My journey began in October of 2014 …
While I was working for a funeral home as their outreach coordinator, they opened up an opportunity for staff members to become a Certified Funeral Celebrant. I immediately volunteered because I recognized the deep need for families to have personalized tributes and meaningful ceremonies, that effectively describes their loved one’s lives. Celebrants compassionately help people and this style of service truly resonated within me.
The funeral home enrolled me at the InSight Institute in November of 2014 in order to attain the professional education and proper training necessary to certify me as a Funeral Celebrant. The primary mission of the institute is “Helping People Help People.” They have trained and developed Funeral Celebrants nationwide in order to meet the growing need for personalized funeral services. As of 1996, the institute has trained over 4,200 Celebrants and continues to provide a wealth of knowledge and extensive resources for celebrants, funeral homes, hospice professionals, and grieving families.
I performed my first ceremony on January 13, 2015, for Roseanne Jones and her family at Griffin Leggett Forest Hills Funeral Home. Since then, I have never looked back. I receive great pleasure from serving families through the most difficult times of their lives. Death is a natural part of life and no matter what background you come from, or what faith you do or do not follow, it is important to honor each life that a person lived. My primary purpose is to help families find the right words to express their loss and speak for them by writing an eloquent eulogy that honors the life of a loved one.
I am so grateful to have experienced over eight (8) years of personalizing funeral tributes and services for families. Also, my experience as a Funeral Celebrant helped guide my own family to honor and personalize a wonderful celebrant ceremony for both of my grandparents JoAnn Pimentel on June 11, 2015, and for Leroy “Avo” Pimentel on August 26, 2016.
We gather to remember the little things that made a special place in our hearts. For who can put a price on memory? No one is truly dead until they are forgotten. So, cherish the moments you’ve shared and their memories will live on!
