By Kathleen Dufault

Mayer Funeral Home

Most funeral directors are born into the profession, literally.  Their fathers, grandfathers, and great grandfathers have ran the family business for generations.

Why not me? I decided I wanted to be a mortician when I was in my junior year of high school. I had no family connection and had only ever been to two funerals and one wake service in my life.  My family thought I was out of my mind and wondered why would I want to have such a morbid career.  I guess it was the science behind the profession that drew me to it. It was not something that many people would consider as a career and I liked that.

My math teacher at the time was a retired mortician. I asked him if he thought the funeral profession would be something that I would be good at and he said yes, he believed it would.  That’s all that it took, someone to believe in my career path.

Twenty-four years later, I have learned being a mortician has been the right choice for me. I have also learned that there is so much more to this profession than the science behind it. It is all about the families that I serve and knowing that when I get that hug from them, I have done my job, and that makes it all worth it.

As for my family thinking that I am out of my mind … my parents proudly introduce me as their daughter, the undertaker.

—Kathleen Dufault is one of the funeral directors at Mayer Funeral Home.