Blog

March 23, 2026
by Annie Jennings

Do Funeral Home Directors Actually Live in the Funeral Homes?

If you’ve ever watched Six Feet Under or My Girl and morbidly wondered, “Do people actually live at these places?” The answer is, surprisingly, yes. And it’s not just a TV trope. Many funeral homes across the U.S. really did (and still do) double as the family home. 

For most of American history, funerals happened at home. Families would wash, dress, and lay out their loved ones in the front parlor. However, the Civil War fundamentally transformed American funeral customs by creating a massive demand for transporting soldiers’ bodies long distances from battlefields to allow for proper burials at home that families could attend, thus giving rise to a professional, commercialized funeral industry. By the late 1800s, the profession was formalized, associations formed, schools opened, and funeral directors became licensed specialists.

Death Doesn’t Wait for Business Hours

One of the biggest reasons funeral directors historically live on site is simple: people die around the clock. Having someone already in the building meant a faster response when the late-night call came in. Before modern EMS existed, funeral homes even ran ambulance services, so being on-call wasn’t an option; it was part of the job. Moreover, families often feel better knowing their loved one isn’t “alone” in a dark building overnight. The idea of a funeral taking place in a home, not a cold, commercial space, has roots that stretch back centuries, when funerals were held in the family parlor. The look seen in many funeral homes today is intentional, meant to make friends and family feel comfortable in the face of grief. 

Another unexpected reason? Security. Embalming fluid has been misused as a drug, leading some people to break into funeral homes to steal chemicals. Having staff living on-site helped deter that.

Not Every Funeral Home Is The Same

Although it may seem like semantics, an important distinction is that a funeral home handles ceremonies, families, planning, and care. A mortuary, on the other hand, focuses more on clinical preparation. And not every funeral home has its own crematory—the staff often transports the deceased to another facility.

Today

Despite industry consolidation, the majority of funeral homes are still small, family-owned operations, carrying forward traditions that blend home life, community, and care. These families also assist with coordinating funerals, from caskets and urns to guest lists, as well as with legal requirements and paperwork. They are with mourners every step of the way, helping families memorialize their loved ones in the easiest way possible during an emotionally fraught time. 

How it Connects to Fourteen Funerals 

Understanding this history adds an unexpected layer to the world of Fourteen Funerals. Millie is not just a small-town funeral worker; she’s part of a long lineage of families who live above the work, blurring the line between home and job, between private and public life. That’s why the funeral home in the play feels intimate, lived in, and emotionally charged. It’s not just a workplace, but a space full of history, duty, comfort, and 24/7 presence. The perfect backdrop for two women learning what it means to show up for someone—unexpected or not. 

Fourteen Funerals runs March 21–April 12. Get tickets here.