Explainer: Who is a mortician and what exactly do they do?

Piece by: MERCY MURIITHI
Lifestyle

• The funeral of late TikToker Brian Chira has highlighted the importance of mortician's in the burial process.

Ann Njoki Mwangangi who is a Mortician from Nyahururu.

Fans of the late TikTok content creator Brian Chira have commended Ann Njoki Mwangangi, a mortician from Nyahururu, for her exceptional work.

In a video posted on TikTok on Tuesday, Tiktoker Queen Fridah praised the mortician for her outstanding efforts in dressing Chira and dubbed her the best mortician for the task.

Ann is one of the most celebrated morticians in Kenya and in a previous interview with Radio Jambo, said that while working in the morgue, they receive all types of bodies, fresh ones and those which have stayed for so long.

Mwangangi further added that in her line of duty, they try to end all the misconceptions people have about morgues by offering top-notch services.

While some confuse a coroner and a mortician, others hold misconceptions about who morticians are.

So who is a mortician and what are their roles?

A mortician is a funeral director who preserves bodies, plans funerals, and manages all tasks that relate to an upcoming funeral. Morticians have training in embalming, cremating, and organising funerals.

They also help customers understand their options, selling the products and services of the funeral home. A mortician is a crucial part of directing the afterlife plans of their customers.

What do morticians do?

Morticians have many duties and responsibilities, including;

  • Obtain legal documents, including death certificates or burial permits
  • Meet with families to plan funerals
  • Coordinate vendors for upcoming funerals or memorials
  • Complete embalming on corpses to prepare them for viewing
  • Schedule funerals, burials or cremations
  • Discuss arrangement and funeral costs with customers
  • Plan services around special requests and customs of customers
  • Prepare obituary notices for the newspaper
  • Offer counseling to bereaved families

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