Founder of Susan Whymark Funeral Service, which has sites in Eye, Harleston and Diss, celebrates 20 years of business

A highly respected Eye funeral director is celebrating 20 years of compassionate service to the community.

Officially opening its doors at Chestnut Farm on March 15, 2004, Susan Whymark Funeral Service has been dedicated to supporting families during their most challenging times, with dignity and respect, for two decades.

Founder Susan Whymark decided she wanted to become a funeral director at the age of 19, following the death of her grandmother.

She said: “I have always found my time in funeral service to be a privilege. Our mission has always been to provide comfort and support to families during their most difficult moments.”

In 1998, Susan earned her diploma in funeral directing and gained invaluable experience working for an independent funeral home in Ipswich for five years.

Following a brief tenure at the Co-op funeral service in Bath, Susan returned to Norfolk, where she joined forces with her mother, Dianne, upon her retirement from a 41-year nursing career to start a funeral service of her own in 2003.

The former Hartismere High School student is one of the few female funeral directors in the country to open a funeral service from scratch without it being a family concern handed down over generations.

In July 2015, the company relocated to Chestnut House in Progress Way on the Mid Suffolk Business Park in Eye. It has also expanded, opening branches in Harleston in 2011 and now at Carmel Works in Park Road, Diss.

With a dedicated team of seven full-time staff, three part-time and seven pallbearers, it is thought that the business has conducted nearly 3,000 funerals since its inception.

Susan said: “As we celebrate 20 years of service, we are deeply grateful for the trust and support of the communities we serve.

“We look forward to continuing our mission of honouring the lives of loved ones with dignity, compassion, and respect.”