Helping families cope

SENSITIVE BUSINESS: Christine M. Cardoza took over the family business, Bell Funeral Home Inc., in 2000, which makes her, she believes, the only African-American woman to be licensed as a funeral home director in Rhode Island. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
SENSITIVE BUSINESS: Christine M. Cardoza took over the family business, Bell Funeral Home Inc., in 2000, which makes her, she believes, the only African-American woman to be licensed as a funeral home director in Rhode Island. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Christine M. Cardoza grew up in Bell Funeral Home Inc., quite literally.

Her parents brought her home from the hospital to their on-site residence in the Victorian-era structure on Broad Street in Providence.

She was working alongside her father, John F. Cardoza, by the time she was 13, initially handling office-related tasks and helping to answer mail.

By the time she assumed management and ownership of the business in 2000, Cardoza had an associate degree in science and a bachelor’s degree in bereavement counseling from Mount Ida College, and certification in Rhode Island as a licensed embalmer and funeral director.

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And that puts her in a very rare class of business owner. To her knowledge, she’s the only African-American woman in the state licensed as a funeral home director.

When she tells people what she does for a living, sometimes they’re taken aback. Then she explains why she loves her profession. “It’s the best business you could ever go into. I could sit in a room, and no one else in that room does what I do.”

The job itself is difficult, combining the need for a gentle way with families who are emotional and distraught, a firm grasp of scheduling requirements to meet the time demands for funeral services and knowledge of embalming.

Due to the increasing multicultural diversity of Providence, Bell Funeral Home has adapted to the needs of its community. People who have emigrated from countries in South America, Latin America and the Caribbean often have requested that their remains be returned and buried in their homeland.

Beyond the multicultural aspect of the business, she said she understands that for many of her customers, the death of a loved one is the worst thing they’ve experienced.

Helping them through that, and attending to their needs, is what she enjoys most, she said. The funeral is a part of that process.

She had watched her father interact with the families, and tried to emulate his attitude in her approach to the business. “Whatever it was you wanted or needed, he provided,” she said.

In managing the business side of the business, Cardoza said it has become clear that people have had changing attitudes about funeral preparation. Many of the older generation had prepared financially for their funerals and burials.

The preparation has not continued as much into younger generations. It is becoming more common, she said, for families to indicate the deceased had nothing set aside for the arrangements.

The business tries to work with families, she said. “We’re known for providing good services, at a reasonable and affordable price.” On a case-by-case basis, she has provided services at no charge.

Earlier this year, Cardoza received the Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Rhode Island Black Business Association. It recognized her role as a woman in a male-dominated industry, “having the heart and capability to do what I do.” •

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