Mills revolutionised funeral home business

Cedric Mills, the entrepreneur who can be described as having revolutionized the funeral home business in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), died on Wednesday April 15.

Mills, a prominent local businessman was the proprietor and undertaker of Ever-Ready Funeral Home located in Frenches.

He died shortly after being rushed to the Accident and Emergency Department after he fell ill.

For decades, Mills has been at the helm of the funeral home which was started in the 1960s by his father.

Mills grew up in an environment where bodies were preserved by putting them on blocks of ice. He was trained as a carpenter and in the early days, he built the wooden coffins and caskets used by the business.

Mills will be remembered for his generosity and pleasant personality and someone who has made a great contribution to the country.

In 2017, 2018 and 2020 Ever-Ready Funeral Home took the award for “Best Undertakers” in the Best of SVG competition as persons described the services that Mills offered as second to none.

Mills is said to have learnt the business from his grandfather and father. To gain more expertise, Mills journeyed to Trinidad, after which he came back and started his own business with the motto “Service above self”.

Kirth Mills, one of Cedric’s sons told SEARCHLIGHT in 2017 that his father has always stressed that customers should be placed above everything else, as it is not just about money.

“My father always says your reputation is what you have, so you have to make sure you do your best,” Kirth told SEARCHLIGHT back then.

(Interviews with relatives and close friends of Cedric Mills will be published in the Friday, May 15, 2020 edition of SEARCHLIGHT)