A FUNERAL director from Launceston has described planning her grandfather’s funeral as the ‘greatest honour’ of her life.

At some point in everyone’s life, people need the support of specialists to help them honour and remember those who are no longer living, and funeral arrangers across Cornwall do their bit to help guide families through the days following a bereavement.

For many local families, that support has come from Kenzie Watson, a 32-year-old funeral director based at Co-op Funeralcare Launceston, who has spent the last eight years at the branch. However, Kenzie never expected she would have to provide that same support for her own family – when her grandfather died unexpectedly, Kenzie's work became deeply personal.

“He’d always said that if anything happened to him, he wanted me to look after him,” Kenzie says. “I just never expected it to be so soon.”

Honouring his wishes, Kenzie supported her family through every stage of the arrangements, from preparing him for chapel visits to speaking at his funeral.

Kenzie says that despite being difficult, her grandfather got the ‘send-off he deserved.’

She said: “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but also the greatest honour of my life. He had the send-off he deserved.”

As well as honouring her grandfather, Kenzie has said that this personal experience has now helped shape the way she supports other families.

Kenzie says that every person that comes into her care, becomes her loved one - allowing her to take the utmost care while carrying out their family’s wishes.

She explained: “When someone comes into my care, they become my loved one too. Families are trusting me with the most precious thing they have.”

After moving to Launceston from Plymouth at the age of 18, Kenzie worked for six years as a dementia care team leader at a care home before joining Co-op Funeralcare in 2017.

Kenzie added: “I’ve always been drawn to roles where I can help people when they need it most.”

Kenzie began her career as a funeral service operative, often being the first person families met when a loved one was brought into care, before progressing into her current role as funeral arranger in 2023. She now supports families from the first phone call through to the funeral itself, having stepped into the role of funeral director in September 2025.

A spokesperson from Co-op Funeralcare said: “Kenzie is known for her personalised approach, adapting her support to each family and helping them reflect their loved one’s life through music, visual tributes and small, meaningful details.”

Outside of her role working at the funeral home, Kenzie continues to play a role in supporting those within the area, co-running a bereavement support group in Launceston, offering ongoing support to people in the community who are struggling with loss.

For Kenzie, the most rewarding part of the role is simple: “Being trusted by families at such a vulnerable time is something I never take lightly.”