Six Generations, Still Learning

Marc Allison is a sixth-generation funeral director. His ancestors helped establish industry associations and standards (1). They built well-known funeral businesses in Sydney and Melbourne and earned professional respect.

Marc has collaborated with others to establish world-firsts in the funeral sector - in a product (2) and business model (3). He has learned from funeral directors across Australia and multiple continents.

But all this has also taught him what not to do. Watching the sector prioritize margin and volume above all showed him what many families have known for a long time - a different path was needed.

The first priority should be loving people.

(1) Search for past presidents "Allison" and "Andrews" - Funerals Australia Past Presidents

(2) Innovative hearse design - SMH: Hearse in running for design awards (2009)

(3) Co-founded funeral service for national charity - Reuters: Ethical funeral providers seek new ways (2020)

How This Works in Practice

Everything beyond our professional service fee is provided at cost. Where suppliers require us not to disclose their pricing, we add only a nominal administrative margin. There's no incentive to upsell - our work is funded by the service itself, not the products.

This enables us to pay colleagues well above industry standards, settle suppliers' invoices promptly, and quietly help families with limited means through our Funeral Cost Help.

We connect families to GriefShare support groups and provide ongoing care beyond the funeral itself. Our pricing tool offers instant quotes with options and honest advice - because transparency serves families better than sales pressure.

Friends and Partners

The "Friends" in our name are real: Anelle, Lachlan, Phil and Andrew. Each serves families in their region with the same conviction.

Those who care for families at Marc & Friends are Christians who have personally experienced the pain of losing a loved one. In Marc's case, the hardest circumstance was the unexpected loss of his mother. This shared understanding brings a unique depth of compassion and empathy to the care we provide.

The journey has been shaped by dozens of friends - some now working alongside us, others who may join in the future. With their encouragement and guidance, Marc & Friends was established in January 2025.

While the business is new, the relationships and experience run deeper. Our partnerships with mortuary and crematorium providers, coffin and urn suppliers - some stretch back to 15 years before our founding. Through previous work with these partners, we've served hundreds of families together. These longstanding relationships ensure quality and continuity of care.

Our Deeper Purpose

For those wondering what grounds this approach: we seek to make the fullness of Christ known amid death and grief — understanding funeral service as ministry rather than business.