Richard Stone, Funeral Director Assistant with Jones-Wynn Funeral Homes & Crematory, has achieved a  professional milestone by successfully completing the Certified Funeral Celebrant training program, held at Emory University in Atlanta from July 22-26, 2023, earning Richard the certificate of Certified Funeral Celebrant.

 The Funeral Celebrants Training is a class that focuses on personalized funerals, presented by Doug Manning and Glenda Stansbury of the InSight Institute. By the end of 2018, they had trained over 3700 Funeral Celebrants across the United States and Canada.

A Funeral Celebrant is a layperson, clergyperson, funeral director, and/or a funeral director assistant who has received specialized training in conducting funerals for families seeking a personalized and individualized funeral service experience.

 Our society has become increasingly mobile and less tied to religious structure. Many individuals lack affiliation with a religion or theology and lack access to a minister in times of bereavement.  As a result, the demand for Funeral Celebrants has grown. 

The training brought together participants from all corners of the country. These individuals will offer these services to families they serve at their funeral homes and within the community. Celebrants provide personalized funeral services, tributes, memorial services, and graveside memorials. They meet with families to design a service that reflects their loved one’s  life.

Richard Stone wants to use his experience and Celebrate training to further meet the needs of the families he helps serve.  He wants to help provide more meaningful services for the families who place their trust in his Jones-Wynn Funeral Home family. He also anticipates that by sharing this training and working alongside other certified celebrants within the Jones-Wynn family, a deeper and more personal emotional connection will be established. This connection, he believes, will help fractured families with a healthier grief journey, offering more peace of mind.