Michael Coipel, Funeral Director at Lyndhurst Funeral Home is Emonews’ Person of the Year, 2021.
Surprisingly, Coipel admitted that he has always had a fear of the dead. He would have never believed that later down in his life he would be serving as a Funeral Director at a funeral home. However, he has crushed this fear and have been commended tremendously for his service across Dominica.
For the past ten to eleven years, Coipel has dedicated his life to serving the deceased, their families and the general public. He spent his first five (5) years at the Gentle Rest Funeral Home where he committed himself to his job wholeheartedly. For the past five to six years he has been employed at the Lyndhurst Funeral Home, a job which he considers the job of the chosen.
According to Coipel, his experience has been good overall. Notably, through his role as Funeral Director he seeks to ensure that he provides the most ideal service. “When you are offering a service, you are suppose to give your best shot. Your work has to speak for itself,” he expressed.
Furthermore, he is driven with respect, love, pride and dignity for the work that he does. “What makes me feel fulfilled is when the family can utter, ‘Well done, excellent, well executed’. The mere fact that you serve with pride, you ought to feel proud,” he stated.
Moreover, Coipel notes that every death creates an opportunity to be a more humble and positive version of himself. He added, “We are different people with different mindsets. I’ve learnt over the years how to deal with people. Some families may approach me humbly while some may be agitated. It’s just a matter of reminding myself that people deal with the death of their loved ones differently.”
Notably, he voiced that the hardest part of his job is having to attend the funeral services of mothers who have left behind minor children. Nonetheless, he is set to continue this job for as long as the creator plans. “I did not choose this. It chose me. It was a calling. God planted me there and I will continue to serve families with every ounce of dignity,” he articulated.
General Manager of Lyndhurst Funeral Home, Mrs. Josephine Dublin Prince described him as one who is focused on professionalism, punctuality, and empathy. According to Prince, Coipel is client-centered and a good communicator who seeks to comfort and support those who are directly or indirectly affected by the loss of a loved one. He goes above and beyond by making it his point of duty to give a speech at the graveside to comfort family members as well as call the radio stations to express deepest condolences.
Prince confirmed that clients have given positive feedback on Coipel’s work. “There are very good reviews. Persons request his service directly and love the way that he conducts funerals. He even stays way beyond the end of the graveside function,” she mentioned.
Remarkably, Coipel will stand out as the man who continually asks, “Were you pleased with our service?” This is because he considers client feedback an integral part of who he is as a Funeral Director. With client feedback, he is able to adjust himself and serve even better the next time around. While one year has concluded, this job chose Coipel for a reason. Emonews has utmost confidence that he will continue to serve the Dominican public in 2022 with as much pride and dignity as he did the former years.
