Tara Gagnon
21 Shea Crescent, Kitchener,Canada
Summary
Compassionate Funeral Director Intern dedicated to helping families celebrate the lives of loved ones and find closure through high-quality and individualized funeral services. Areas of specialty include government-mandated documentation and arranging funeral details.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Funeral Director (Class 1) Intern
Smith's Funeral Home
2023.05 - Current
- Improved client satisfaction by providing compassionate and personalized funeral services.
- Managed all aspects of funeral arrangements for smooth and efficient service delivery.
- Streamlined operations with effective communication between staff, clients, and vendors.
- Coordinated transportation logistics for timely arrival of deceased to final resting place.
- Maintained facility cleanliness, ensuring a welcoming environment for grieving families.
- Assisted in preparation of bodies for visitation or burial, adhering to strict standards of care.
- Established trust among clients by consistently delivering exceptional service while maintaining sensitivity toward their needs.
- Displayed highest level of professionalism and sensitivity when dealing with grieving family members.
- Arranged funeral/memorial services for grieving families to meet budget and memorialized instructions.
- Closed and secured caskets and led funeral corteges to churches and burial sites.
- Secured and filed burial permits and made funeral arrangements.
- Performed embalming procedures and updated case study reports.
Server
Red Lobster
2021.07 - 2022.09
- Greeted customers, answered questions and recommended specials to increase profits.
- Enforced minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages by checking identification.
- Developed rapport with guests and assisted in generating repeat business by providing exceptional customer service.
- Displayed enthusiasm and knowledge about restaurant's menu and products.
- Presented menus to patrons to answer questions about offered items and make suitable recommendations.
Co-Op Student
Schreiter-Sandrock Funeral Home
2004.10 - 2005.06
- Learned advanced skills from experienced Funeral professionals and continuously improved team contributions.
- Assisted funeral director in coordination of services.
- Organized chapels for visitations and maintained calm and orderly atmosphere.
- Communicated with funeral attendees to provide information and facilitate organized services.
- Arranged floral offerings and lights around caskets.
- Escorted mourners to parlors for wakes and funerals.
- Approached customers and engaged in conversation through use of effective interpersonal and people skills.
- Displayed strong telephone etiquette, effectively handling difficult calls.
Education
Diploma - Funeral Service Education
2024
- 3.1 GPA
- Guaranteed Funeral Deposits Scholarship Recipient, 2023, from Guaranteed Funeral Deposits of Canada
Skills
- Embalming techniques
- Funeral Planning
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Dressing and Casketing
- Funeral Industry Regulations Knowledge
- Body Preparation
- Compassionate Communication
Additional Information
- Class G Driver's License with over 17 years experience
- Can provide a police record check
- Have completed the required AODA and WHMIS training
Timeline
Funeral Director (Class 1) Intern - Smith's Funeral Home
2023.05 - Current
Server - Red Lobster
2021.07 - 2022.09
Co-Op Student - Schreiter-Sandrock Funeral Home
2004.10 - 2005.06
Humber College - Diploma, Funeral Service Education