the natural world.  As a celebrant, I want to support people in giving expression to their beliefs and values through their own personal ceremonies.

I have a strong interest in spirituality, and in different religions and cultures, but I believe it’s vital that non-religious people are recognised and valued too.  For these reasons, I am also a non-religious member of the chaplaincy team at the Royal Devon and Exeter University Hospital, and a trainer with the Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network.

I retired from teaching in 2014, having spent several years as a religious education teacher in secondary schools and then as a university lecturer in the field of education.  I am an Honorary Fellow with the University of Exeter – which is where I originally studied to be an RE teacher – and I’m delighted to be a humanist school speaker so that I can now visit schools and talk to young people about Humanism.

I am very lucky to live in a village in mid-Devon where I enjoy walking, gardening, and being close to nature. I am married and we have two grown-up sons.

Funerals and Memorials

Please contact me for more information about humanist funerals and memorials.  If you choose me to be your funeral celebrant, I can help you with ideas for music and readings.  I will talk with you to find out about the person who has died and arrange a ceremony they could be pleased with and which suits you and your family’s needs.

“It was a beautiful ceremony, Jackie making sure it was exactly as we wished. I am still getting remarks on how very appropriate it was.”

 

Thank you

A big thank you for the use of comments on these webpages.  And a special thank you to my friend Chris for his photo of me www.chrisdixonphotography.com.

For more detailed information, please contact me and also look at the Humanists UK ceremonies webpages.