Richard Williams

Get in touch one of the following ways: Phone 01237 421644. Mobile 07900 172858
Email: rich@rich@richwilliams.co.uk

Richard Williams has been a closely involved with helping bereaved with their funerals since 1993.

I work mainly in the North Devon, Cornwall and Somerset area, and am happy to help wherever needed.

“My interest in conducting funeral ceremonies arose after having been to many funerals, over the years I felt there was a great need for celebrations of life that was true to the person who died and their families left behind and not a service designed to give praise to a god, with the departed as an afterthought. I felt that there must be a way of talking about a person that was better than the routine, impersonal services I was seeing”.

I’ve now been involved in hundreds of funerals. I work on funerals which have a strong Humanist philosophy, and also those which are more generally non-religious rather than overtly Humanist.

My ceremonies are designed for families with a whole range of views about their lives, and where the family wants to respect the views of the deceased person in their funeral service.  The deceased may have had strong views about not participating in religion, or perhaps they  had simply chosen not to sign up to any particular religious practice in their lifetime.

I work closely with all the members of a family, spending time with them listening to their stories and memories, and helping them put together  poetry, readings  and music to create a tribute which feels right for the whole family.  Members of the family, young and old, often want to contribute their own  words and readings to the ceremony.  These personal messages are always wonderful to hear, and I work with people to help them put their thoughts  together. I can help family members speak with confidence and pride, or if they wish, I can read  their  words aloud for them on the day.

I will write a full  draft of the ceremony which the family can read in advance, and we will talk through any changes which the family want to make. After the actual funeral  is over,  I can provide copies of the complete final text .  I’ve been told many times  that members of the family find having a copy of the text is a wonderful, lasting memory of their loved one, and that often re-read the tributes and words from the day.