By Attiyya Atkins
We might run from it, we might hide from it, but we’re all going to die.
Death is the one thing in this life that is guaranteed. But unfortunately, due to issues prevalent in Black communities like higher crime rates, lack of access to health care or high-quality food, single-family households and increased poverty, Black people die at a higher rate and at a younger age than their white counterparts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Because of this, it’s important that we look death in the face.
Our publisher recently had the opportunity to sit down with Sarah Noble, the first independent contractor in the state of Florida to offer funeral services and have an honest talk about death.
Noble is a licensed funeral director, embalmer, funeral insurance agent, funeral director, certified grief facilitator, and eye enucleator. She has spent more than 40 years in the funeral industry and finds joy and peace in helping families deal with death. But she is no Grim Reaper, Noble is one of the most caring and inspiring women in South Florida.
“I love to help families in their darkest hour,” Noble said. “I say a funeral is a lifetime in one day. Death is sad. I help people to see the light in the midst of their darkness. Show them that they their loved one is valued, and they are honoring their loved one’s legacy and memory.”
Because Noble is an independent contractor, she can help those who are hurting in a more personal way. She can help with logistics required to arrange a funeral service, including planning, hosting, decorating, preparing the body and more.
“It’s that woman’s touch,” she said. “Women bring a different type of sympathy or empathy – were mothers, nurturers, we bring the softer side that families need.”
Her experience in the funeral industry hasn’t been without struggle, she says. “Funeral workers shed tears like anyone else. Mental health is part of my ministry.”
Even being a woman in such a male-dominated industry causes its own issues. “It is not an occupation it’s an anointing,” she said. “I love everything about it. It is the gift of taking something that is diminishing and making it prosperous and helping a family in their darkest hour be able to see the joy in the celebration of life.”
Being in the funeral industry for so long, Noble has some tips to help us through the funeral process:
1. Don’t Hold Grudges. “Forgive and move on,” she said. “Nothing is worse than being mad at someone and they pass away. You’ll have to deal with that devastation and it’s big.” She shared a story of two brothers who hadn’t spoken in 10 years. Before one brother died, the other called him. The brother did not answer. He died and was killed in
such a way that he didn’t even look the same. Noble recreated his brother’s face to allow for him to get one last look.
2. Prepare Early. We’re all going to die. Get ahead of the game and purchase the funeral arrangements ahead of time. “The price is only going to go up,” she said. “Don’t put yourself in a financial burden… because of inflation the price of a funeral doubles about every two years.”
3. Get the Insurance. Get the pre-arrangements started with funeral insurance. Funeral insurance isn’t life insurance, although that is important too. You can purchase the insurance starting at age 0. Get the insurance so we don’t have to use GoFundMe or fry fish for funds.
If you have any funeral related questions, please email to villijnews@gmail.com, and the Funeral Diva will answer your questions in upcoming issues.
Sidebar
· In 2015, Blacks had 40% higher death rates than whites for all-cause mortality in all age groups <65 years.
· At ages 18–34 years, Blacks had higher death rates than whites for eight of the 10 leading causes of death among blacks in that age group (heart disease; cancer; cerebrovascular disease; diabetes mellitus; homicide; HIV disease; and conditions resulting from pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium).
· At ages 35–49 years, Blacks had higher death rates than whites for heart disease; cancer; cerebrovascular disease; diabetes mellitus; homicide; nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis; septicemia; and HIV disease.
· At ages 50–64 years, Blacks had higher death rates than whites for leading chronic diseases (heart disease, cancer; cerebrovascular disease; diabetes mellitus; and nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis) as well as for unintentional injury, septicemia, and HIV disease.
· Death rates from heart disease, cancer, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and homicide began increasing at earlier ages among Blacks than among whites.
*data provided by the CDC
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