Modern and Personalised Funerals from Cooper & Son

The funeral homes are located in Seaford, Uckfield, Heathfield, and Lewes with the surrounding pretty villages, bustling towns and picturesque seaside resorts of East Sussex being served from these main hubs. Not surprisingly, Cooper & Son is proud of its longevity and history and today is still helping and supporting people in the local community at this often emotional and challenging time in their lives.

Funeral homes in East Sussex

East Sussex is an elegant county located in south east England. The population is approximately 800,000 and Lewes is its administrative county town. The stunning chalk hills, named the South Downs cross the county with the Weald escarpment to the north. One of our funeral homes is situated in the historic town of Lewes, which hosts one of the biggest and most spectacular Bonfire Nights in the country. Sites of interest include Lewes Castle with its panoramic views, Lewes Priory, founded in 1081 and Anne of Cleeves house, a building which was part of Henry VIII’s divorce settlement to his wife, although sadly she never came to the town.

Seaford has a beautiful seafront that sweeps around the bay and was one of the main ports serving southern England in the Middle Ages. It is interesting to note that the Seven Sisters and the Coastguard Cottages can only be seen from Seaford Head Nature Reserve. Heathfield lies on the crest and southern slopes of the High Weald in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is close to Uckfield, an attractive market town which has existed since the 12^th century and still retains some of its medieval past centred around the Holy Cross Church.

A proud history for Cooper & Son

Cooper & Son is one of the oldest funeral directors in Sussex and that legacy is important to all the teams in Seaford, Lewes, Uckfield, and Heathfield. As the oldest funeral director in Sussex, Cooper & Son, part of CPJ Field, combines years of experience and heritage in funeral planning with a modern approach, providing individual, personalised funeral services to the local community. All four funeral homes are proud to convey the name and reputation. The current name came later, as the company was originally founded as R Jarvis in 1710, in Cross in Hand, Heathfield. Cooper & Son came about when the family took work as wheelwrights and undertakers, operating from Rose Cottage, Uckfield in 1856. Cooper & Son still operates from here with the charming cottage recently granted a Sussex Heritage Trust Award for the bespoke stained glass windows that feature in the visitors’ room. Despite being among the oldest funeral directors in Sussex, today’s teams are committed to providing modern and personalised funerals.

Funeral directors in Lewes, Seaford, Uckfield and Heathfield

As well as Rose Cottage, Cooper & Son’s other funeral directors are in Clinton Place, Seaford, The Gables, Lewes Road, Heathfield, and Lewes where the premises are based in the heart of the town in the historic High Street. Here you will meet our experienced and compassionate funeral directors, all of whom work tirelessly to ensure that the Cooper & Son name remains synonymous with quality in the local area, namely Damian Norman, Emma Tipler, and Nick Skilton.

Cooper & Son in the news and supporting the local community

Recently the new series of Grace was aired on ITV. The film crew took over the funeral home in Lewes in September 2022 and it was exciting to see the scenes at Cooper & Son feature in this popular television drama.

Personalised and modern funerals from knowledgeable and compassionate funeral directors in East Sussex

Seaford

Leading the team in Seaford is Nick Skilton who started working as a trainee funeral director in 1983 in Sevenoaks. He freely admits he has a lot of years and experience under his belt. He loves working for a family business in the small seaside town of Seaford, which allows him to offer a much more personal service than larger funeral directors. His love of both music and tradition proves beneficial when discussing the service with families. He plays drums in his spare time, and loves spending time with his six grandchildren aged 2 to 17, which keep him busy as well as poor! Nick is supported by the experienced and compassionate Mandy Scudder who has been a funeral arranger for 25 years. She looks after the Monumental Masonry and when she is not supporting families at this difficult time, she loves gardening, walking, and crafting. The newest member of the team is George Scarborough who loves both working and living in Seaford. He is an avid reader and gardener in his spare time and loves socialising with friends and sharing a good bottle of wine.

Alfriston, Bishopstone, East Dean, West Dean, Peacehaven, Telscombe and Friston.

Lewes

Damian Norman’s initial role was as a Chauffeur Bearer in 2011 and this insight into the funeral profession made him want to learn more. I In July 2015, he moved to Cooper & Son, Lewes, gaining his Diploma in Funeral Directing in 2020. He prides himself in making each funeral perfect in every detail for families at this often challenging time. Damian likes to keep fit and goes to the gym at least five times per week. When he isn’t being quite so active, he enjoys spending time with his family and watching local football, in particular his son’s team.

Joining Damian’s team is Angela Fisher, Lewes born and bred, which means many of the families in her care see a familiar face. According to Angela, this is a unique job and after five years, she cannot imagine doing anything else. In Angela’s spare time, she loves looking after the grandchildren and gardening. Her other loves are her five cats and Lewes Bonfire. The third member of the team is Marjorie Holloway who fell in love with Lewes over 40 years ago. She soon became part of the Lewes community, particularly as her children went to Southover school and then onto Priory. Her many interests include music, the arts, design, tennis, and gardening.

Lewes, Ringmer, Glynde, Firle, Kingston, Rodmell, Plumpton, East Chiltington and Beddingham.

Heathfield

Emma Tipler joined the funeral profession in 2017 and since then her progress has been rapid. She freely admits that she loves every moment of her working life and finds it a privilege to support, offer guidance and advice to families and friends when they need it the most. In her free time, Emma loves walking across the beautiful Sussex Downs, reading and going out with friends. With over 10 years in the industry, Paula O’Neill relishes the rewards that helping to support families = can bring. She is a Community Champion which involves maintaining close relationships with the local community and supporting local charities and initiatives, helping to make a positive impact on people’s lives. Gardening is a real passion for Paula and she loves nothing better than planting seeds in her greenhouse, watching them grow and planting them out in her beautiful garden. Dee Winter complements the team, having joined the profession in 2022. Previously, she had worked as a mental health nurse and she draws on her experience in that role to help people at a very challenging time. Dee has a long list of activities she enjoys outside of her working environment including yoga, roller skating, dancing, live walks and going for walks in the countryside.

Heathfield, Cross in Hand and surrounding towns and villages.

Uckfield

Emma Tipler leads the team in Uckfield having been with Cooper & Son for over six years. Emma has learned a lot from her more experienced colleagues in such a short space of time. She is now working towards her Diploma in Funeral Directing, having completed her Diploma in Funeral Arranging in December 2020. Deborah Lynam has been on the team for over five years, she is also a training mentor and plays a big part in assisting new colleagues when they join the company. Kerry Brown loves the beautiful Rose Cottage where she has worked for the last two years. She is fully qualified in health and social care which is the perfect background to provide the practical and emotional support needed for families at a difficult time. When not at the lovely location in Uckfield, Kerry likes to go on adventures with her dogs and listens to heavy metal music.

Uckfield, Framfield, Maresfield, Isfield, Five Ash Down, Buxted, Blackboys, Halland, Fletching, Piltdown, and Nutley.

How can Cooper & Son help you to arrange a modern and personalised funeral?

For the quality of funeral that your loved one deserves and the confidence that you need not only on the day but also before and after the funeral, we are available for a no-obligation conversation about your individual and specific arrangements. We are here to offer a listening ear and lighten your load, just when you need it the most. Everything we do is with care and compassion and take ownership of each step that leads to a successful funeral and a special day.

Please contact us at any time to answer your questions and to help make both this difficult time and your funeral planning that little bit easier. At Cooper & Son funeral homes, you can be confident you will be welcomed and greeted with the care and understanding and unrivalled personal service that we have been famous for over the years. We are here to provide modern, personal and compassionate funeral services, that leave lasting memories in the hearts and minds of local people.