“For Me, it’s All About Love”
About Ruth
For me, it’s all about love. When I listen to the stories about your loved one, it is always with love; and when everything else is stripped away, love is what shines through the often seemingly insurmountable, inexplicable death of your loved one. I am a celebrant because of love and when I speak for you about your loved one on the hardest day of your life, it is with compassion, generosity and a great sense of privilege. It’s more than a job: conducting funerals is my vocation. I was drawn to this line of work because of my own bereavements and my positive experiences of attending non-religious funerals. I’ve survived the death of my parents, my favourite aunt, a dear friend, and most difficult of all, my beloved partner. It doesn’t make me an expert in death, but it does mean that I will understand the subtleties of your loss and I will approach the telling of your story with insight, compassion and uniqueness.
I’m simply interested in people. Our meeting will be informal and friendly and I will spend time with you listening to your memories. Together we can choose photos and poems and readings and music with which to represent the singular personality of your loved one. We may laugh, you might cry, but whatever the exchange, it will be an authentic one.
Humanism and me
Being a Humanist means that I’m an atheist, though this doesn’t take away from the strong ties I have to my Jewish cultural background. It’s simply that I don’t believe in God. What I do believe in is kindness, decency and personal responsibility. I look to science and reason for the cause and effect of human endeavour and I believe in living my life to the full - the one life that I have.
My Background
I am a Londoner from a long line of EastEnders. In 2012 I moved to the Essex Market town of Waltham Abbey where I live with my two dogs and two cats, all of whom came into my life through my beloved late partner Tracy, who willed them to me after her death. I am an educator, a public speaker and a carer. I come from a background of charity work and adult education, and, as well as managing a team of tutors, I have taught a wide variety of vocational subjects. Teaching is fascinating to me because the unpredictable nature of working with adult learners is frequently challenging, often fun and always fulfilling. I also work on a consultancy basis for a London university, assessing students with disabilities for the Disabled Student’s Allowance and teaching English to adult learners in the community.
In 2019 I completed my training in Humanist pastoral care work and currently volunteer for St Clare Hospice as a Compassionate Neighbour and for St Joseph’s Hospice as a Bereavement Befriender. Click here to see me at St Clare’s.
Being on my own journey of loss and bereavement has made me simplify my life. I am content to walk my dogs in Waltham Abbey Gardens or enjoy a drive out to the country and pitch a tent. I love the simplicity of being with friends and family and sharing those little intimacies that make our close relationships so unique. It is important for me to be surrounded by people who make me happy and to enjoy beautiful things which give me pleasure. As the poet, Keats said, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty – that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know”.
I am insured and DBS compliant and my work is quality assured by Humanists UK. I adhere to the guidelines of The Celebrant Accord.
I am trained and Accredited by Humanists UK
HUMANIST CEREMONIES™ is a network of humanist celebrants trained and accredited by Humanists UK. We offer humanist naming, wedding or partnership, and funeral and memorial ceremonies for non-religious people. Each ceremony is unique, appropriate, and personal. Our skilled celebrants come from all walks of life and have great integrity, sensitivity and experience. Their ceremonies reflect these personal qualities and the excellence of our training.