Jeane has always been fascinated with death (Picture: SWNS)
Meet Jeane, the ‘funeral crasher’ who is fascinated with death and has attended send offs for 200 strangers.
Jeane Trend-Hill, 55, has travelled around the world visiting cemeteries and first started attending funerals after accidentally crashing one in 2012.
After noticing her regularly visiting graves, cemetery workers at her local haunt started to contact Jeane when the deceased didn’t have any family or friends.
They would then ask her to attend the funeral.
Now people ask her to join so that nobody will ever be buried or cremated alone. Jeane also spends time photographing and tidying graves.
Jeane, an actress, photographer and artist, from Islington, London, says: ‘I’m proud to be that person that goes to strangers’ funerals when there is no one else who can attend.
Jeane at a cemetary (Picture: Jeane Trend-Hill / SWNS)
‘I’ve always been fascinated with death since I was a child. We would go to cemeteries, and I’d walk around looking at all the graves.
‘They are like outdoor art galleries.
‘I accidentally walked in on a funeral at a church but raised as a Catholic I knew not to leave once there. Even though I didn’t know the person I was deeply moved.
‘When cemetery workers started to invite me to services for veterans who had no one else to pay their respects I obliged and went along.
‘I realised that everyone has a story to tell, everyone has lived a life and should have someone around to remember them when they die.’
Jeane’s father died at the age of 56 and her mother Mary at 57. These experiences meant she began to feel at home in cemeteries and crematoriums.
Jeane visits London’s sprawling Victorian (Picture: Jeane Trend-Hill / SWNS)
Following on from this, she would spend hours sketching and photographing London’s sprawling Victorian cemeteries and has visited graves all over the world like Paris and Venice.
‘The first thing I do when I get somewhere is see where the closest crematory is,’ she says.
‘I did a PhD in mortuary science and became a cemetery historian.’
‘Now I’ve attended nearly 200 funerals for people I don’t actually know – although I have lost count of the exact amount.’
She’s attended almost 200 funerals (Picture: Jeane Trend-Hill/SWNS)
People reach out to Jean on Facebook to ask her to go along to send offs.
‘No one should ever be cremated or buried alone,’ Jeane says.
‘If I’m asked and I can go I will.’
Jeane is still passionate about caring for graves and has even restored the plaque for British architect Arthur Beresford Pite and unveiled it in Victorian mourning dress.
Her family regularly make jokes about her profession and hobbies and call her a ‘rent a mourner’.
‘It’s a name they gave me and it’s a bit fun,’ she notes.
Jeane hopes to give something back to families (Picture: Jeane Trend-Hill/SWNS)
‘Of course I’d never actually make anyone pay for my attendance at a funeral. I’ll wear mourning dress to funerals if people ask me to.
‘Death has never worried me. I hope I can make death feel less scary for people.
‘It’s my way of giving something back.’
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Her family call her a ‘rent a mourner.’