Most people interact with a funeral director once or twice in their entire lives. They sit across a table during an arrangement meeting, see someone in a suit directing traffic at the cemetery, and that is about it. The rest of the job is invisible.
That invisibility is partly by design. A good funeral director handles hundreds of details behind the scenes so the family never has to think about them. But that invisibility also means most people have no idea how much work actually goes into a single funeral, or what kind of person chooses this as a career.
This post pulls back the curtain on what funeral directors really do, from the moment they receive a call about a death to the final moments after a service ends.
The First Call
A funeral director's involvement usually starts with a phone call. It might come at 3 p.m. or 3 a.m. It might come from a hospital, a hospice facility, a nursing home, a coroner's office, or a family member standing in their living room next to the body of someone they love.
That first call sets everything in motion. The funeral director gathers basic information: who died, where the death occurred, whether the family has a preference for the funeral home, and whether any immediate steps need to be taken.
If the death happened at home or at a facility that does not handle body transport, the funeral director arranges for the body to be picked up and brought to the funeral home. This is called the first call or the removal. It often happens within an hour or two of the initial phone call, regardless of the time of day.
The person who makes this trip is sometimes the funeral director themselves, sometimes a trained staff member. They arrive in a professional vehicle, transfer the body with care and respect, and transport it to the funeral home's preparation area. In many cases, this is the first time the family sees the funeral home team in action, and the impression it leaves matters.
Paperwork and Legal Coordination
Before any service planning begins, there is a mountain of administrative work that the funeral director handles.
The death certificate is one of the most important documents. The funeral director works with the attending physician or the coroner to get the cause of death certified, then files the certificate with the local registrar's office. In Ohio, a death certificate must be filed before a burial or cremation permit can be issued.
Most families need multiple certified copies of the death certificate for insurance claims, bank accounts, property transfers, and other legal and financial matters. The funeral director orders these on the family's behalf.
Beyond the death certificate, the funeral director may also handle Social Security notification, veterans affairs paperwork, life insurance claim forms, and coordination with the cemetery or crematory. If the death falls under the jurisdiction of the county coroner, the funeral director works with that office to get the body released.
None of this paperwork is glamorous, and most families never see it happening. But it is one of the most time-consuming parts of the job, and getting it wrong can create serious problems for the family down the road.
Body Preparation
Once the body is at the funeral home, the preparation process begins. What this involves depends on the type of service the family chooses.
Embalming
If the family has chosen a traditional service with an open casket viewing, the funeral director or a licensed embalmer prepares the body through embalming. This involves draining the blood, injecting a preservative solution, treating the internal organs, and performing cosmetic restoration.
Embalming is part science, part artistry. The goal is to make the person look peaceful, natural, and recognizable. This can be straightforward in some cases and extremely challenging in others, particularly when the death involved trauma, prolonged illness, or significant physical changes.
After embalming, the funeral director dresses the body in the clothing the family has selected, styles the hair, and applies cosmetics. The family may provide a photograph showing how the person typically looked so the funeral director can match their appearance as closely as possible.
Preparation Without Embalming
If the family has chosen a closed casket service, direct burial, or cremation, embalming may not be needed. In those cases, the body is cleaned, dressed, and stored in refrigeration until the service or disposition takes place. The funeral director still handles the body with full respect and care regardless of whether embalming is performed.
The Arrangement Meeting
The arrangement meeting is the sit-down conversation where the family and the funeral director plan the service together. This is the part of the job most people are familiar with, but even here, there is more going on than meets the eye.
A skilled funeral director is not just presenting options from a price list. They are reading the room. They are gauging the family's emotional state, identifying who the decision-makers are, managing conflicts between family members who may have different ideas, and gently guiding the conversation so that the family feels supported without feeling pressured.
During this meeting, the funeral director helps the family decide on the type of service (traditional funeral, memorial, celebration of life), the schedule (visitation times, ceremony time, graveside time), the casket or urn, the flowers, the music, the printed materials, the obituary, and dozens of other details.
A typical arrangement meeting lasts one to two hours. By the end, the funeral director has a complete plan that they will execute over the next several days.
Coordinating the Moving Parts
A single funeral involves coordination with a surprising number of outside parties. The funeral director is the project manager at the center of it all.
