Nigel Turner- Funeral Celebrant

For me, every family matters. Every detail of every funeral service matters, to ensure loved ones receive a dignified and fitting farewell.

It’s lovely then, when I receive messages from families I’ve worked with, after the service. Here’s one, shared with permission

Dear Nigel,

We all wanted to thank you so very much for making the goodbye to our dear mother just exactly as we had wanted and I know it would have been what she would have liked too. You played such an important part at what was an extremely difficult time for us and I salute you for being totally professional and also making it personal.

All your advice along the way was invaluable too. And thank you for wearing the perfect tie!

So thank you.

With very best wishes from all the family.

I’ve just received this lovely message from a family I supported last week:

Hi Nigel,

I would just like to send heartfelt thanks to you for conducting the ceremony at the Crematorium last Wednesday for my husband. Everyone who attended commented on the eulogy saying they found things out about ….. that they had never known. One person asked if you'd ever met …… as it sounded as though you knew him. Another phoned our friend in Cornwall and told him that you'd read out some of the Battle of Hastings poem. The whole service was definitely a celebration of ……..’s life and I shall not forget the way you made a harrowing time, bearable. Thank you.

A tear in my eye moment. I never take for granted the privilege afforded to me as I support families in the planning of services and leading their celebrations of life, but this message, received tonight, moved me so deeply, stopping me in my tracks.

Hi Nigel.

I just wanted to send you this to say thank you for the amazing service you delivered for Dad yesterday. I know we spoke afterwards but you said to me "it's just what I do". But it isn't just what you do....it is so much more.

From the meeting we all had together to you emailing drafts of the service, for your suggestions that made so much more of his service, the reassurance you gave to us all including when I had a moment of self doubt, to on the day when we all knew that Dad's final journey was in safe hands.

Everyone that spoke to the family afterwards had nothing but praise for the way you spoke about Dad, the family and all of the friends who came to say goodbye. You spoke with compassion, warmth and you made us all laugh amongst the tears.

I know I have known you for many years but from the bottom of my heart, and everyone else's, thank you. You made the worst day of our lives so much more bearable.

I don't know if recommendations for funerals is the most appropriate way to word it but I will certainly recommend you to any one who is unfortunate enough to be in the same position as we found ourselves in.

Please continue to bring comfort and peace to those in need.

I received this email yesterday from a lovely family:

Hi Nigel
>
> Just want to thank you for the beautiful service you did for dad this afternoon. It hit just the right note, emotional and funny as well. He would have loved it
>
> Lovely to meet you
>
> Best wishes

A message from a lovely family, after a service I led in Chesterfield yesterday. Shared with permission.

Hi Nigel

We would like to thank you ,from our first meeting to the final service.
You have been absolutely fantastic regarding your patience with us adding little bits ,changes etc .

We cannot express how many people commented on what a fantastic service and send off we gave our mum.

This Nigel was down to you and the funeral directors, so massive thanks and appreciation to you both .

Regards on behalf of all the family
Chris Gartland

I received this lovely message earlier from a family of a friend after yesterday’s service, shared with permission:

Nigel,

Many thanks for the celebration of ………..’s life. It was very well received by all. Moreover, your calm supportive manner helped ease the trauma of the event for the immediate family and close friends.

Istvan Koszegi

I received this earlier tonight from a lovely family in Chesterfield, shared with permission:

Dear Nigel

Thank you for the wonderful service for our dear Dad this afternoon.

Everyone said how interested they were to hear about his early life & career.... things he'd mainly only spoken to family about.

You spoke as though you knew Dad personally.

We couldn't have asked for more.

Kind regards

A deeply touching message, received this morning:

Good morning Nigel,

I hope you are well. I am just writing to express my deep gratitude and
thanks for organising and delivering the tribute at ………’s funeral service on Friday. I have received so many positive messages and wonderful comments from family and friends who attended the service, and they too wanted me to pass on their thanks. Many thought the choice of readings, and your kind words were so carefully chosen, as well as being highly appropriate. They certainly set the right tone for the service whilst giving a true reflection of ……..’s life, his unique character and qualities, and, as you said, identified 'a life well lived'.

It has been such a particularly difficult time for his Scottish family
with the recent death of his sister and we took great comfort from your
kind words and the dignity you showed throughout. It takes a very special person to be a celebrant and your compassion came through so very clearly and I want to thank you for that. One of my neighbours made the comment before the service that organising a funeral for a loved one
that you have spent most of your life with has to be right ,as it is the
very last thing that you are ever going to do for them. I think we managed between us all to do that. Your highly professional approach and the time you spent in preparation for the service gave me the reassurance and confidence that everything would work out well on the day and I certainly think 'we did him proud'.

