Definition of funeral director

The term "funeral director" is derived from the historical evolution of funeral services. In ancient times, burial practices were typically carried out by family members or close friends, and there were no professional funeral service providers. However, as societies grew and became more complex, the demand for specialized funeral services increased. The first known instance of a professional funeral director was a man named Lord President de La Poer Beresford, who founded the first known funeral home in Dublin, Ireland, in 1813. He called himself an "undertaker," a term commonly used at the time to describe someone who provided services related to death, such as transporting deceased bodies. In the United States, during the Civil War, the need for organized and efficient burial arrangements led to the emergence of undertakers. ThePenny Cyclopedia, published in 1831, defines an undertaker as "one who undertakes to take care of dead bodies, or embalms them; a term applied to those who follow the work of a common or charnel ditcher." As the responsibilities and duties of undertakers expanded to include arranging and conducting funerals, the term "funeral director" became standard in the industry by the turn of the 20th century. The name "funeral director" highlights the professional's role in providing complete funeral services and directing all aspects of the funeral, from arranging transportation of the deceased to officiating the service itself.