The “Humanity” of Death Care

January 28, 2026/Business, Cemetery/

Funeral Director Daily publishes lots of articles that deal with the business, or money side of Death Care. That’s good. . .and readers seem to like it, however, I never want any of us to forget about the “Humanity” side of working in Death Care.

Every so often in my search for editorial material for Funeral Director Daily I come across an article that touches me with the “Humanity” involved in working in Death Care. I know that “Humanity” first-hand because I worked on the front lines of Death Care for about 35 years and while my business had financial metrics that I always looked at, as a retired funeral director it is the “Humanity” work that I remember the most and the work that, as I look back, gave me the most satisfication.

Sometimes the articles that I look at for Funeral Director Daily inclusion surprise me. The article that I’m going to reference about “Humanity” is actually an article from Great Britain’s The Guardian publication titled “I’m Britain’s Best Gravedigger“. I had no intention of writing about Great Britain’s gravedigger roster when I first looked at the article and even wondered if it was simply a “puff piece” for a readership uplift in The Guardian or an article I could post under Funeral Director Daily’s “More news from the world of Death Care” section.

Since Funeral Director Daily was a little short for that section on the January 22 edition date I took the time to read the article. I’m glad I did — I learned about an Englishman named John Yaxley who has been a gravedigger for over twenty years. John’s story though is not just about digging graves — it’s about intersecting with families and showing the love and respect for every one of God’s children. You can read The Guardian article about John here.

Before you do, just to whet your appetite, here are some quotes from the article that I believe bring out the humanity that John Yaxley has served with:

“I found it quite daunting at first. I was responsible for digging the plots and being on hand during the funeral service, as well as filling in the grave. It felt like a huge responsibility. I’d recently lost my nan and I’d sit and watch the funerals with a lump in my throat. From the beginning, I treated every grave as though it were for a member of my own family. For the first time, I felt like my job really mattered.”

“I feel truly lucky that I get to play such an important role at the end of somebody’s life. Sometimes I get to meet the family before a funeral and find out about the person who has died. I like to think of them when I’m digging their final resting place. It sounds cheesy, but I see it as putting them to bed for the last time.”

“I’ve buried more than 1,000 people over the last 20 years. Some funerals are particularly memorable, such as the one for a Star Wars fan who had a troupe of actors dressed as stormtroopers leading his funeral procession. Another time, I helped a woman backfill the grave of her three-year-old son who had died suddenly. I didn’t think she would go through with it. But she told me, “I’ve looked after this little boy for three years; I can’t walk away now.” We talked about her son as we shovelled the dirt together. She’s probably the bravest person I’ve ever met.”

“I’ve buried a friend, and one day I’ll bury my wonderful mum, too, although hopefully not any time soon. She says she wants to be buried in Leedam so she can keep an eye on me at work once she’s gone. I think about it from time to time, and how it will be devastating, but I’d never let anyone else do it. It’s a job I have to do myself.”

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take: I’m glad that I took a second look and took the time to read this article. In a world where many times we rush to get from one service to another we don’t always take the time to reflect on the work we are doing for humanity.

Reading this article brings me back to a small plaque that was in the lobby of our funeral home when I was a child. I remember it well. . . it was a quote from former British Prime Minister William Gladstone and said, “Show me the manner in which a nation or a community cares for its dead, and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender mercies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land, and their loyalty to high ideals.”

As members of the Death Care community I think the Gladstone comment is a great reminder that we should always remember “the manner” in which we work. I think British gravedigger John Yaxley understands that.

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