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Funeral Begins with Fun!: A Funeral Director's Humorous Memoir of Growing Up to Run the Family Business-and More Tales from Six Feet Above
Paperback
Business BiographiesBiographies GeneralHumor
Publisher: Cowtown Publishing
Published: Oct 14 2025
Pages: 234
Weight: 0.61
Height: 0.53 Width: 5.50 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
. . . a fantastic memoir, written in a conversational style that is wholly unique. . . . Thompson's totally approachable and friendly voice and clear prose are a sure-fire win for readers to appreciate both the lighter and practical sides of funeral directing, making it an enjoyable and heartening read.
-Asher Syed, for Readers' Favorite
Martin Thompson's storytelling is engaging and often laugh-out-loud funny. . . . a delightful memoir that blends humor, history, and humanity. [His] ability to turn life's most serious moments into opportunities for connection and laughter makes this book a truly memorable read. I highly recommend it.
-Carol Thompson, for Readers' Favorite
Funeral Begins with Fun! builds on its catchy title and delivers an unexpectedly humorous account of a normally serious topic. . . . an entertaining and insightful look into a career that went far beyond interacting with the families of the deceased . . . a warm, uplifting, and amusing tale of a life lived to the full.
-Leonard Smuts, for Readers' Favorite
Backyard burials, complete with sections for different species. Summer family vacations to funeral conventions. A father-son bonding trip to a casket company. Foreshadowing of a future?
From Catholic school capers to almost foiling his college graduation, veteran funeral director Martin Thompson wasn't the most aspiring student. Yet when legacy called, off to mortuary science school he went. In this laugh-out-loud memoir, Martin takes the reader on a hilarious, touching, and illuminating romp through the hurdles and joys of growing up to run the family business.
A departure from similar memoirs that focus on graveside yarns and lessons from the grieving, Funeral Begins with Fun! is a comedic but poignant excursion into one man's mission to honor the dearly departed and the families who loved them. With no shortage of witty stories, riotous golf rounds, and nearly career-ending pivots and renovation nightmares, the book also treats readers to the fascinating evolution of the funeral business itself, the author's boundless enthusiasm for reinvention, and his endearing role as a father who'll volunteer for anything to have time with his son.
As Martin says: After decades in the business, I've learned that humor isn't just a coping mechanism-it's survival.
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