Cemetery or Crematory
The funeral director contacts the cemetery to schedule the burial, confirm the plot location, arrange for the grave to be opened and closed, and coordinate the arrival of the casket. If the family has chosen cremation, the funeral director coordinates with the crematory on scheduling, paperwork, and the return of the cremated remains.
Clergy or Officiant
If the family wants a religious leader or a secular officiant to lead the service, the funeral director helps identify, contact, and coordinate with that person. They confirm the date and time, discuss the format of the ceremony, and make sure the officiant has the information they need.
Musicians and Other Vendors
Live musicians, soloists, florists, caterers, audio-visual technicians for video tributes or livestreaming, and other vendors all need to be booked, briefed, and coordinated. The funeral director handles these logistics so the family does not have to chase down vendors while they are grieving.
Transportation
The funeral director arranges all transportation: the hearse, the family car or limousine, the flower car, and the route for the funeral procession. In some cases, this includes coordinating with local police for a procession escort.
Obituary
The funeral director helps the family write and publish the obituary. This involves drafting the text, collecting biographical details, selecting a photograph, and submitting the obituary to newspapers and online platforms. Some families write their own obituary; others rely heavily on the funeral director's guidance.
The Day of the Service
On the day of the funeral, the funeral director is the first person at the venue and the last person to leave.
Before the family and guests arrive, the funeral director sets up the visitation room or ceremony space. They position the casket, arrange the flowers, set out the guest book, test the audio and video equipment, place the printed programs, and make sure every detail matches what the family requested.
During the visitation, the funeral director greets guests, manages the flow of visitors, and keeps an eye on the family's needs. They make sure tissues are available, water is within reach, and the room temperature is comfortable. They quietly handle any problems that arise, whether it is a late flower delivery, a microphone that stops working, or a family disagreement that needs to be defused.
During the ceremony, the funeral director manages the timing and sequence of events. They cue the musicians, signal the pallbearers, coordinate the recessional, and ensure the transition from the ceremony to the procession to the cemetery happens smoothly.
At the cemetery, the funeral director oversees the graveside service, positions the casket at the grave, and manages the final moments before the family departs. After everyone leaves, the funeral director stays to make sure the burial is completed properly.
After the Service
The funeral director's job does not end when the last guest leaves. Post-service responsibilities include returning rental items, settling accounts with vendors, delivering remaining certified death certificates to the family, and following up on any outstanding paperwork like veterans benefits claims or insurance forms.
Many funeral directors also check in with the family in the days and weeks after the service. A phone call, a card, or a visit to see how the family is doing is a common practice in the profession. Some funeral homes offer grief support resources, memorial events on anniversaries, or connections to local counseling services.
This aftercare is one of the parts of the job that funeral directors take the most pride in. The service lasts a few hours. The family's grief lasts much longer. Staying connected beyond the funeral is what separates a transaction from a relationship.
What It Takes to Become a Funeral Director in Ohio
Becoming a licensed funeral director in Ohio requires completing a degree in mortuary science from an accredited program, passing a national board exam, completing a one-year apprenticeship under a licensed funeral director, and passing the Ohio state licensing exam.
The education covers anatomy, chemistry, embalming techniques, funeral service law, business management, grief psychology, and ethics. The apprenticeship provides hands-on training in every aspect of funeral home operations.
After licensure, funeral directors in Ohio must complete continuing education credits to maintain their license. The profession is regulated by the Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors.
It is a career that requires a rare combination of skills: technical precision, emotional intelligence, physical stamina, business acumen, and the ability to remain calm and composed in situations that would overwhelm most people. The hours are unpredictable. The emotional toll is real. And the people who stay in this profession do so because they believe the work matters.
The Job Nobody Sees
A funeral director's best work is the work you never notice. When the flowers are exactly where they should be, when the music starts at exactly the right moment, when the procession flows without a hitch, when the family feels held and supported through every step, that is not luck. That is a funeral director doing their job well.
The next time you attend a funeral, take a moment to notice the person in the background making it all happen. They have been working on this day for longer than you know, and they care about it more than you might expect.
If your family needs help planning a traditional funeral service in Central Ohio, or if you want to plan ahead for the future, contact our team at Evergreen at (614) 654-4465. We are here around the clock, and we would be honored to walk with your family through every step.
