“Yesterday was beautiful, and I felt very connected to love through the service, at the pub, and since. I’ve been surrounded by friends and holding a sense of L with me. I was actually dreading the service, and in the event, it was so affirming, I have felt sustained by it.”

 

 

 

“The funeral service for my dad was perfect in every way.  You played a huge part in making it such a personal ceremony, from the words that you had written to your warmth, which shone through. It was clear how much work you had put into it. Dad would have loved it. The fact that so many of the family could play their part in the ceremony was a great comfort to us all and especially to my mum. As we drove to the reception after the service mum said she felt uplifted and would do for some time.  I think this is the highest accolade she could have given.  So, thank you again for helping us to celebrate dad’s long and happy life.”

Jill Reidy

 

“Ruth was outstanding, blending sincerity with a natural and easy delivery which spoke directly to family and friends. It was indeed a celebration of my wife Barbara. Ruth had visited us and talked with Barbara before her death, as well as talking to me and our children Roland and Elaine. The result was an occasion shorn of morbidity, it was intimate, warm, moving and uplifting. We as a family had been dreading it. Instead, it was a wonderful day, elevated and inspirational, and this was largely due to the sympathetic and vibrant atmosphere established by the celebrant.”

Dr Graham Handley

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Ruth was just wonderful both before the funeral with her patience and good humour as we ploughed through the many drafts but especially during the event itself.  The service was perfectly delivered and everyone has come back to us saying how good it was and how her warmth and humanity bought it all to life and made it such a memorable occasion. My most striking memory though was feeling quite overwhelmed in the limo arriving at the burial ground.  I looked through the window and saw her smiling at me – It just set me totally at ease and at peace with what was to come. It was a small thing but it had a large impact and I think it showed her ability and experience in how difficult these days are and how a little gesture can help someone so much.

The burial itself was incredibly moving and again her delivery and presence made it all hang together in a way that I will always remember as special rather than distressing.”

Mr. Ewan Davids

 

“Thank you so much for making one of the worst days I have ever had to go through a bit more bearable.

Everything you had written about Mum was spot on and 100% her. Many people came up to us at the wake and had never been to a Humanist funeral before but told us how special the service was and how much your talk was purely about Mum and her life which is exactly what we wanted, and you did that for us.

I am so pleased I chose you to conduct the service and I cannot thank you enough for putting those special words on paper for me and Sarah to keep. Your words today were carefully chosen in everything you wrote about mum and many people told me that felt like you knew our mum too, which is what both me and Sarah wanted and that’s exactly what you did. We didn’t want someone to read off a piece of paper with no feelings towards her but you did it with such grace and justice and we were extremely pleased with everything that you said.”

Hannah & Sarah

“I know that you spent a lot of time speaking to friends and relatives across the world to collate the tribute to E, as well as being sympathetic to other factors that made it slightly more complicated for you than it would normally be. All of that time and kindness was apparent in your writing and speaking, and we are so grateful for that.

It was very important to us that the day was perfect for E, and it is largely thanks to you that it was. From the tribute it felt like you knew her. I know E would have liked you a lot and I’m sorry that you never got to meet. She would say that it was fate which saw you officiate for her yesterday, and she would be right – as she always was about such things.

Thank you for helping to make E’s day so special.”

Emma P

 

“I just want to thank you so much for my sister’s service last week. We had so many comments (compliments, if that is not a strange word for a funeral?!) about how well it fitted her and summed her up, and I can’t think of higher praise for a funeral. You made that possible. While I was dreading it before hand, it had a cathartic quality, and moments of celebration as we shared how wonderful she was.” – ED

 

 

“The service was just perfect for S. Thank you, you really helped me.” TJ