Inside the Grave Business: Melissa Schmidt’s Journey from Fear to Funeral Director
Meet Melissa Schmidt, a 34-year-old funeral director from Long Island who turned her childhood fears of death into a fulfilling career. Once paralyzed by the mere thought of mortality, Schmidt found her way into the funeral industry after a tragic incident in her youth, when she attended the funeral of a neighbor who died in an accident. This experience sparked an unexpected passion for the nuances of death care and memorial services—so much so that she calls it a “calling.” In a world where ghosts of the past often loom large, Schmidt relishes the opportunity to help families navigate their grief through personalized funeral services.
Having graduated high school with a cosmetology license, Schmidt didn’t take the typical route most of her classmates followed; instead, she dived headfirst into mortuary school. “Everyone thought I was crazy when I said I wasn’t going to be a hairdresser but rather a mortician,” she quips. It’s this unique blend of beauty skills and a deep understanding of human biology and compassion that makes her stand out in her field. Schmidt’s education included not just embalming and cosmetic techniques but also the legal and administrative aspects of running a funeral home—because believe it or not, this job is as much about business as it is about the heart.
Her training was hands-on, with training sessions at places like Bellevue Hospital in NYC, where her learning curve was steep but essential. Schmidt emphasizes that it’s crucial to tailor the embalming process to each individual case, noting, “You can’t just slap on makeup as if they’re at a beauty spa. It’s not the same as doing makeup on a living person.” This level of detail highlights the artistry involved in her role, which often goes unnoticed by those unfamiliar with the profession.
Schmidt insists that the job is far more than just managing the morbid details. It’s about creating a meaningful farewell for families while helping them process their grief. Her candid reflections challenge common misconceptions about embalmers and funeral directors, shedding light on the skill and care involved in their daily operations. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the demand for funeral services is expected to rise as the population ages, with professionals like Schmidt paving the way for a new generation of compassionate caretakers of the deceased.
So, while we might joke about the ‘grave’ nature of her work, Schmidt’s story proves that there’s beauty, empathy, and yes, even some humor to be found in this often misunderstood vocation.
Sources: Celebrity Storm Wire and People Magazine, National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA)
