Dignity in death: Funeral company helps seniors carry out final wishes

When Madam Yong died in 2024 at the age of 88, her funeral was executed smoothly despite her not having any next of kin.

- Clay Lim

She was a Buddhist and wanted a same-day cremation. The next day, her ashes and her spirit tablet were placed in a cremation niche at Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery.

A Buddhist monk chanted and prayed at the monastery on the first day and 21st day after her death. The monk service and her spirit tablet, which amounted to $450, were fully paid by Mr Jeffrey Lee, sales and marketing manager at funeral company Simplicity Casket, which had kick-started her funeral plans 13 years ago.

Since starting these services in 2011, the company has worked on more than 90 pre-planned funeral arrangements, with 40 of them done pro bono.

For its efforts, Simplicity Casket was honoured alongside 12 other recipients at the annual Friends of Community Care Awards on May 28.

The company was recognised under the corporate category for small and medium-sized enterprises alongside two other awardees — CK Holdings (2003) and Goshen Consultancy Services.

Launched in 2020 by the Agency for Integrated Care, the awards honour organisations that contribute to community care in Singapore.