Leo Gillick
You may think that growing up above a funeral home would be a terribly morbid upbringing, but for Eileen Hollis, it sounded like she had the perfect start in life.
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We associate funeral homes with death and dying. But Eileen says that her experience growing up among the recently deceased and now working with them is more about the connections she has made. It’s the life that comes to light rather than the loss of it.
Growing up Grim: Eileen’s father bought the funeral home that became the family business in 1979. Her father ran Hollis Funeral Home throughout her upbringing, with the family living above the mortuary.
- He eventually sold it to provide a little more stability for the family. But, eventually, he went back and bought the company back. But by this time, she was already on her own path, studying and travelling to new cities.
Living above a working funeral home had become so commonplace for Eileen. She lived around the dead, and her father had always treated it as no more than a job. In her TikTok videos, she explains that it was so normal she forgot to even mention it.
Following In Her Father’s Footsteps
Although Eileen did go out and study dance in New York City, she eventually returned to her father’s side. Watching her father buy back the business and his passion for the job encouraged her to take up the mantle.
- “It’s really like a labor of love, and I never expected to get into this profession,” she said on TikTok. “But here I am. My dad always says if any one of us was going to do it, it was going to be me. I’m the baby of the family, but he thinks I have the drive for it.”
@hollisfuneralhome #mortician #spookyseason #disco ♬ Green Onions – Booker T. & The MG's
Now, she’s working as a mortician. She has taken the relevant qualifications and plans to take over the funeral home when her father retires.
- “I was petrified going into mortuary school, especially since science was never my strong suit,” Hollis said. “It was tough, harder than I imagined it would be. But it was a really great experience.”
It may seem like a grim profession. But, for Eileen, it is a chance to see a side of humanity and love that is often missed by most until it’s too late. “One of my favorite parts is the connections I make with families. Hearing about who their loved one was, and then watching people come together to honor that life — whether it’s two people at a burial or a full room at calling hours — is always meaningful.”
