Steve Rose | Funeral Celebrant

Funeral Celebrant in the West Midlands

My name is Steve Rose and I am your Funeral Celebrant in the West Midlands. I live in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. I have had a 30 years' career as a professional librarian, initially specialising in health research and medical libraries and latterly as an academic library manager and director.

My interest in working as a librarian came not from a love of books (although I do read a lot), but from a love of working with people and in wanting to make a difference. In my case this has been about working with academics and students to provide professional, personalised services in support of their research and learning.

My studies and career have taken me to many places in the UK - Hull, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, and Southampton. Having travelled as far South as I could, I came back to my roots in 2015 (I was born in Birmingham in 1962) which brought the advantage of living close to my elderly parents.

I see my life to date as a journey. Inevitably, for us all, that journey will pull into the final station at some point. It is important that the journey is captured and told as everyone has their own unique life story which should be celebrated.

My appetite for working as a funeral celebrant was whetted a few years ago when I was asked to create and deliver a eulogy at a funeral for a friend. Although a sad time, I found that it was very rewarding to be given the chance to write a bespoke and personalised account of her, as I knew her, to deliver at her ceremony. What was more rewarding was the response from close family who were mourning her that day. There was a great sense of satisfication, from their reaction, that I had made a positive impact at a very difficult time by delivering a story which was apt, meaningful and personalised.

Having now taken early retirement from my career in libraries, I am now able to concentrate all of my efforts in working as a funeral celebrant.

As *your* funeral celebrant, I will work with you in finding out as much as possible about your loved one who has died. I will find out how you want that life to be reflected on and celebrated so as to create a ceremony which is unique to them and meaningful to you. I will visit you, talk to you, collect all of the information and turn it into bespoke, personal scripts which tell their story. I will be working with everyone else involved in the funeral (e.g. funeral directors, crematorium / cemetery staff) to ensure that the day is as stress-free and seamless as possible.

Although we can talk about the importance of celebrating the life that has just ceased, it is also a very difficult and sad time for those who are left. It is my aim that my role as a funeral celebrant will ease some of those difficulties and provide a ceremony that offers comfort.

I am people-focused and generally interested in you and in the lives of your loved ones who you have lost. I will offer you a sympathetic, adaptable and flexible approach in capturing and delivering the content to create a ceremony which is professional, personal and meaningful.