Kirby Cranshaw, 34, joins the team of six Senior Funeral Directors working across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire.
As part of her new role, Kirby oversees the funeral directors working at funeral homes in Wollaton, Beeston, Stapleford, Aspley, and Long Eaton in both a professional and pastoral capacity. Her team is made up of all women, reflecting a change in what, the company says, has historically been a male-dominated profession.
Kirby’s passion for funeral directorship started at the age of 15 when she completed work experience at a funeral directors in Blackpool. After obtaining a degree in Forensic Science from the University of Lincoln, she started to write to funeral directors in the area and secured her first role.
She said: “I’ve known ever since that first bit of work experience that working in the funeral industry is what I was put on this earth to do. It’s about making someone’s final journey perfect, helping people through some of the most difficult times and making it just a little bit easier.”
After nine years of working in Lincoln and becoming a branch manager across four funeral homes, Kirby joined us as a Funeral Director and moved to Nottingham.
She added: “I’d always known of and dreamed of working for A.W. Lymn, but because I lived in Lincoln, I didn’t think it would be possible. I’d seen their service brochures and the way they operate, and their approach really aligned with me.
“In my previous role as a branch manager, I’d had to step away from directly working with and supporting families. Joining A.W. Lymn allowed me to get back to what I was really passionate about, which is building relationships in the community.
“I’m incredibly proud to have been promoted to Senior Funeral Director and take on a new level of responsibility within the business. What makes A.W. Lymn so unique is that despite taking on a more managerial role, I still get to conduct funerals and be hands on with the families, which is highly important to me and will always be my priority.”
MD Matthew Lymn Rose added: “Ever since Kirby joined the team in 2020, we have been incredibly impressed by her commitment to the job, and her devotion to embodying our core values and ethos in everything she does.
“We have no doubts that Kirby will excel in her new role supporting her colleagues across the west area, and we look forward to seeing her continue to grow professionally as she takes on this new challenge.”
