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Husband and wife team, Simon and Lucie Luke are the fifth generation to own and run Morris Bros (Tavistock) Ltd, a local independent funeral directors. Established in 1870, by Simon’s great, great granddad, John Morris and his brother, the family firm has now been in existence for 150 years, providing the area with sympathetic and bespoke funeral services; very few companies can claim that continuity of service over 15 decades, and the sixth generation is waiting in the wings. For the whole of this time the firm has been based in the Old Bedford Iron Foundry, Lakeside in Tavistock.
Simon and Lucie’s son Ben currently manages a jaguar conservation project in Costa Rica, tracking, protecting and photographing the big cat. However, he is keen to carry on the family business after spending these key early years acquiring life experiences. Charlotte, Ben’s sister, is also in the line-up. Simon’s sister Kate also works in the business, providing invaluable administrative support. In addition, there are ten part-time staff that make up the team. Simon is the managing director and has been running the firm since 2002. He explained: “Lucie and I have some 30 years ahead of us yet before passing the business to the children but their support means a lot. There are often disruptions to planned days out and holidays due to the nature of the business and their patience has always been amazing. I was involved in the business from the age of 16 years, washing the cars, in fact I learnt how to drive in a limousine!”
Lucie entered the business after a career in HR, and although not born into the firm, she started to look at aspects of the services they provided, in particular the outsourcing of the embalming process. She decided that she could offer a better and more sympathetic service, so embarked on an extensive and lengthy training process, qualifying as a professional embalmer through the British Institute of Embalmers. She said: “I always felt we could provide a more personalised service for families. There is great satisfaction in restoring dignity to our clients and therefore giving families time with their loved ones in a safe environment. As we live at our premises, we can also easily offer this time to families outside office hours.”
Simon and Lucie have just completed a renovation of the office, the last part of the foundry to be refurbished, with a brand-new frontage, reception area, chapel of rest and lounge for family members to meet and consult. Simon concluded: “Lucie and I are dedicated to ensuring everything is in place to continue our independent services to bereaved families for another 150 years.”