Susan Whymark Funerals celebrates 20 years in Norfolk

When 19-year-old Susan Whymark decided to train as a funeral director more than three decades ago, she said people thought there “was something wrong” with her.

Funeral director Susan Whymark started her career aged just 19 (Image: Submitted)

Not only was it an unusual career for a teenager, but women were - and still are - an industry rarity.

Now the owner of Susan Whymark Funeral Service, which has been operating in Eye since 2004, she said things have changed a lot since she started out.

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“What people look for in a service is very different nowadays. There’s a lot more choice of music outside the traditional religious hymns, and civil services are far more popular.

“Instead of bible readings families often want to read non-religious poems. It’s a very personal thing.”

Funeral director Susan Whymark started her career aged just 19 (Image: Submitted)

And as with many areas of business, Ms Whymark said the companies offering funerals had changed too, with large national chains saturating the market. 

But despite the competition, the business has continued to expand over the years, opening a second branch in Harlston in 2011 and a third set to open in Diss following a successful planning application.

Funeral director Susan Whymark has been in the industry for 30 years next month (Image: Submitted)

Ms Whymark said far from being a hindrance, being a small independent local firm had helped the business to thrive.

She said: “There’s no corporate in us at all, we’re all just normal local people.

“We’ve been here for 20 years and often we know our customers outside the business too - that might be that we’ve met them at the pub or just seen each other around town. 

“People often worry funeral directors will just be austere and miserable, so that everyday connection helps remove that barrier of formality and make the whole thing more approachable.”