Wendy Clarkson Funeral Services

What a blessing to have come across Wendy's funeral service in my family's hour of need. When you experience the sudden and unexpected loss of a father and husband as we did, you feel like you no longer know which way is up. Having to plan a dignified service during a national lockdown for coronavirus added a new layer of confusion and dread for us as a family. We knew he wouldn't have wanted a religious service, but beyond that, we didn't know where to start... Right from the very first phonecall, Wendy made it her priority to listen to us, learn about Dad as a person and our individual relationships with him, and then sensitively guide us through our options. We immediately knew that it was Wendy who should be the one to pick Dad up from the hospital (miles away) and bring him back to Skipton. Dad spent the time before the funeral in what Wendy calls her "departure lounge". It really is not your typical institutional funeral parlour but rather a very personal service from her own home - a beautiful home surrounded by hills and sheep, just what Dad would have wanted. Knowing that we would not be feeling our most "creative" at this time, Wendy also made some wonderful suggestions of small ways we could honour his memory before and during the service. She even made us hand-sized "memorial hearts" (one for him to "take with him", one for each for us to keep), made a pillow for him out of his daughters' old babygro, and helped us collect and arrange herbs from our garden for the flower arrangement on the coffin. We were able to choose whether Wendy should write the service itself or whether we write our own service (we chose the latter) and Wendy acted as the celebrant at the Remembrance Chapel in Skipton crematorium. Although we had to adhere to certain hygiene regulations due to the national lockdown, Wendy made sure that both the attendees in the chapel and those watching online were made to feel part of the memorial service. It was also Wendy's idea that - instead of a wake (currently not permitted) - we could prepare and hand out "party bags" to the guests with Dad's favourite beer, chocolate etc. and some sprigs of rosemary as the herb of remembrance. Thank you so much for all you did for us Wendy!