Funeral Celebrant in Essex

When a relative or friend dies you need a Funeral with a feeling at which you experience grief, as you let go of the person who’s died. And joy, as you celebrate the person and what they’ve done, and given, including some humour to keep the memories real and alive in your heart.

Call me 07834 602751

I’m the member of Association of Independent Celebrants.

Logo of the Association of Independent Celebrants, featuring a circle of four colorful abstract figures inside a blue ring with text.

How I support you and your loved ones

I’ve been taking funerals for over 44 years, initially as a Church of England priest. Yes that means I’m in my 70s, and I like to think I bring a certain gravitas (as well as grey hair), along with a lightness of touch, to any funeral that I lead. Now that I've retired, I can provide just the right funeral for your loved one.

I weave my experience together with what you want, and with what your loved one would want. If you want religious, I can do that; if you want to keep religion out of it, I can do that. The importance is to create a funeral that means something, and I’ll liaise with the funeral director you’ve chosen to ensure a smooth and memorable event. Typical fee £250 including all preparation and support.

Please call to discuss the options or use contact page.

Call me 07834 602751
John Quill leading the celebration of a wedding.

What people are saying.

  • Robert

    We found John after searching for a suitable celebrant for my mother’s funeral. A major factor was his former work as a minister and school chaplain with very substantial experience, coupled with flexibility and adaptability in serving others in the conduct of funerals.

    In our first approach and early discussions with John, in all planning and preparations with him, in the conduct of the funeral itself and afterwards as the event dominated our lives, John was compassionate, caring and considerate. He made many helpful suggestions but did not push them as he knew that they would be adopted if desired. He undertook his role with humility and thoughtfulness, giving us a well chosen poem but not seeking to speak more than was needful, as our eulogies were sufficient. John was empathetic to all of our diverse views on faith – mine Christian but others not – and his words were restful comfort for each of us. I am glad that John agreed to be our celebrant, and cannot imagine we could have identified a better person to approach to undertake this task.

    May 2024

  • Suzy and family

    John was the celebrant at my dear dad’s funeral and we really couldn’t have asked for more. As soon as we met John his calm reassurance immediately made us feel at ease and we knew we were in safe hands. John totally managed to capture my dad’s adventurous spirit and fun personality in the service and I know that dad would have loved it. From the impromptu sing-song at the beginning to the beautifully spoken tributes he read out on behalf of some family members, he added just the right amount of humour to help make it the celebration of dad’s life that we had hoped for. From the many comments that we received from friends and family afterwards, we also know that it was one of the best funerals people had been to! I cannot recommend John highly enough and we will definitely contact him again when we have our next big family event, which will hopefully be a Wedding 🥰

    March 2024

  • Modern house on hillside with snow-capped mountains in the background

    Felicity and family

    At the time of my son’s passing we reached out to John, to ask him if he would conduct the service. He had many words of comfort and the service he gave was very warm and compassionate. My husband recently passed away and we once again reached out to John. The family found his service to be as warm and compassionate.

    October 2023

  • Scenic view of a mountain range with a lake in the foreground, surrounded by hills and grassy fields.

    Ian

    John was the celebrant for the funeral of a very close friend (over 30 years). My friend passed at a relatively young age, subsequently there were a lot of people at the funeral. I had a meeting with John beforehand and told him about my friend’s life, and his quirky nature. John obviously really listened, as he captured him beautifully and gave a lovely service. Very calming and reassuring. We invited him to the wake where and spoke with friends and family. Would thoroughly recommend him.

    September 2023

Book me as your celebrant today

  • Funerals

    from £250 
    plus travel expenses (concessions available) 

    Includes
    - consultation call
    - at least two face-to-face discussions online or in person depending on location;
    - preparation of the order of service for your approval (but not any printing required);
    - leading the ceremony

    Call Me

Frequently Asked Quetions

Still unsure if I am the right man to celebrate the passing of your loved one? Below are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions that I get.

  • I've been taking funerals for over forty years, so I know what I'm doing and always get thanked for providing a personalised and special ceremony.

  • Typically the funeral will take place at a cemetery or crematorium, though we could have a ceremony at another location, possibly a memorial after the funeral itself.

  • It is a combination of saying Goodbye, which is very important for family and friends as part of the grieving process, and a celebration of the person's life.

    It can include songs, music and readings of your choice, and you might want friends or family to take part, and perhaps provide personal words as well as the more formal aspects that I provide.

  • I create the order of service after discussions with you and hearing about the person who has died. I will be asking you to choose readings and songs/music and perhaps include others in the ceremony. If you want the order of service to be professionally printed that would be your responsibility at your expense.

  • No, this is not a requirement; you can be wholly self-sufficient once the body is released (though it is a lot of hard work) or use a funeral director or there are companies now that provide a direct cremation service and I can provide a ceremony at that or a memorial after the cremation.