Out of Personal Loss Comes a Career Mission

By Calyn Hoerner
Special to Hottytoddy.com

Coleman Funeral Home has hired a Family Service Manager, Matthew Malone. In his role, Malone helps families make pre-arrangements for the loss of a loved one. He also manages Garden of Memories Oxford, a perpetual care cemetery located off Highway 7 North.

Matthew Malone joins Coleman Funeral home as family service manager and will oversee Garden of Memories Oxford.

While he is only 31 years old, Malone has experienced first-hand how important pre-planning can be. Personal experience defined his career path early on.

“My mother passed away in 2006 when I was only 18,” Malone said. “She had no form of pre-planning in place.”

Making arrangements for his mother in the midst of his and his family’s grief, Malone began to understand why people choose to make arrangements in advance.

“As a family, we were left with all the decisions that had to be made and the financial burden of a funeral,” Malone said.

“I wanted to help people realize that you can arrange your funeral and pay burial expenses in advance. You can really plan out a memorialization and make sure that your story is told.”

Tanya Pettit, Coleman Funeral Home’s pre-planning specialist, says pre-planning is the most caring final gift one can make to their family.

“When a loved one has made their own arrangements, the family members can simply focus on comforting each other and celebrating the life of their loved one,” she said. “They know that everything has been taken care of exactly the way their loved one meant it to be.”

Since his career began in 2016, Malone has learned how important it is to listen to the families who he works with daily.

“In a role like this, you have to be able to actively listen,” he said. “If you aren’t actively listening to family, you don’t know how to properly build a memorial that will speak to the character of the person.”

Malone, who is currently pursuing a business degree at Ashford University, has previously managed four different cemeteries. He looks forward to using this experience in his role at Garden of Memories Oxford.

“Garden of Memories Oxford has become a premier cemetery for this community,” he said. “With the city’s cemetery having only a few plots remaining, this beautiful memorial park will be a blessing to the community for generations to come.”

When he is not at work, Malone enjoys spending time with his two godchildren, writing grants and working with nonprofits. Malone has previously sat on the board of directors for three different nonprofits.

To schedule a pre-need consultation with Coleman Funeral home or to purchase burial plots in Garden of Memories Oxford, contact Malone at mmalone@colemanfuneralhome.com or 662-676-0006.

For a pre-planning guide and a complete list of service packages, visit Coleman Funeral Home online at https://www.colemanfuneralhome.com.

Courtesy of Red Window Communications