Del joins our team as Branch Manager

We are delighted that Del Soan has recently joined our team as Branch Manager, having worked for both corporate and independent funeral directors across Kent and Sussex for more than ten years.

He started his career as a carpet fitter but ended up lending a hand for a family member who was managing a corporate funeral director. Del discovered he enjoyed the work and an initial two days a week grew to eventually become full-time.

“I’d grown up feeling scared about death, as many people are, but I discovered I enjoyed working in the funeral industry,” Del explains. “It’s a privilege to support families and I like the satisfaction of creating the funeral they had hoped for. No day is ever the same and that’s because no family is the same. Today there are so many other options from a traditional funeral through to one using an unusual hearse, for instance, such as an ice-cream van; while there are also so many different types of coffins and flowers arrangements available.”

Working locally, Del was already aware of Tester & Jones and says he knew we had an excellent reputation for looking after families, with the flexibility of being independent.

“Having worked for both corporate and independent funeral directors, I know that corporates often have their hands tied when it comes to creating bespoke funerals, while an independent has much more scope to ‘make it happen’,” he explains. “My career at a few different firms means that I’ve picked up useful experiences along the way and I am bringing that all to Tester & Jones.”

He adds: “An independent funeral director is also part of the local community and that’s certainly the case with Tester & Jones. Families know they will be looked after when they come here and being a member of SAIF, an organisation that is guiding us all through the increasing regulation, gives families additional peace of mind that everything will be ‘done properly’.”

Del is currently working towards his Diploma in Funeral Directing with the IFD College and hopes to soon be accredited to support families who want to buy a Golden Charter Funeral Plan.

Outside of work, Del enjoys spending time with family, particularly his two small grandchildren, gardening, walking in the countryside and decorating.