Funeral Directors Newcastle Upon Tyne A Independent Funeral Service

About Us

Family-Run Funeral Directors Newcastle

At Mark Wait Funeral Directors, we serve Newcastle and beyond with compassion, dignity and respect.

As an independent, family-run funeral directors in Newcastle upon Tyne, we understand the importance of providing a personal and caring service during difficult times. Our experienced family team is dedicated to guiding you through every step of arranging a funeral, ensuring your loved one's farewell is both dignified and meaningful. With over six decades of experience serving the local community, we have built lasting relationships with families across Newcastle, Gosforth, and the surrounding areas. We take pride in our attention to detail and our commitment to providing compassionate support that makes a difference during challenging times. Available 24/7, we pride ourselves on offering bespoke funeral services that honour your wishes and celebrate the life of your loved one. From traditional ceremonies to contemporary celebrations, we're here to support you with understanding and professionalism. Our commitment to excellence extends beyond the service itself. We understand that each family has unique needs and preferences, which is why we offer personalised guidance and support throughout the entire process. Whether you're looking for a traditional funeral service or a more contemporary celebration of life, we're here to help create a meaningful tribute that truly reflects your loved one's life and legacy.

Our Family Team

Dedicated to Serving Your Family with Care and Compassion

Mark Wait

Funeral Director

Mark has worked in funeral service since the age of 16, now having nearly 45 years’ experience. He started out working for the CO-OP funeral service, gradually over the years gaining his Diploma in Funeral Directing and becoming a member of the Institute of Embalmers. He worked for the Co-operative funeral service for 26yrs becoming a manager before he was made redundant. After a time working with an independent funeral director, he decided in 2014 to set up his own business to enable him to provide a service to families he felt was of a high standard. Mark strongly believes that being qualified is essential to maintain these standards and very much promotes this within the industry. Mark and Amanda have three children two of whom work full time in the business whilst their oldest son assists when time off from his work allows.

Amanda Wait

Office Administrator

Having had a 20 year career as a Social Worker in mental health and palliative care, Amanda joined the family business in 2023 after they opened their second office. Having always had a background in funeral service as her Dad was also a funeral director, the profession is something she has always felt passionately about and been involved with in some form. Amanda’s role within the business is mainly office based and assisting families with their needs on a day to day basis.

Kelsey Wait

Funeral Director

Kelsey began her career in funeral service working for a larger funeral group in the west end of Newcastle as an administrator at the age of 18 yrs. She was keen to gain experience to enable her to move forward so started to work for a family friend in the Monkseaton area, before moving to work with her Dad in 2017. Since this time Kelsey has studied for and gained her Certificate in Funeral Practice before taking the next step and completing her Diploma in Funeral Directing in 2024.

Rhys Wait

Funeral Director

Rhys started his working life as a qualified mechanic before being drawn in the way of his family profession. He gained experience with a family friend as a Funeral Service Operative before joining his Dad and Kelsey in 2021. Rhys completed his Certificate in Funeral Practice in 2023. As part of his role he has the responsibility of the day to day running of funeral vehicles, maintenance and arranging of staff.

Our Values & Mission

Committed to Serving with Dignity, Respect, and Compassion

Compassionate Care

We understand that every family is unique, and we take pride in providing personalised, empathetic support during life's most challenging moments.

Family Values

As a family run business with over six decades of experience between us, we treat every family we serve as an extension of our own, offering genuine care and understanding.

Excellence

We maintain the highest standards in funeral care, ensuring every detail is handled with precision, dignity, and professional excellence.

24/7 Support

Available day and night, we're here whenever you need us, providing immediate assistance and guidance with understanding and care.

Our Mission

To provide dignified, professional funeral services that honour your loved ones and support families through their journey of grief with compassion, understanding, and respect. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of funeral care while maintaining our tradition of personal service and family values.

Community Involvement

Supporting Our Newcastle Community Through Action and Service

Although we are only a small family business, giving back when we can is important to us.

We try where possible to use local businesses for purchases and work closely with other independent businesses as this is an important part of our ethos. We aim when possible to offer help for local events and charities that focus on bringing the community together. Being part of a community is very important to us as a family and we believe that part of our success revolves around each other, our connections, our ability to relate and help each other.

We are proud to be funeral directors but are also proud to be part of the communities that we serve.

Mark Wait Funeral Directors engaging with the Newcastle community through charitable events and support services

Our Services Gallery

Personalised Funeral Services Tailored to Your Needs

Bespoke Funeral Services

Creating Meaningful Celebrations of Life

At Mark Wait funeral services we don’t believe in offering the packages to our families as many funeral directors do. We prefer to offer a bespoke service in which families’ only pay for what they require and therefore are not paying for something that they will not use which is often what happens when purchasing a packaged funeral from some other providers. Some examples of bespoke services we have arranged are:

Direct Cremation

This is a simple, ‘no frills’ unattended cremation, which has become more popular over recent years. Our direct cremation service includes transfer of your loved one from either home or hospital into our care, care and preparation, dressing in own clothing if desired and a simple veneered coffin. You are able to visit your family member in our chapel of rest during working hours and the cremation will take place at our local crematorium. There is no service, music, flowers, simple but dignified. You are safe in the knowledge that your loved one remains in the local area. We will then return your loved ones ashes to you if you wish.

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Traditional Service

This is the service that most people will be familiar with. A traditional funeral with a service led by either a religious minister in church/crematorium chapel or celebrant in crematorium chapel. The use of our hearse or alternative transport options and limousines to carry your loved one to the final destination, whether this is for cremation or burial. You can tailor this service to meet your family’s wishes and have as unique a funeral as you desire.

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Woodland Setting

A beautiful outdoor setting for a service in woodland grounds as close to nature as you can be. Everything is biodegradable and in some grounds you are able to have a memorial tree planted if you wish to. A lovely lasting memory for those who are environmentally aware and passionate about nature.

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Unique Settings

In the past we have arranged for families to have a funeral service in an alternative setting to meet the wishes of their loved one. A local pub, a pub garden and travelling past landmarks that are special to a person. You can be creative with funeral planning, however there are guidelines and laws that we must adhere to when considering other alternatives.

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Get a Free Consultation

We're Here to Help You Plan with Care and Understanding

0191 285 6635|

contact@markwaitfunerals.co.uk