Funeral ‘Crasher’ Reveals She Has Seen 200 Final Goodbyes

While the recent state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II was the most public of affairs, most funerals are much more intimate, one attended by the family and friends of the deceased who knew them personally.

However, one woman sees matters rather differently. Jeane Trend-Hill, a 55-year old from north London, has attended over 200 funerals of people she did not know.

The first instance occurred in 2012 when she walked into a church to admire its architecture and found a service taking place. However, with a “fascination” of death and cemeteries, the actress and photographer, whose parents both died when she was young, she had been deliberately attending funerals ever since.

Not that this means she is an unwelcome visitor; indeed, she said, her reputation has grown to the point where she has sometimes been contacted by strangers and asked to attend a funeral of someone who has died with no-one else to mourn them, something she willingly does for free.

Her message is that “Everyone has lived a life and should have someone around to remember them when they die.”

Usually, of course, there are many people around to mourn when someone dies and if you have had a loved one pass, you may want to start working now on getting a funeral order of service in place and other stationary for the event.

In such a case, the story of a life just ended can be fully celebrated, not by a passing stranger with a curious obsession, but by those who were part of that life and want to mark it in the best way possible.

Local authorities can take on the role of arranging a funeral for someone who dies with nobody around to take responsibility for arranging one. While that is an important function in terms of public health and dignity of the deceased, it is still a tragedy when somebody dies unlamented.

Knowing this can act as a reminder of just how much value there is for those arranging a funeral for someone who was known and loved in planning a great send-off.