Entering My World as a Funeral Celebrant: A Safe, Gentle Space to Explore Life, Death, and Ritual

Thank you for being here

I imagine this blog as a peaceful sanctuary in the middle of a technological jungle: a simple, welcoming, warm space where you can land, breathe, and take care of yourself. Whether you are grieving, or simply feel the need to reflect differently on life, death, and rituals, you are welcome here.

Through my writing, I want to give myself permission to be fully vulnerable, authentic and real. Maybe getting to know me will make you curious to discover my work as a funeral celebrant, my approach to grief support, and the ways my world might gently illuminate yours.

How I became a funeral celebrant: A surprising and deeply human path

People often ask me how I became a funeral celebrant. It’s a rare profession, and it surprises people… me included, honestly, because I never thought I would do this. But the more I reflect on the path that brought me here, the more it feels obvious. I feel I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.

Trained as an elementary school teacher, I taught in Montréal for five years. I deeply loved working with children, but the school system didn’t match my sensitivity or my creativity. After several burnouts, I began questioning what I could offer that was truly meaningful, without losing myself in the process.

The accidental death of my friend Alexandre was a turning point. His death pushed me to reflect seriously on the meaning of life and death. Two years later, I resigned from teaching, enrolled in a yoga teacher training, and began working for Biquette, an urban eco-grazing project in Montréal, caring for sheep and coordinating volunteers. Animals have always been my passion. They teach me softness and presence, and they bring me back instantly to what truly matters.

After exploring many different paths, I moved to the Laurentides and took several online trainings, discovering new practices—among them the Native-style flute, which I absolutely love. Then, out of necessity, I returned to work in a school… and once again, I felt I wasn’t in the right place.

That’s when my partner told me about his friend, the director of Roland Ménard Funeral Home in Lachute. She was looking for someone to lead secular and spiritual ceremonies. My heart opened immediately. I knew nothing about the funeral field, and yet something in me just knew.

When I met Alexann, everything aligned. Our visions were similar. And my experiences: teaching, theatre, yoga, rituals, personal grief, inner work, suddenly formed a coherent whole for this role.

I started slowly, supported and guided. I became a member of the Association of Life Celebrants. I completed specialized training, including becoming a Grief Educator with David Kessler. I also dove into reading and research to deepen my grief support practice.

And then I began to understand:

It was my entire life path that had led me here.

It wasn’t a coincidence.

It was continuity.

Lighting a candle: a simple gesture to accompany life and grief

My approach as a multidimensional celebrant

If my approach as a life celebrant is unique, it’s because it’s nourished by all my experiences and passions:

• Teaching and theatre taught me adaptability and the ability to speak to a group with gentleness and confidence.

• Yoga and meditation give me calm, presence, and the ability to listen—to the body and the heart.

• Therapeutic clowning brings me poetry, vulnerability, and openness to the sacred.

• The forest and my animals remind me every day how essential it is to care for myself, so I can care for others during times of deep fragility.

• My experiences of grief bring me back, again and again, to humanity and compassion.

  
  

I am made of all of this. And all of this exists inside what I offer.

My role, as a funeral celebrant and grief companion, is to be fully present, with attentive listening and deep kindness, so we can co-create spaces that honour life and the bonds of love we share with those who have died.

What you’ll find on this blog

I hope this blog becomes a living library, almost as if I’m opening the pages of my personal journal to you. Here, I will share reflections, stories, and meaningful moments that matter to me, with as much transparency as possible.

Here are a few themes I’ll explore over time:

• Behind-the-scenes glimpses of my work as a funeral celebrant

• The meaningful and magical moments I’ve had the honour to accompany

• My personal experiences of grief (humans and animals)

• Rituals that help me move through loss

• Reflections on life, death, and healing

• Themes I’m passionate about: gratitude, self-love, the inner child

• My “marriage to myself” ritual

• Inspiring stories, poetry, and resources for navigating grief

  
  

Each article will be a window into my world. An honest blend of softness, sincerity and light.

One last word for you

I am Laurence SF Phare, a person deeply devoted to nature, to life, and to the profound bonds that connect us. I believe life is precious, and that death is a natural passage that reminds us of the fragile beauty of being alive.

My wish is that you feel welcome here, in this sacred space where life and death meet, simply and respectfully.

As a life celebrant, love is at the heart of everything I offer and everything I do. I support grieving families in the creation of personalized ceremonies, to honour their loved ones and to care for those who remain. I’ll share more about this work, which I hold very close to my heart, in a future post.

Because I want to create a space that feels alive, open, and connected, I invite you to introduce yourself in the comments and share what brought you here today.

I am deeply grateful for your presence. Thank you for walking alongside me for a while.

With compassion,

Laurence SF Phare

Funeral celebrant & grief companion