Honouring life with an exceptional commitment to care: Legacy Funerals’ Kiri Randall
Tasked with the responsibility of honouring and celebrating life has given Legacy Funerals’ general manager Kiri Randall a whole new appreciation for hers.
INTERVIEW LISA SHEA / PHOTOS SALINA GALVAN
Kiri Randall faces grief every day of the week. Hers is a job full of big emotion; showing compassion, care and empathy for people in the midst of what might be some of the hardest days of their lives. It’s a lot to shoulder, but Kiri and her dedicated team are prepared to help carry that load, understanding personally how difficult loss can be. “We’ve had staff lose people in the last year that they never expected would have died before their time. So the reality is that it happens for us, too. We can relate so deeply to the people that come to us in that moment.”
Their commitment to care became even more meaningful last year, when COVID-19 restrictions impacted our ability to say goodbye.
“We did everything so that families were with their loved ones as long as possible. Once they came into our care, we made sure they had a proper farewell, we had someone say a committal; if the family prepared a eulogy, we read it on their behalf. We took video of the burial for the family so they could feel like they were part of it. It was an incredibly challenging time for everybody and we just wanted to help them through it as best we could.”
If that seems outside the traditional idea of a funeral, Kiri explains that today, traditional services are no longer the norm. Her team is guided entirely in what they do by the wishes of the deceased, their family members and friends. “Funerals don’t have to be limited to churches. We have them in our own venues, we have them in orchards, at the beach, at surf clubs; we’ve even had one on a barge. Whatever the person’s life was about, that’s what we want to reflect in the service. It can be in the morning, the evening, we can have their favourite foods served. We want it all to be individualised and a true celebration of their life.”
While funerals are as much about a moment to reflect and say goodbye for those loved ones left behind, Kiri says it’s as important to them to care for the deceased as much as the living. They have a team of qualified funeral directors, qualified embalmers and they’re committed to continuous training to ensure they offer a professional service at the highest standard. “It doesn’t mean we charge more than any other funeral home; it just means that we’re doing our very best, because that’s what we’re all about.”
For Kiri, it always comes back to truly honouring the lives of those that have passed; something she sees as a responsibility that has gifted her with a whole new perspective. “We’re not promised tomorrow, and we’re always faced with that in what we do, so it makes me appreciate what I have in a different way. I can appreciate as a mum that the best thing I can do is be an incredible mother to my children, to be there to support them in the good and the bad. For my staff, I want to focus on their health and wellbeing, to make sure they’ve got the tools and support they need to do what they do well.”
“It’s also made me appreciate my community. I’ve learnt that life isn’t perfect but I’m so blessed to have good people around me. I love having good conversations, with all kinds of people, from all walks of life. I want to learn from them. Ultimately, being in this line of work has really taught me to appreciate life.”