Sue Walder
Humanist celebrant conducting weddings, namings and funerals

Funerals Testimonials

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had dreaded the event of my mothers death, and funeral, all my life. On first meeting Sue I realised that she had the sensitivity, energy and emotional intelligence to bring ‘all the pieces’ together and, somehow, tell the the story of a wonderful but complex and, at times, paradoxical woman. She helped give me strength and kept, what at times seemed like an overwhelming project, on an even keel throughout all the emotion.  Sue gave structure and rhythm to the many disparate elements that go into a service and burial, and she helped create an event that was really a tribute to someone much loved by many. Truly grateful! Tom Russell

Sue has a beautiful soul inside and out! For obvious reasons my mums funeral was one of the worst days, but Sue made it feel so special. My mum had a wonderful service and most of that is thanks to Sue. We only met with her a handful of times but on the day she made it feel as if she knew mum personally. The aftercare was lovely too, checking in after the funeral and making a little booklet with her words just for us- these personal little touches made it even more special. Thank you Sue, it was a lovely send off for mum.  You made a rubbish day just a little bit better, I would recommend you to anyone! Ashley Groves

Huge thanks Sue. You got the tone completely right and your kindness really helped at such a difficult time. Claire Lipworth

Thank you once again for conducting Ian’s funeral service yesterday. I’ve had a lot of comments about how appropriate the service was for Ian and how well the proceedings went. The Abide with Me hiccup also added a bit of amusement!! The good weather was also a bonus… many thanks for all you did for me, it is much appreciated. Barbara Hayward

I hope it was clear from everyone at the funeral how much you were appreciated, but here it is in writing! Your warmth, clarity and humaneness were right there from start to finish. I have a friend who’s become a celebrant in later life, and he was distinctly impressed too … For myself, it was important to know that you were someone who wouldn’t try to impose ideas or rituals that were – for me – out of place. That was reassuring, encouraging and seemed simply right. So, thank you. Roger Hyams

We wanted to say thank you to you as you did such a great job (for our Dad’s funeral). Lots of people commented that the service was excellent and also about you personally doing a great job. You read the words I wrote perfectly, just as I had imagined. Zoe and Leah

The service was very positive and touching and reflected on who Eli was in his too short life, which is what I wanted.Thank you for listening to my family + Eli’s friend, Wilbye’s thoughts and experiences of this beautiful soul. You were able to hold all the different energies in the service positively and that was skilled. And I liked that, and Eli with his philosophies would have done too. Kate M

Thank you so much from all of us for delivering the perfect service for my lovely Dad. Your words were beautiful and brought tears to our eyes – in a good way!I think he would have been so happy to feel the love in that room. A fitting tribute to the very best of men. Luci Yellon

I just wanted to say thank you so much for your help, you gave our beautiful Mahasty a wonderful send off. Charles Adshead

Sue supported us with kindness, warmth and sensitivity throughout the planning our mum’s funeral, patiently guiding us through the process, ‘getting to know mum’ as well as she could, and helping us to navigate and reflect different views on spirituality. We felt we were in safe hands and were very pleased to have chosen Sue to support us at such a difficult time. The Rheam family

 

Sue: Thank  you so much for a beautiful service, it’s a day we’ll always remember. You captured our father so well. Thanks too for your wonderful help, support and guidance. Your planning made the process so easy and peaceful for all of us. Niloufar, Nastaran & Ali

 

What a lovely service you provided for John yesterday! Thank you so much for all your work, the kind words about him and for shepherding us all so sensitively through his life celebration ceremony. Everyone there told me what a wonderful service it was and how beautifully you managed everything. Thank you again, Sue, for all your help and expertise. Georgy Evans

 
Thank you so much for the lovely keepsake ceremony script, it’s a beautiful reminder of the beautiful service you put together for Max. I couldn’t have been more pleased on how the day went, for which I will be forever grateful. Barry Kelly

Thanks for yesterday. Many people got in touch to say how much they liked the ceremony. We wanted a celebration of his life and I think your script was perfect. Dylan Tsukagoshi

