A Lanarkshire funeral director has revealed he thought his dream career would be working as a paramedic.
Kenny Russell always wanted to help people during key moments in their lives and thought the best way to do so was by becoming part of an emergency medical crew.
However, when his father-in-law sadly passed away in the late 1990s, the care and consideration with which he was treated in the lead-up to the funeral opened up Kenny’s perspective on the type of help he wanted to offer to those around him.
Until this point he’d never considered the industry as a viable career option, as he didn’t think he knew enough about it, or how truly consequential the service of a funeralcare team was in helping grieving families overcome their loss.
It was only when the 44-year-old found himself supporting his bereaved fiancee through preparations for her father’s funeral that he began to realise the funeralcare colleagues were showing his family the exact type of support he’d always wanted to provide to those around him.
From that moment on, Kenny knew he’d work towards ultimately achieving his goal of becoming a funeral director.
It was later, in 2007, that he finally took the step toward applying for a role in the sector. He’d sent out applications to all the homes in his area, however, felt his lack of experience was unlikely to land him his dream role.
To his great surprise, the Co-op Funeralcare team in Wishaw contacted him about a part-time role as a driver, which he accepted right away.
Just six months into his job, a full-time funeral director role came up at the home where he worked and he decided to give it a go. Kenny’s application was successful, and he began training for his funeral directing qualifications right away.
Now, 15 years into his role, Kenny can’t imagine working in any other industry.
He said: “Helping the families in my community at a time of loss is the most fulfilling part of my job.
“From the moment of getting the first phone call to wrapping up a service and having the family thank us for our support, that is all the satisfaction you need, knowing you’ve made a difference during one of the most difficult times of their lives.
“When I saw the level of care and consideration that was put into my then-fiancée’s father’s funeral, I knew right away this was what I wanted to give back to my local community.
“If you have the slightest interest in being able to support families in your community during their time of need, abandon your preconceived notions and visit your local funeralcare to see whether a career as an undertaker is right for you.”
*Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
And did yo u know Lanarkshir e Live is on Facebook? Head over to our page to give us a like and share.