I feel now able to reflect on the day as one that, yes was very sad,
but also uplifting in many respects which gives me great comfort.

I and his family, greatly appreciate your support throughout the last few weeks and thank you once again for everything.

Kind regards,

PS The double act of the Nigel Turners worked out so very well!

From a lovely family I supported last week at Chesterfield Crematorium:

Hi Nigel,

Myself and the family would like to thankyou for the wonderful service you took for my mum, everyone commented on how lovely it was, so thankyou again, you are brilliant at what you do,

Many thanks

Another heartfelt message from a lovely family-

Hi Nigel, I just wanted to say thank you so much for yesterday, you made a sad time beautiful and really spoke a real image of mum , I really can't thank you enough.

I had a lovely surprise this morning at the crematorium in Chesterfield. The funeral director I was working alongside today passed on this handmade gift from a family I supported at the beginning of June.

A busy weekend, working. Yesterday I led a memorial service at Loundsley Green Community Centre, and today the Service of Remembrance at Chesterfield Crematorium with Kevin Ball.

Performing with the MusicWork Vocal Ensemble in the crematorium made for a doubly busy service for me but it focused all our minds on those we’d lost. It was a beautiful service and one that will be long remembered.

Another lovely message after today’s service in Chesterfield.

Shared with permission:

Dear Nigel.
Thank you for the service you conducted for ……… .

From the moment we met you could not have been more helpful at what was a very difficult time for me.

Although you never met him, you portrayed him extremely well.

Everything about the service was how I wanted it to be and I like to think it is what he would have wanted. (The funeral home ) certainly chose the right person for us.

Best Wishes

I was delighted to read this message, received after leading a service in Chesterfield this morning.

Shared with permission:

Hi Nigel

Just a brief note to say a big thankyou for your sterling efforts this morning.

Everyone commented what a good service it was and all appreciated how personal it was to ……. .

You did a marvellous job considering you never met my brother and that is a tribute to both your skill in interpreting and passing on information and your professional but friendly and relaxed manner in conducting the service.

I’ve kept your card in case anyone asks if we know a suitable celebrant for funerals.

Once again, many thanks and all the best for the future in personal and professional terms!

Cheers,

A lovely message from a family after a service I led in Chesterfield yesterday:

Good morning Nigel

I am just writing to say a formal “thank you” for performing your task yesterday at ………..’s funeral.

You delivered our messages and sentiments with the utmost professionalism but also with a genuine understanding of how we wished our thoughts to be presented.
I send you thanks from all of my family.

A message I received today from a dear friend’s family following the second of two services I led:

Nigel, A big thank you from both of our families for the wonderful services you arranged for both mum and dad. It was a very difficult time losing mum and dad within five weeks of each other but you helped celebrate their lives with your wonderful words.

This lovely message was waiting in my inbox this morning- a message from a lovely family, following a service I led yesterday in Chesterfield:

Morning Nigel.

Just wanted to say from all the family- Thank you so much for your lovely service yesterday!

Everyone commented on how fitting it was for dad and that we couldn’t have given…….. a better send off.

Blown away by the generosity of a family I supported last week!

The message in the card reads:

We just wanted to say thank you so much for helping organise uncle ……’s service, and the lovely eulogy you gave for him and how you made his personality shine through.

We really appreciate the time you spent with us finding out about uncle …….. .

Everybody commented on the service and how it really reflected uncle ……… and how it wasn’t “boring”

You delivered the service with such kindness, care and compassion- and it really meant so much to our family and helped us to get through a really difficult time.

We really couldn’t ask for more than that.

So thank you so much
Best wishes

A lovely comment, received today:

Good Morning Nigel

I just wished to send a short note to thank you for the beautiful service you conducted for my husband. For a short time you brought him back into our lives. Family and friends all had good things to say about the service.

With kind regards

Shared with permission:

I would be quite happy for you to use my words Nigel. It will be good for other people to know who they can turn to for a comforting service.

Another gift from a lovely family I worked with last week.

A lovely review from a family I supported yesterday in Chesterfield. Shared with permission:

Hi Nigel,

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for today, you really portrayed uncle…….’s character so well and we had a lot of comments on how brilliant the service was!

Again you did a fantastic job. I can’t even thank you enough!

Kind regards.