Funeral Directors' Ode

A gift - from the living to the dead
This calling, this passion, this ancient trade.
Bearer of dignity, saviour of respect,
This silent and secretive soul institution.
And what privilege bestowed on one alone
To lead, to guide and heal the many:
Fountain of knowledge, rock of strength
Upon which are builded the hopes of loved ones.
Their trust in our hands,
To care for their most precious jewel
And return it safely to its Maker.
Through rain, shine and adversity overcome.
This tragedy and comedy, figurehead and friend,
Modest bringer of peace, solace and normality;
Whose happy victory lies in perfect anonymity
And for whom 'thank you' is reward enough.

(c) The Funeral Consultant 2011

Urns and caskets from The Funeral Consultant

When someone is cremated their mortal remains are confined to ash, sometimes referred to as Cremated Remains. Many times in my career I have visited funeral homes that have housed countless plastic or cardboard containers of ashes. These are the people whose families are unsure of what exactly they wish to do with them; this is where we try to secure some closure for friends and relations in an appropriate and fitting way.

Here we have put together a small selection of the urns and caskets available to order from us:

Scatter tubes are an excellent way to hold, carry or ultimately disperse ashes. There are many different external designs. These are priced at £16.00 each.

Journey Earthurns come in two sizes, small and large at £25 or £50 respectively. They are crafted from recycled paper and are meant to be cast into the sea.

They remain on the surface for a short while before sinking from sight to biodegrade over time.

The Cloud urn is for a baby's cremated remains. It is in fact made of ceramic and comes in a choice of five different colours, priced at £150.

The Moss Bio Urn is contructed from recycled and bio-friendly materials. The urn can be buried with no impact to the environment but can also be kept and admired. A double-canvas drawstring sack holds the ashes safely inside.

Sometimes, caring for the planet comes at cost, in this case £200.





There is a very small delivery charge for national (or international) delivery but orders to local addresses will not incur a fee.

All of these and more are available on our By Rawlinson page or just give me a call: 01803 211128. Most payment methods are accepted.

http://www.funeralconsultant.co.uk/after-the-funeral/rkf-products



Cryopreservation

In 1773, Benjamin Franklin one of the founding fathers of the United States of America commented with regret that he lived "in a century too little advanced, and too near the infancy of science" that he could not be preserved to then be revived to fulfil his "very ardent desire to see and observe the state of America a hundred years hence".

It is a dream of most of us to be able to live forever or at least enjoy what may be on offer in one or two hundred year's time and to do so in a reasonably healthy state. Since the late 1960s, one particular branch of science has gradually developed to meet our demands to achieve this dream.

Cryonics is the practice of using extreme cold to preserve the life of a person who can no longer be supported by ordinary medicine. With the correct measures in place, human tissue can be cooled or vitrified to a tempeature of below -120 degrees without freezing and therefore without the tissue damage resultant from the generation of ice crystals.

In reality, cryonics is not the preservation of the dead but the physiological stasis of someone who can no longer be kept alive. Cryonics is put to work within a window of opportunity - after certified death but not the degeneration of the brain. 100 years ago, when someone's heart stopped beating they were pronounced dead; today we are more aware of the neurological implications of death.

It is known that after at least five minutes of physiological death the neurology of a person remains valid. It is at this juncture between body and brain death that cryonics get to work. With measures in place to protect the brain from lack of oxygen, rapid cooling begins. It is believed that with the contemporary procedures in place today the 'physical basis of the human mind' can be stabilized for an unlimited period of time.

Several people are preserved in this way and in the USA there are already a handful of companies that offer this service. In such efforts either the brain within the head or entire body may undergo the above process. For the former 'neuropatients' the cost is around $80,000 or latter 'wholebody', $200,000.

Proponents of cryonics claim that cryopreservation, particularly vitrification of the brain, may be sufficient to preserve people so that they could be revived and made whole by vastly advanced future technology. Those against the process claim a conflict with religion and an indulgence of the rich. 

Despite the debates, the already huge advances in nanotechnology may pave the way for successful re-animation of those already under cryogenic storage - to share Franklin's dream rather than his regret.