Funeral Partners appoints new regional director

Funeral Partners has announced the appointment of James Ray as its new regional director for Southern England, Wales and North London. 

Ray, who began his career at a local funeral provider in Teignmouth in 2000, then joined Drakes of Torbay, Torquay, in 2003 as a funeral director. 

He was then asked to take up a wide-ranging role based in Surrey for Funeral Partners, of which Drakes is a network member of. 

In that role, he successfully built a portfolio of funeral businesses that serve communities of all faiths, specialising in Muslim, Italian, and Nepalese funerals before his remit expanded into Berkshire and North London.  

Funeral Partners’ network in the region includes Drakes; Torbay and District Funeral Directors in Babbacombe Road, Torquay; and JH Way Funeral Services in Dawlish and Teignmouth. 

Ray said: “It is wonderful to see so many familiar faces within the teams in Torbay and from Teignmouth. A lot has changed since I started, but what remains is the care we all must give to our clients at what is an incredibly difficult time.

“I am excited to return to Devon and continue my journey with Funeral Partners. I look forward to working with our dedicated team to support families during their most challenging times. The care and presentation of every single person’s loved one is of the utmost importance to me.”  

He added: “I play a pivotal role in ensuring the high standards that I expect along with my team are passed down to the next generation of funeral professionals within our team of dedicated service providers.” 

Matthew Barber, chief operating officer of Funeral Partners, added: “We are thrilled to welcome James back to Devon, and are excited that he agreed to lead the way in our largest region. 

“His extensive experience and dedication to providing compassionate and personalised funeral services make him an invaluable addition to our team.”