As a family-run company, R Johnson Funeral Directors is backed by more than 60 years of experience in funeral planning and arrangements. Rely on our knowledge and experience to tailor all funeral services to your wishes and those of your loved one. Based in North Shields, Tyne and Wear, we cover everything from arranging the service to notifying friends and relatives. Likewise, if the deceased had a pre-paid funeral plan, we will carry out all arrangements according to their plan. Get in touch today for more information about what to do next.
Important Considerations
Funeral directors will usually ask you the following questions to help you arrange the right service:
Planning a Funeral - Important Considerations
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Would You Prefer a Burial or a Cremation?
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Where Should the Deceased Rest before the Funeral?
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When and Where Will the Funeral Be Held?
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What Type of Service Do You Prefer? (e.g., Religious, Humanist, Civil, or Green)
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Who Will Conduct the Funeral?
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Do You Require Vehicles for the Funeral?
Other Plans
Once you have arranged the date and venue for the funeral, we will help and advise you through every step, including:
Planning a Funeral - Other Plans
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Invitations and Newspaper Notices
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Music, Hymns, and Readings for the Service
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Eulogy Planning
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Flowers
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Stationery, including Service Booklets, Thank-You Cards, and Maps
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Preference for Flower Tributes from Mourners or a Charity Donation
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Arranging a Gathering or Wake, Following the Funeral
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Catering for After-Funeral Gathering
Coffins
If you’re looking for a modern coffin, there is a wide range of choices available, including traditional wooden coffins, personalised options, and even environmentally friendly variants such as wicker and cardboard. We are happy to advise you on all aspects of choosing a coffin, from cost to style.
The Barnard
Polished to a rich gloss finish, the Barnard is a traditionally crafted solid oak coffin with a high, raised lid and deep panels to the sides and ends. This coffin is suitable for either cremation or burial and can be fitted with handles if required.
The Churchill
The impressive Churchill is an 18-gauge steel casket with a tiger-eye finish. It has contrasting bar handles, lovely corner detailing, and a luxurious almond velvet interior.
The Heartwood Range
Covering a traditional range of products, the Heartwood range includes UK-manufactured coffins, caskets, ash urns, and coffin furniture. It includes a wide array of styles, ranging from traditional English coffins with delicate religious designs to high-quality “Italian-style” coffins with a high-gloss finish.
Additionally, Heartwood’s Diamant series brings a fresh contemporary twist for the modern world. However, you choose to honour the memory of your loved one, we hope you will rest assured that each coffin is created with exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail. Please download the brochure below to find out more.
The Country Range
Produced using sustainable materials, the Country Range encompasses environmental values and high-quality workmanship. All coffins are readily biodegradable and are suitable for all types of natural or traditional burial and cremation. Materials include:
- British Wool
- Fairtrade Bamboo and Wicker (Accredited by Traidcraft)
- Fairtrade Seagrass (Accredited by Traidcraft)
- Country-Style Veneer Coffin
This range of products has a low Global Warming Potential (GWP) carbon footprint and offers a social and ethical benefit, whether through charitable donations to environmental initiatives or employing the community involved in manufacturing them. We are confident that within this fantastic alternative range, you will find a product to match your needs.
Guardian Casket Range
Suitable for burial and cremation, Guardian’s hybrid caskets contain minimal metal components. From traditional English caskets to high-quality “American-style” metal caskets with memory record systems and embroidered cap panels, we’ve got something for all tastes and requirements. Please download the brochure below to discover more.
Urns for Interment and Burial
For some, the ideal way to say farewell to a loved one is by burying or interring their ashes. With your needs in mind, we have assembled a comprehensive range of ash caskets and urns. With personalisation options available, many products are specially designed to have no lasting impact on the environment, using materials such as handmade paper, sand, cornstarch, bamboo, and wool. Please download the brochure below to browse our available urns.
Urns to Keep at Home
Others find it comforting to keep a loved one’s ashes at home in a decorative urn. We have a selection of urns and caskets specifically designed for keeping at home, with a beautiful finish that can be displayed openly or kept in a private place of remembrance. These vessels can also later be buried, interred, or scattered in a place of special significance as you wish. Please download the brochure below for further information.
Urns to Scatter or Share
Creating keepsakes and remembrances are a way of keeping special memorials to loved ones with tangible and personalised mementos. We offer an array of special metal keepsake options in which you can share out and keep ashes forever. They also make the ideal complement to a biodegradable urn. We also provide scatter tubes for easy scattering of ashes. Please download the brochure below for more details.
