From the age of 14, Ian has been involved in the funeral industry working alongside his father, the late Earl Griffith. He attended the Coleridge and Parry School and later the Barbados Community College.

 

In 1989, he graduated with honours from the American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Services in New York. During his two (2) year stay in New York, he completed his apprenticeship with the well-known funeral establishment – House of Hills in Brooklyn. Thanks to Mr. Ralph Hill and the entire Hill family the apprenticeship proved to be a well-rounded experience in both the mortuary and funeral home setting.

 

On returning to Barbados, Ian worked alongside his father as well as a trade embalmer for many funeral homes on the Island, and also in the region.

It is his aim and practice that serving families goes beyond presenting a smile on the deceased but also ensuring that each family is comforted and the grief eased by handling every detail of the funeral with attention. “No funeral must end in frustration and discomfort” is his belief.

 

His contribution to the funeral industry goes way beyond just taking care of the deceased. An active member of the community, he has taken the funeral home’s involvement beyond the funeral through the introduction of bereavement support services and its annual Remembrance Service held in November.

 

Ian has been the President of the Barbados Association of Funeral Directors for over ten (10) years. He is an active Scottish Mason, a motorsport enthusiast, and a community-spirited individual.