The story of our company
Once upon a time, just after the turn of the 21st century, a compassionate and dedicated family embarked on a heartfelt mission to provide solace and support to those grieving the loss of their loved ones. Thus, AFTERLIFE FUNERALS was born, an independent family-owned funeral service provider in Sydney. In 2023, the AFTERLIFE FUNERALS brand underwent a formal name change and the new name of FUNERA was established. Same family, same team, just a fresh name.
At FUNERA, our greatest satisfaction comes from knowing that we can fulfill the wishes of you and your loved ones with utmost care and respect. We fully comprehend the immense difficulty that accompanies the passing of a cherished family member or friend, and we are here to help you navigate through this challenging time.
Every individual is unique, and we firmly believe that funerals should reflect the distinctive essence of the person being celebrated. That's why we take pride in offering individually tailored funeral services that align with your budget, beliefs, culture, and nationality. Our commitment to personalisation extends to the planning process itself, which can be conducted discreetly in the privacy of your own home or through convenient phone and email correspondence.
To ensure a truly personalised and meaningful farewell, our strategically located funeral parlours throughout Sydney enable us to collaborate closely with alternative venues. Whether you envision a serene garden setting, a quaint chapel, or any other intimate space, we work diligently to bring your vision to life. Our goal is to infuse your funeral service with an intimate and compassionate touch, leaving a lasting impression on all who attend.
We understand the profound impact that the choices made for your loved ones after their passing can have on their eternal rest. That's why we have designed our pricing structure with your family's well-being in mind. We believe that affordability should never come at the expense of exceptional service. At FUNERA, we offer an affordable funeral service that upholds the highest standards of care and compassion.
When you choose FUNERA, you are selecting a comprehensive funeral service provider. Our dedicated team is committed to ensuring that your journey through this challenging time is as comfortable and stress-free as possible. We take pride in shouldering the responsibility of looking after your family as if they were our own, guiding you every step of the way with empathy and understanding.
As we continue our journey, our mission remains unchanged—to provide solace, support, and a sense of peace to families during their most trying times. At FUNERA, we honour the memory of your loved ones and help create a final farewell that truly reflects their unique spirit and legacy.
Our mission
At FUNERA, our mission is focused on providing a dignified funeral service to our clients at the most affordable price possible. We believe that a funeral service should be a meaningful celebration of the person's life and that the choices made during the planning process can truly help to honour the deceased and their legacy. We strive to personalise each service to learn more details reflect the unique beliefs, culture, and nationality of our clients, and we offer a wide range of products and options to make the service more memorable for all those involved. As an Australian-owned independent family business, we are dedicated in providing compassionate and attentive support to our clients throughout the entire funeral planning process. Our goal is to alleviate as much stress and burden as possible, so our clients can focus on remembering and honouring their loved ones.
Our vision
Looking to the future, our vision is to excel in the funeral service industry and deliver exceptional fixed priced services that goes above and beyond our clients' expectations. We are committed to offering sincerity, dignity, and compassion in all that we do and to providing a transparent approach that removes any pressure or hard sell. Our goal is to streamline the entire funeral planning process and offer an all-inclusive, one-stop package that takes care of everything our clients need during this difficult time. We believe that by focusing on our clients' needs and delivering exceptional service, we can become a trusted and respected leader in the funeral service industry.
Scott Harris - Founding Director & CEO
The FUNERA management team is led by Scott Harris, who has extensive knowledge garnered from over 23 years industry experience. Working with other firms and having had the last 19 years of self management, Scott has personally overseen more than 4000 funerals. Scott is a caring individual who has a positive empathetic attitude towards others and is passionate about changing the industry because it serves as a platform to help families in their time of need. Scott also has an extension knowledge with Information Technology specialising in Server Management and Networking, whilst also delivering an extensive background in Transport Logistic and Freight Management.
Sara Phiromnak - Thai Development Manager
Sara oversees the daily business operations offering more than 10 years’ experience as a General Manager. Sara shows extreme reliability and is a very cooperative team member. Sara also brings to FUNERA a Bachelor of Business Administration in Logistics Operation Management. Native Thai spoken, Sara also is a public speaker and former promotional model for a number of regional brands & products.
Ariel Alonsagay - Design Team Co-Ordinator
Fresh to the team after a successful amalgamation, we welcome Ariel to the group. With a background in Industrial Electronics Technology, AutoCAD, Photogrammetric Correction and Graphic Arts, Ariel has been placed in charge of the design team. Ariel assigns the work load based on the urgency of tasks required with the can do attitude of late nights, weekends etc. Having worked closely with Scott on the FUNERA branding and roll out, Ariel understands the importance of getting things done then and now.
Lee Parkinson - Alternate Design Specialist
Lee is currently based in our South Africa office and has worked for the Funera group for 7+ years. Having run his own design studio in Cape Town South Africa and having assisted in the original design of the brand and website, Lee showcased having extensive knowledge in branding and Shopify web design. We are hoping to see him in the land of Oz one day to understand more of our cultural ways and slang
Izabela Biedron - Arranger
Polish speaking assistant, funeral arranger and mother charm to the group. Izabela brings a social care workers degree and understanding to the Afterlife team and families that we care for.
Phillip Brown – Celebrant
The key position to any funeral is the celebrant or minister. Phillip delivers an exceptional service and is always complimented. Showing loyalty to the firm over 8 years, Phillip has had added arranging and conducting funerals to his resume when he isn’t required as a celebrant. Phillip also brings extensive Sydney logistic knowledge to the group and is willing to strive that extra mile 24/7 to complete the tasks provided.
Jordan Lagrosa - Design Team Client Specialist
Jordan is a seasoned Graphic Designer with 11 years of experience in marketing campaigns and software such as Photoshop, CorelDraw, Sketch Up, Illustrator, Vegas, and After Effects. He is passionate about designing since graduating with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Information Technology major in Multimedia. Jordan has analytical and artistic ability, effective communication, computer proficiency, creativity, and excellent time-management skills. He also has experience in Social Media Marketing, particularly on Facebook. Throughout his career, Jordan has developed concepts, graphics, and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and websites with an eye for detail to meet clients' expectations.
Alex Biedron - Apprentice
Car washer extraordinaire and qualified personal fitness coach. Alex brings young charm to the office and is always putting his hands up to help out in all aspects of the operation. Making the team all walk that extra mile to stay fit and health so we can serve our families when needed.
Erica - Head of Social Media
Erica is a social media enthusiast with a keen eye for detail. With a background in Marketing and Business Management, she's the driving force behind our team's social media presence. As our newly appointed Social Media Specialist, Erica takes the reins of digital marketing, ensuring every post, campaign, and strategy is executed with precision. Her passion for creating meaningful connections through social media is evident in her work.