The origin of Ian Milne and Sons

Ian Milne is the son of Bobby Milne and nephew of the late Jack. Both famous railway men in Portadown, once referred to as the "The Hub of the North" when most freight and passenger travel moved by rail, as of course did many a funeral cortege.

In 1989 Ian qualified with the National Association of Funeral Directors Diploma in Funeral Directing following completion of the relevant course, sitting the appropriate exams and gaining practical experience with a funeral firm in County Tyrone.

As a small family business we take pride in our personal service combined with care and compassion. We believe we can make a “difficult time easier”.

In the last year and a half bereavement has visited our family which re-emphasized our commitment to help others in their time of need.

Background

In 1989 Ian qualified with the National Association of Funeral Directors Diploma in Funeral Directing following completion of the relevant course, sitting the appropriate exams and gaining practical experience with a funeral firm.

Ian is a family man and it was in conjunction with his wife Valerie that the decision was taken to build a funeral home and establish the business. They have three children Stuart, Rebecca and Andrew. In fact, Stuart has recently became the youngest ever person to complete the foundation exam in funeral Directing from the National Association of Funeral Directors. He then worked in Australia in the largest funeral firm there and gained a valuable insight into “practices and customs” on the other side of the world. He currently is working full time in the business and is seen by his generation as “their funeral director” in the area.

Recently Mr Craig Woods has joined the business and gained his foundation exam after completing the relevant course. Craig is totally committed to his career and is seen as a very caring and compassionate person to deal with at the time of a death. This is in marked contrast to his Saturday afternoons when as scrum half for Ballymena Rugby Club first team he’s not quite so soft.

Valerie’s coffee shop in Lurgan – Truffles – has recently teamed up with Ian Milne and sons to provide “funeral catering” as part of the firms service and also as an assistance to other bereaved families who may require this service

Professional Bodies

Ian holds the Diploma in Funeral Directing is a member of the National Association of Funeral Directors and is currently Chairman for the British Institute of Funeral Directors in this region.

Associations

We are a member of the following Associations;

National Association of Funeral Directors NAFD has been helping Funeral Directors care for the bereaved since 1905 and is the longest established association within the profession. The National Association of Funeral Directors' Code of Practice, with which all Funeral Business Members must comply, has been established for over 20 years. Ian is currently a member of the NAFD committee on policy change in the Legislative assembly in Stormont and is a Member of the Coroner’s laison committee in Northern Ireland Visit the site for more information ....

British Institute of Funeral Directors The British Institute of Funeral Directors was formed in 1981 by a group of highly experienced, qualified Funeral Directors to provide an organisation which cared for professionally qualified individuals working within the Funeral Industry. Its main aim being to promote education within the profession. Visit the site for more information ....

Community

Having only recently completed the first purpose built funeral home in the Craigavon area, we feel committed to our community. We believe that tradition and progress can go hand in hand and that genuine family Christian values can, even in the twenty first century, permeate the funeral business which bears our name.

So much so that we truly believe ourselves to be a community service organisation. This is reinforced by our sponsorship of local bowling, football, youth activities, church events, fetes and many many more community based activities.

One of our most popular and most requested activities is our talk on “Faiths, Funerals, Customs and Christians” a light hearted trip through many countries and religious beliefs around the world. We as a company feel morally and socially responsible and to this end get involved in such events as the following “Deadly serious about cars” an event with the theme of helping to decrease the death rate of young drivers .This event drew large numbers of young people when it was first held.

Ian and the P.S.N.I. also recently joined forces on an anti drink driving campaign “Who’s Leaving You Home Tonight” which seemed really well received for its thought provoking message.