 

Thank you so much for the beautiful presentation of Duncan’s funeral ceremony. We will always treasure it. Also thank you for the service itself which those attending found very uplifting. As a family we appreciated the lovely picture you painted of him, the kind, funny and loving man that he was. We miss him dreadfully but will always carry the love he had for us in our hearts. Jo Munro

 

I just wanted to write to say thank you for the lovely service that you officiated for Dad’s funeral. The words and reflections hit just the right tone, fitting for our memories of him, and we were hugely grateful for the support you showed the family (especially those brave people who decided to speak!) during the service. A number of family and friends have also said how lovely it was, so I wanted to pass that on too. Lillie Pusey

 

Thank you so much for today. You were brilliant. Many people told us that the words, tone, music and sentiment were perfect. I think Wendy would have approved. Tom Greatrex

 
We really appreciated your support with the service. Thank you, Sue. Helena & Peter

I’ve been meaning to write to say that A very kindly showed me the very moving recording of the service for N – it was a privilege to watch it and I must say I shed a few tears. But I wanted to say how beautifully and how sensitively you led it. It cannot have been easy at all. Thank you again for all you did for A and the boys and for all the family in the preparation and on the day itself. Frances George

Many thanks indeed for all your help in guiding us through yesterday. I think we all felt it was a perfect ceremony for him and I’ve had several emails from the others saying what a lovely day it was. I know we all feel a mixture of relief and some closure today. Charmian Allwright

Thanks so much for acting as celebrant for us on Friday. A number of people told me how beautiful the service was and asked me to pass on their gratitude to you. You may have heard from the staff at Greenacres that while you were speaking, not only were there squirrels larking about behind you, but also a very colourful pheasant, which was wandering up and down. Having this lovely service has helped me to close one door on a very dark chapter. So I’d like to thank you again for your tribute. Richard Jakobek

 
With the further tragedy of the Covid delays for family and friends wanting to gather together to remember and mourn at the painful loss of our gorgeous Camilla in March 2020, we were heartened by the skilled and warm support of Sue with the presentations by family and Camilla’s school friends and the gathering of two generations of family and friends. Sue skilfully and compassionately gathered us in Lauderdale House and we were all touched by the walk to and ceremony at the tree close by, planted in Waterlow Park in memory of Camilla and her childhood and teenage years there.Thank you Sue for your compassion and skills. Camilla’s father Michael, mother Michelle, brothers Greg and Lucas, and niece Abi

 

You were outstanding. You hit absolutely the right note and pulled everything together to give a clear picture of Michelle which we all recognised. A good balance of honesty, understanding and appreciation, all delivered with kindness, consideration and gentleness. You created an atmosphere of thoughtfulness and calm which I’m sure everyone felt. You delivered exactly what I personally was so hoping for, a dignified and respectful tribute to Michelle which was not stiff and formal but caring and insightful. My heartfelt gratitude to you Sue.  JM

Having someone die in the midst of Covid when all the processes that help with grief have been taken away, Sue was a beacon of light. Not only was she comforting and professional but she made what could have been a cold, empty funeral warm and bright. What’s more, in helping to create the perfect farewell for my father, her words and the delivery of the service helped us all to be able to say goodbye and celebrate my father’s life in such a perfect way. 100% recommend her services. Anita Naik

Thanks so much for the great memorial ceremony for mum. The speeches were great and everyone shared memories and connected, which was amazing! Fiona Cameron

Thank you so much, Sue. The funeral service was beautiful and we all felt safe in your hands. We received lots of messages from those who watched the webcast and all have said what a lovely, personal service it was, and one which truly reflected the real M as we knew him. JN

I want to thank you for all that you did. You were magnificent. You were sensitive, discreet and very organised and everyone agreed how wonderful the ceremony was.  John Hovington

We very much appreciated your help and support for the service. You spoke beautifully and from the heart, I am sure mum would have approved. Everyone said that the service was very fitting so thank you from all of us. P&K

Thank you so much Sue. The ceremony was really personal, fitting and perfect. DB

 

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