Funerals a piece of cake for phoney mourners

By JEREMY REES and NZPA

They sit discreetly at the back of the funeral, two elderly mourners. He in a suit and tie. She in sober clothes as befits the occasion.

But they are not there for the funeral. They have come for the free lunch, the tea and bikkies.

Funeral directors in Timaru have revealed an elderly couple, dubbed "professional mourners," are attending nearly every funeral and wake in town, potentially five or six a week.

They scan the death notices for funerals, then blend in with the crowds at the wake or the free lunch at the RSA, bowling club, local hall or, sometimes, even people's houses.

The unnamed couple - who until 12 years ago were joined by another woman, until she died - are almost never challenged.

"No-one wants to make a scene at a funeral," said South Canterbury Funeral Services director Wayne Phillips, who has watched the couple for 17 years. "Most people assume they must know the family in some way, so they never challenge them."

Almost never. Five years ago they were spotted by one grieving family.

"The relatives of one family started asking around who these people at the wake were and the son of the deceased had to approach them and ask them to leave."

Asked whether funeral directors should ask them to leave instead, Mr Phillips said it was a delicate matter because it was possible the couple could have known the deceased.

Directors could not stop people attending funerals because they are public occasions, notified in the newspaper. Wakes on private property, however, were a different matter.

"Most of the time they are just there for a free meal, the sandwiches, cakes and tea. Sometimes the wake at a funeral can be quite an elaborate meal.

"I imagine this sort of thing happens in other places. It's easier to spot in small towns where the funeral director will notice the same people. But in cities people could go for years unnoticed."

The Herald called funeral directors in Auckland and the Waikato but none knew of professional mourners just there for the food.

One said that while some people enjoyed a good funeral and attended regularly, they usually did know the deceased.

Dick Ireton, a Timaru funeral director, said the practice of "professional mourners" was distasteful.

He said the elderly couple, thought to be in their 80s, had been regulars at funerals for around 20 years. "The wakes are catered and this is their free meal for the day."

Mr Ireton said the professional mourners had never caused any problems and were very discreet. "They do it properly. They don't do anything conspicuous. In all fairness they may know the deceased, but it just seems too much of a coincidence."

Since news of the couple broke in the Timaru Herald, other residents have approached funeral directors to report unusual couples attending funerals.

"I had one chap from Geraldine phone to report a couple in their 30s had been to a wake, but it seems they were there to check out the house for a burglary, said Mr Phillips.

"He found them checking out the bedroom while the mourners were in the living room."