Lamentation Funeral Celebrant

What is a Funeral Celebrant?

To address the needs of families in grief and to help the healing process go forward, funeral homes are beginning to utilize the services and expertise of Funeral Celebrants. Initiated by Doug Manning from the Insight Institute some twelve years ago, the training of Funeral Celebrants around North America is changing how families are cared for in times of loss and how funerals are becoming avenues of hope and dignity. Central to the role of a Celebrant is offering the compassion and care that families need in times of loss, as well as mentoring and guiding them in a meaningful tribute that reflects who they are as a family and honoring the person who has died. Moles Farewell Tributes, as well as Whatcom Cremation and Funeral are pleased to offer this vital resource of celebration and remembrance to the families they serve.

Dr Dale Pollard was compassionate and understanding throughout the process of planning for my Mothers memorial. He listened intently to our requests and had many suggestions to add to the proceedings which were entirely appropriate and in context of her character. His delivery of the eulogy had the perfect tone. He has a great ability to involve all the members of the family, both young and old, encouraging us all to express our feelings. It has been a very difficult time for all the family but the grieving process has been eased considerably through the conduct of Dr Pollard and the family thanks him sincerely.     Dawn and Lee Kirkham

Dr. Dale Pollard, a certified Celebrant trained through the Insight Institute, is dedicated to serving families and meeting their needs in times of loss. He helps craft funeral services that honor the life-story of the deceased, reflecting their personality, thereby providing opportunities for families to mourn and celebrate the life of the person within their own unique family history and ongoing story. 

What to Expect:

The Celebrant meets with the family (either at home or in another location) to listen to each person’s memories of the deceased. The “family meeting” shapes the life-story of the person who has died and is a central focus as the family and the Celebrant build a personalized and meaningful service together. The service is crafted to be as religious or non-religious as is desired by the family. At this meeting the family also gives voice to their loss and attends to their journey ahead. After the service is finished the family receives a copy of the life-story (eulogy) to take with them as a tribute to the person who is both celebrated and grieved.

We would like to extend the heartiest of praises and thank-yous for your service today. We were complimented by many of our family and friends about your eulogy and whole service. You gave a lot of thought and put a lot of work into the service for us and we are very grateful... and we would compliment or recommend you to anyone. Again, thanks and God's blessings.    Don Meece

Why Choose a Celebrant?

A trained and certified Celebrant assists a family by giving time, attention and direction in a time of loss and helps in the initial steps toward healing. A Celebrant serves the needs of the family as well as gives tribute to the person who is passed. Through family meetings and conversations, the Celebrant along with the family constructs a rich and meaningful funeral or memorial based on the life stories of the loved one describing what made her/him unique and loved. The funeral or memorial is shaped around the desires of the one who is passed and the needs of the family at present and is tailored to the particular individual and family. In that light the tribute can be as religious or non-religious as the family wants; be in any faith tradition the family is part of; and be conducted in any venue that is available and accessible. With compassion and understanding the Celebrant gently addresses the grief of the family, brings a listening and creative presence to the funeral and memorial planning and helps guide a family’s initial walk through sorrow and the journey ahead.

 When my wonderful husband of 36 years died after a long difficult battle with cancer, we who loved him were left lost and overwhelmed. I dreaded all the decisions facing us, most especially the funeral. How could we possibly summarize everything Steve had meant to us, the kind of man he was, what it was about him that we loved so well.  Fortunately, the Moles funeral home had been recommended to us and with one phone call, we were able to tap into professionals with a deep well of compassion and a gentle way of helping navigate the many decisions while seamlessly taking care of all the details. We are most especially grateful to them for recommending Dale Pollard to be the celebrant at the memorial.  He came to our home a couple of days before and spent most of the afternoon listening to me and our children as we we showed him countless pictures of Steve. Each picture triggered stories, sometimes accompanied by laughter and tears and always by  a desperate need to make sure he understood just how wonderful a man Steve was.  He listened with such genuine interest and intense concentration, occasionally interjecting a word of empathy or advice or compassion.  The conversation we had dreaded ended up being a huge emotional release, an honoring, an opening into understanding how talking about Steve was a way to keeping him with us.  When the day of the funeral came, we could not imagine how Dale could condense all that we had shared, and yet he did. He was able to not only understand our love for Steve but to articulate it in a way that was fluid and warm and touching, wise and beautiful at the same time. Afterwards we felt a sense of release, of peace, knowing Steve had been well honored. We remain so grateful to Dale and to the wonderful folks at Moles for all they did to shepherd us through the hardest days of our lives.          with gratitude from The Family of Steven Staves 

A Word from Dale:

 "I believe that the funeral service can offer an opportunity for families to begin a healing journey and can be a time of significance far beyond what they had imagined. I always look forward to meeting with families who are in the midst of mourning and loss as we together begin a journey through mourning and remembrance and a transformed future."

 If you desire more information (including pricing) on how Lamentation Funeral Celebrant Services can benefit you and your family contact Dr. Dale Pollard at dale@8thdaycommunity.org, or at (360)-201-3957. You may also contact Moles Farewell Tributes or Whatcom Cremation and Funeral for more information.