40 Insane Stories That Funeral Directors Can’t Believe Actually Happened

You probably need a special kind of sensitivity to be a mortician. After all, as they’re often on the front lines of grief and loss, funeral directors are at high risk of developing mental issues. And yet, some of these stories feel like they’ve been pulled straight out of a comedy book, filled with morbidly hilarious timing that no one, not even a full-time mortician, could hear without cracking a smile.

After all, it’s not every day that we see “Circle of Life,” the grand anthem from The Lion King, cited and quoted as a poem during a wake. Or that a 19-year-old granddaughter would quite literally claim that funeral directors had removed her grandfather's legs, who seemed shorter in the casket. Stranger things have happened, but that’s definitely not common practice (in fact, it’s very much illegal).

Aside from the mental health risks, one thing we tend to forget is the stress that comes with providing such an emotionally demanding service, sometimes within a short time frame. A 2024 study found that funeral directors are often expected to prepare a funeral within as little as 24 hours, checking all the boxes for the families, making it a particularly high-stress job.

This also means irregular hours and on-site calls are common for funeral homes and their employees. And if a service isn’t properly organized, unexpected incidents can happen, like someone’s hair catching fire due to hairspray, for instance. Accidents do happen, of course, but sometimes they’re just the result of very poor planning from the funeral director’s side.

It’s particularly difficult to find a silver lining in this line of work, especially when dealing with those who are grieving. After all, experts warn people about the health and emotional issues that come with grief. Cognitive impairments caused by changes in brain chemistry can quite literally alter a person, and it isn’t easy to run a business around that.

At the same time, not everything is bad news. According to recent reports, American life expectancy has increased, and on top of that, early 2025 data shows that terminal cases related have decreased compared to 2024. Ultimately, while this could mean less business for funeral homes, it may also give funeral directors a much-needed break from all that stress.

Of course, despite all the intensity that comes with being a mortician surrounded by grief, the stories shared by funeral directors and attendees show that even in the darkest moments, there’s still some light to be found. Whether it’s a funny family member or a particularly bizarre moment, undertakers truly see just about everything.

In fact, some of these stories include simply bizarre and downright absurd moments, from a wake being delayed because the deceased person’s goldfish had been forgotten at home, to someone releasing a dove at a funeral only for it to be immediately snatched by a hawk. Two birds, one stone, you could say.

All of this just goes to show that the way people express love and honor someone’s memory is changing. Experts say the funeral industry itself is shifting, with cremation now more popular than ever. But that’s not all: themed funerals have also been on the rise, as more people embrace the idea of turning funerals into celebrations of life.

Whether it’s movies or hobbies that are involved in a funeral, what might seem odd at first is often simply a way to honor who someone was while they were alive. Maybe a poetic rendition of “Circle of Life” isn’t that strange after all. So, what unique stories do you have from your own life experience?