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Words from families
Notes and messages from some of the families Philip has had the privilege to serve, shared with their permission.
“Phillip Smith was able to tell my Dad's life story and capture his true spirit without knowing him personally, by carefully listening to my Mother and siblings. By the time the service was complete, even if you had never known my father, you would come away feeling like you knew him personally.”
“What a tremendous burden you take on for us at such a time. What strength it takes to do that. And you do it with such grace, skill and compassion. Thank you for taking on that pain for all of us.”
“Words of thanks are inadequate for the support that you provided to my mother and me, and the family, in providing such a lovely tribute to my father. At a time when trying to put feelings into words is difficult, you made the process easeful for us all.”
“Phil, you have a very special gift of caring, compassion and empathy. You have also been given the gift of using words to bring people together. Our family will always be grateful for the tribute and respect you gave our much loved Tom. It was perfect.”
“We are expressing our thanks for the compassionate service you provided for our son. Your preparation, starting with the meeting with the family, proves how dedicated you are in performing your duties to those who have suffered a loss such as ours.”
“We all felt that you did an amazing job delivering our messages, and it was a lovely way to say farewell. You spoke the words as if you really knew him. We appreciate all you did to help us remember him for all that he was, and to say our goodbyes.”
“Thank you for helping to document Mum's life for us and all her great-grandchildren to come. I've told everyone in my family that when it's my time to go, I'd like you to compose the words.”
“You managed to keep the discussion light and, more importantly to us, painless. I had imagined our meeting to be somewhat more emotional, but it was far from it. Thank you.”
“Philip Smith was the perfect fit. He invested time with our family, listening to stories, and took many notes. He had a big job to do, but he truly captured the essence of Denis.”