Experienced funeral arranger, William Rofe, joined our team in October 2024, and has already helped our families when they need it the most. Somebody said recently: “William was especially kind and helped us to feel like nothing was too much trouble and our wishes were upheld and respected throughout.”
Over the years, William has worked at other firms on the south coast and in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. He admits to applying for his first role at a funeral director, 15 or so years ago, as he ‘always liked different sort of jobs’.
“The job was a local funeral director and while it had recently been bought by a national firm, it had previously been independent for a long time,” says William. “I gained a wide range of experience there from being a chauffeur bearer to a backroom operative to an arranger.”
The firm also owned a local crematorium, so William was able to gain experience working there too, as well as obtaining some relevant qualifications.
“I think this wide experience helps me when I’m arranging a funeral, as I understand the different jobs done by my colleagues,” says William. “My role at the crematorium is also really useful when families ask me questions, as I’m able to reassure them and dispel some of the myths there are about what happens during a cremation.”
Then William worked for a small independent firm in Yorkshire, where he undertook most roles from conducting to collecting the deceased. Then he moved to a funeral home which had been acquired by the owner of a care home.
“The owner had no experience in running a funeral business, so it was almost like I set it up from scratch for him, which was interesting,” says William.
During that time, William would regularly speak with a lady called Amy who worked for a repatriation firm based in East Sussex. They’d then meet occasionally, if he needed to come down to pick somebody up from an airport or deal with an embassy. Eventually, William moved south to be with Amy and they are now married.
“I was attracted to join Tester & Jones as I knew the firm had a good reputation,” William explains. “The team here is small and everybody helps each other. The part of job I find the most satisfying today is meeting families and hearing the life stories of their loved one. When we are caring for somebody who was born in the 1920s or 1930s, they have experienced so much change in their lifetime.”
He adds: “I also appreciate the fact that the firm is independent and there’s a lot to be said for that. We can offer a more personal touch and we, as arrangers, have more of a free reign to make the service special. Families can see that we listened and we care about the job we are doing for them. For instance, when I was working in Yorkshire, one chap was a life-long supporter of Leeds United and arranged it for the hearse to travel past Elland Road (the home ground) on the way to the crematorium. It’s those little touches.”
In this spare time, William enjoys both spending time at home with Amy, while also travelling when they can.
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