The Fine Art of Farewell: Insights From Funeral Director and Embalmer Emily Murman

Known on social as @theautisticmortician, Emily shares a compassionate account of the customs and care surrounding death in the USA

By: The Lace Ledger Staff

Even the most articulate among us can find ourselves searching for words when confronted with death and grief. Perhaps our discomfort with the unknown explains why we're often reluctant to ask what happens behind the doors of a funeral home.

Emily Murman, the licensed funeral director and embalmer known on social media as @theautisticmortician, is helping make those conversations a little easier. Her candour offers a compassionate introduction to a profession many of us know surprisingly little about, revealing the meticulous attention given to those in its care. Emily also brings the perspective of an autistic woman who has experienced profound personal loss, giving her an intimate understanding of what grieving families may be facing. Her advice on supporting someone through bereavement is especially thoughtful, acknowledging that grief follows no prescribed course.

Emily's creative pursuits extend well beyond the funeral home. An accomplished poet, she explores the complicated relationship between our physical bodies and our understanding of mortality. She's also collaborating with professional workwear brand MEA, advocating for clothing that accommodates the physical demands of funeral service.

We spoke with Emily about the experiences that drew her to mortuary science, the importance of honouring individuality and how working with the dead has encouraged her to live more authentically.