My dad wasn’t an easy man.
He had 8 children by different women. I love my dad so much but I have a really complicated family.
When Daddy passed I had the unfortunate task of gathering my siblings to plan the funeral.
Half of us weren’t speaking and disagreed on what to include. We were fighting over who would be allowed to come, and who wasn’t allowed.
Alison Ann not only spoke to me but she took so much of my stress away, by talking to all of my siblings ( six out of the seven ) and she made everyone feel important and put all of our wishes into the service that she wrote. She encouraged my daughter to get up and read the poem she had written which was something I’d not been able to convince her to do. She spoke to her privately before the service also and make sure she felt comfortable getting up, took her inside the chapel, and showed her where she was going to stand. Amazing.
On the day of the funeral, she turned up with amazing Order of Service booklets that she had created and printed. She also put together a 12-minute Michael Jackson medley (Daddy’s favourite singer) that she played through a speaker in her handbag walking from the chapel to the graveside… Actually we all danced our way to the grave. Alison was at the front behind the hearse… it was joyful. It was everything daddy would have loved.
She said to me at our very first meeting that she would be there for me and that I wouldn’t have to worry about anything. She never went back on her word. I felt so supported at just the most difficult time of my life and I can’t imagine anyone going out of their way the way she did for my family.
Alison also arranged for us all to have a flower each at the funeral and when daddy‘s favourite song was playing she came down, took our flowers and put them on top of Daddy‘s coffin. The way she bowed in front of the coffin was so beautiful. I feel really lucky that the funeral director chose her for my family.
She was just amazing.
