Modern Services That Encompass Heritage Values

2002

“When people learn that I’m a funeral director, usually they’re either incredibly interested or they’re a bit wary,” said Patsy Healy, who is General Manager at WN Bull Funerals.

“There’s a comment that some people make to you, which is that they suppose someone ‘has to do it’. As far as I’m concerned, that couldn’t be more wrong."

“I choose to be a funeral director, to be the person who makes a difference at one of the most significant and difficult times in people’s lives and I have the opportunity to create a warm and supportive environment for the families who come to us to look after them.”

WN Bull’s 120 years of continuous service to Sydney families is a heritage of which the business’ staff are justifiably proud. But what’s even more interesting is the value that families place on this history.

“People come in to arrange a funeral – or we go to them – and they tell us that their aunt or grandfather, or even great-grandmother’s funeral was arranged by WN Bull. ‘Bull does all our funerals’ is a comment that we often hear,” said Patsy Healy.

In the more than a century for which WN Bull has been operating, there have been a myriad of changes with respect to how funerals are arranged and conducted. Cars have long since replaced horse-drawn hearses, and WN Bull – the first funeral director in Sydney to own a motorised hearse – is still acclaimed for the quality of their modern fleet of vehicles. Funerals that incorporate modern technology, particularly audio-visual slideshows or DVD presentations about the life of the deceased, are increasingly becoming the standard.

But the most important elements, a funeral director’s values and excellence in the provision of care, are aspects that should never change. “The level of service that families need from their funeral director is really from a bygone era. It has to be exemplary. As a result, the standards we hold ourselves to are very high. It’s about attention to detail and communication with our clients.”

 “At WN Bull, our understanding of the liturgy and our special appreciation of the requirements of an appropriate Catholic funeral are also imperative,” said Patsy Healy.

“What we do is not just a job, it’s a vocation. It’s an extraordinary gesture of trust when someone puts their faith in you, as the funeral director, to carry out their wishes and WN Bull has always made fulfilling those expectations our very highest priority.”