Our History | sfamilyfunerals

History

Paul was a third generation funeral director of the Skinner family, with his grandfather Ewart Tennyson Skinner along with his wife, Ida, taking over as funeral directors or undertakers as then known at Moonta from the Hosking family in 1926.

The Hosking family and the Skinner family were neighbours in the main street of Moonta at that time, with the Hosking family being the towns undertaker and the Skinner family being the towns carpenter.

Mr. Hosking suddenly died in 1926, so Mrs. Hosking asked for much needed neighbourly help from the Skinner family. Ewart Skinner never envisaged himself to become an undertaker, but to help a neighbour out Ewart and Ida Skinner began their journey to further help their community and the rest is history.

Paul's father, Leonard (Mostyn) Skinner became the next generation funeral director in Moonta along with his wife Joan. Mostyn and Joan also served the community with distinction as funeral directors, until Mostyn's sudden death in 1980, aged 53 years.

It was shortly before Paul's father, Mostyn's death the family business grew with the purchase of another funeral business in Maitland from the Adams family.

Paul had been helping his parents in the funeral business since he was 16 years of age and became the third generation funeral director of the Skinner family.

Paul and his wife Helen moved to the present residence of 1 Frances terrace, continuing the funeral business in the chapel, office and mortuary At one stage they purchased the first BF Ford Falcon Hearse in Australia in the family company colour of Maroon.

Paul and Helen expanded the funeral business further with the purchase of another well-known funeral business from Phil Seeley at Kadina in 2002. The Seeley family had also served the Kadina Community with distinction since 1924 and with that business, an up to date residence, funeral chapel, office and mortuary, was now in the care of the Skinner family.

With Paul and Helen's good and sound decisions the business grew to allow the fourth generation of funeral directors of the Skinner family, with Tim working in the business since 1997 and Andrew since 2004. These two young men are certainly a chip off the old block and I am sure they will continue the legacy their father has left with distinction.

The Skinner family had been members of the South Australian Funeral Directors Association since its inception, this association then joined forces with the Australian Funeral Directors Association in the early 1990s which formed in 1935.

The AFDA stands behind promoting professional funeral standards and follows a code of ethics to serve the community along with developing several standards for industry practice.

Paul Skinner had a major part in A.F.D.A. not only being a member of the SAFDA and the AFDA all of his professional life, but by becoming a divisional councilor for the SA/NT Division of the AFDA since 2006. Paul's major role within divisional council was his involvement with sub committees in categories of Membership and Education.

Paul's input was straight to the point, no grey area. He was a councilor striving to get things done and he did not tolerate a straight forward system becoming bureaucratic and hence complicated.

Paul donated his time with such generosity that he is highly respected by his peers right across Australia.

Since the sudden passing of Paul in 2014 the family business is now run by his wife Helen and his twin sons, Andrew and Tim. Tim has been in the funeral business for 19 years and Andrew for 11 years. Andrew is a divisional committee member of the A.F.D.A. and is presently doing an embalming course.

In August 2015, the funeral company also employed Phil Wharton who has also undergone training in funeral and mortuary work. 2016 Mr Lynn Roach was employed as Funerals director