Undertaking Change: More Women Choose Careers in Funeral Services

Following the retirement of funeral director Gary Owen this month, Sara Van Waus will assume the director’s position at Spencer-Owen Funeral Home in Winnebago, Minnesota. A recent mortuary science graduate, Ms. Van Waus is part of a demographic shift in a field no longer dominated by men.

Less than 40 years ago, 95 percent of the undertakers in the U.S. were men; today that number is closer to 43 percent. One indicator that the number of male undertakers will continue to dwindle is rate at which the proportion of female students in the nation’s mortuary science schools has grown – from 35 percent in 1995 to 60 percent today, according to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). Following a recent funeral-industry convention, one female attendee observed that most of the attendees over age 40 were men, while 90 percent of the attendees under age 40 were women.

Women “undertakers” in history
While the preponderance of women entering mortuary science is a significant development, the concept of women caring for the dead is hardly new. In fact, throughout history, women have played a major role in caring for the dead. From the ancient Greek, Hebrew and early Christian traditions to colonial and pre-Civil War America, female family members or hired nurses were responsible for bathing, dressing and laying out the dead.

Only in the late 1800s and early 1900s did undertaking emerge as a distinct trade; even then, although it was uncommon to see a female undertaker, women were not prohibited from entering the profession.

Empathy and sensitivity are key
While no studies we know of have explored the reasons more women are opting for careers in the funeral services field, some people say it’s because women have a greater capacity for empathy and sensitivity than their male counterparts. Some women think of their career in funeral services as a “ministry” or a “vocation”; others are simply motivated by a desire to help the living or inspired by the compassionate service they received from an undertaker in a time of personal loss.

One thing is for sure: it isn’t the hours. Calls come in around the clock, and each one must be answered by a warm and caring human voice, regardless of the time – not exactly the ideal situation for a working mother. Nor is the salary likely to be a big attraction – while funeral home directors can receive salaries over $75,000, staff funeral directors and embalmers may command only half that amount.