In this series, we introduce you to some of the Ottawans whose job it is to prepare the dead for what comes next.
Each has worked in their respective field for decades, and each draws on that experience to share their insights on loss, grief and the final rest.
Click here to meet a gravedigger, a gravestone designer and a mosque volunteer.
Lee Dorsey
My shop provides flowers for funerals mostly. Even though I deal with death every day, it can be quite daunting at times.
I’ve never liked to think of death and the unknown. It can be difficult to accept. So when I see people in my store who are grieving, I want to make this part of the process easier.
I know my designs and arrangements help them during this difficult time. That's what helps me to cope. I know I'm doing something to help.
My parents passed away early in life, and for me flowers helped with the grieving process. It was just nice to have beauty and nature inside the funeral home.
Flowers can say a lot during a time when it's difficult to find comforting words. They convey love and respect and sympathy. They seem to say that I'll share your grief. That your grief is mine.
There's more warmth when flowers surround the loved one. I remember walking into a funeral home a few years ago and the family had specifically asked for no flowers. They were adamant about it. I never understood why. It felt impersonal and cold — almost sadder.
Flowers can say a lot during a time when it's difficult to find comforting words. They convey love and respect and sympathy. They seem to say that I'll share your grief. That your grief is mine.
People don't always want the traditional, old-school arrangements of carnations or lilies for their funerals anymore. Instead, people want more contemporary, unique flowers.
People always walk into my flower shop and say it seems like a whole other world. There's so much beauty and you're surrounded by so many scents.
The people who come for funeral flowers can be quite emotional. Losing my parents so early, I kind of know what they're going through. I play a lot of roles in my flower shop. Sometimes I have to lend an ear and be patient and ready to listen about how they want to create the memory of their loved one.