Paul Nolan, a Glenside resident and director of operations and support for all 14 Life Celebration by Givnish locations, has been with the company since March 2017.
Nolan’s day-to-day involves a little bit of everything, including providing support for Givnish’s funeral directors and office managers in all facets.
“On any given day, I can be running for the office managers and grabbing death certificates and required documents,” Nolan said. “I run to the post office, I make sure all of the funeral homes are stocked with supplies, and I make sure our vehicles are in good order in terms of oil changes and inspections. It’s a full day.”
Nolan also performs patient transfers, which involves transferring the deceased from the hospital, nursing home, or house into Givnish’s care to take to their facilities.
“The houses are the toughest ones. We’re the first people the family sees after making that initial call,” he said. “Some are still in shock, and you want to assure them that we’ll take excellent care of their loved one. That’s what’s important for their first time. We want to make them feel calm and comfortable.”
“It’s a funeral business, but I don’t think we feel like we work for a business. We’re more of a service,” he said. “There are no cubicles. We get to know the family and their loved one, and we celebrate their life.”
For Nolan, the most rewarding element of the industry is allowing families to know that they’ll be supported.
“The connection with the family is the most crucial part. When I see a family suffering and I know that we’re helping them, that’s pretty much it for me,” Nolan said, noting that he’s known the Givnish family for the better part of three decades.
A father of three Abington Senior High School graduates and one Bishop McDevitt High School graduate, Nolan wants to assure families in the area that Life Celebration by Givnish is there for them.
“We’ll do anything we can to serve families in greater Glenside. Please feel free to stop by our Lunch & Learns or stop in any time to see our facilities,” he said. “I really enjoy being involved in all of our community events, including our Halloween Safety Night for the kids, the Christmas tree lighting memorial service, and our upcoming Abington Police Foundation benefit at the Keswick Theatre in April.”
For more on the Freed-Givnish Life Celebration Home, you can visit their website. You can also read our previous stories about Shauna Donnelly, office manager, Bob Wustner, Funeral Director in Residence, Maddie Sydlowski, funeral director, and Christina Manero, funeral director.
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