Editor
Brian Parsons

Brian Parsons has worked in the funeral industry in London since 1982. On leaving school he trained with Lodge Bros and by 1984 had gained the Diploma in Funeral Directing. He also became a member of the British Institute of Embalmers at that time. After working at South West Middlesex Crematorium he joined A Spicer & Sons at Southall, part of JH Kenyon, in 1987 as a funeral director and embalmer. In 1990 Brian embarked upon a BA degree in Business Studies at the University of Westminster while working part-time with Kenyon’s in central London. Following graduation in 1993 he wrote a Ph.D. which explored change in the British funeral industry during the twentieth century. Prior to its completion in 1997 he worked briefly for a firm in south London before joining SCI.

Brian has had a long interest in funeral service education; he became a BIFD registered tutor in 1991, is a member of their Education Committee and more recently gained a certificate in teaching adults from the University of London. His role at SCI – now Dignity – has been as training consultant for the London area. He is an Associate Member of the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management. He has given papers at a number of conferences including ‘Dying, Death and Disposal’ in 1995 and 1997, the Cremation Society and the Confederation of Burial Authorities. He has contributed to many funeral-related journals including Mortality, Pharos, BIFD Journal, ICCM Journal, The Embalmer, FSJ, Thanos and The Director. He has also written essays for The Handbook of Death and Dying and The Encyclopedia of Cremation (forthcoming). He is the author of The London Way of Death and 2005 sees the publication of two further books – Committed to the Cleansing Flame: the Development of Cremation in Nineteenth Century England and JH Kenyon: The First 125 Years.

Publisher
David Kaye

David Kaye spent 22 years in funeral directing before being elected Honorary Editor for the British Institute of Embalmers (BIE) in 1989. After 6 years in this post he acquired the Funeral Service Journal and continued as BIE editor until 1996.

David is a Fellow of the BIE and one of the Institute's Trustees. He is also a former Executive Member of the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) having previously been a local and area President of the Association. He was also an examiner for the Diploma in Funeral Directing.