S'pore funeral service helps struggling family with pro bono funeral, teen daughter passes them red packets with family's hard-earned savings

A funeral service company in Singapore, Funeral Guru, recently completed a pro bono funeral for a family going through a tough time.

The man had just passed, and his wife was undergoing chemotherapy.

"The daughter had just lost her father, while her mother is currently undergoing chemotherapy for cancer."

Despite these trying times, their daughter presented them with some red packets as a sign of the family's appreciation for their help.

"Our hearts sank when we opened the red packets. Inside were carefully saved old notes, including Brunei currency.

These were not just ordinary notes, they were someone’s savings, set aside over time, likely with great sacrifice and intention.

Every note carried the weight of love, gratitude, and a family’s quiet resilience in the face of hardship."

While they initially were going to donate the sum to charity, as per their usual procedures, they have decided to return the money to the family, and donate an equivalent sum to a charity out of their own pocket under the man's name.

The cost of a funeral

In replies to Mothership's queries, the founder of Funeral Guru, Karen Ong, shared more about their initiative.

Funeral Guru can help with caskets, cremation fees, a hearse, ash collection, and sea burials.

They, of course, cannot do this all themselves and have partnerships with other funeral service providers.

This helps them lower the usual cost for a direct cremation, which would usually cost around S$1,688.

"Families are not required to make any payment, as all costs are fully borne by Funeral Guru."

They started the pro bono outreach in January and have handled three cases, two families and one elderly individual.

Ong said they do not impose a cap on the number of cases they can help out with, and are committed to helping "as many individuals and families as possible".

These cases underline why Ong got into this trade in the first place.

During her five years with SCDF as a paramedic, she encountered cases where families were overwhelmed and unsure who to contact, and many of these cases involved "lone elderly individuals".

"These experiences inspired me to step forward and better support the community."

Funeral Guru initially started off with assisting the Chinese community with their pro bono funeral services, but plans to expand their offer to all communities.

They have targeted a launch date of May 1, as they are currently finalising arrangements with their Malay and Indian funeral service partners.

"Previously, our limitations were due to unfamiliarity with the funeral rites of other communities. With the onboarding of experienced Malay and Indian service providers, we are confident in our ability to serve the community more inclusively and effectively."

Image from Funeral Guru