DOROTHY Dugdale has a career story unlike any you have ever heard.
Having joined the police force as a serving officer, she now continues to care for those around her as a funeral service manager at Co-op Funeralcare in Carlisle.
Despite the two careers seeming radically different upon first inspection, Dorothy says there are a lot more similarities between her days spent as a Criminal Investigation Officer and her current role which sees her looking after bereaved families.
Joining the force in 1983, Dorothy became the first unmarried female police officer to be managing a country station.
Becoming a Family Liaison Officer, Dorothy’s final years in the police force were spent dealing with the loved ones of murder or manslaughter victims.
Dorothy shared: “Working with the deceased and their families held no fear for me - as a police officer, I’ve attended numerous sudden death scenes, and have learnt how to help families deal with the overwhelming grief of losing a loved one.”
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In 2013 she decided to conclude her policing career, opting for a role in funeral care.
Reflecting on the career change, Dorothy said: “Initially, I thought I’d permanently retire after my career as a detective, but I’ve always been a busy bee who never settled for the typical nine-to-five jobs.
“My focus has always been on protecting and looking after the victims, rather than only trying to catch the ‘bad guys’, so when a part-time role in funeral care popped up, it felt like I had the exact skills they needed.”
Since joining as an administration arranger, Dorothy was quick to climb up the ladder and became the Funeral Service Manager for her region, looking after nine funeral homes across the Cumbria region.
Reflecting on her career change, Dorothy noted that the rewarding nature of her job is what keeps her going.
She said: “You may think it’s a sombre line of work, but in reality, it’s so all about good communication, strong people skills, and lots of empathy.
“We treat the families in our care the same way we’d want our loved ones to be treated, and the satisfaction you get from helping them through their bereavement is unmatched.”
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