Mark Jales & Andrew Oxley

Mark Jales Dip.DAS, MSFTR

Company Chairman & Founder

            

Mark's father died at St. Christopher's Hospice in South London when Mark was just sixteen years old. Shortly after his death Mark started working at the hospice with it's founder and medical director the late Dame Cicely Saunders. He spent time looking after the terminally ill and their families.

A year later he was approached by the funeral company that had carried out his fathers funeral and Mark joined them in 1980 at the age of eighteen. The company was a long established independent and it was the eighty year old grandson of the original founder who taught Mark all he knew. He was a great traditionalist and always immaculate when he directed a funeral, 'the family always comes first' was his motto and it was a message that he instilled in Mark right from the start of his career.

Mark went on to work for a large group but felt it wasn't for him so he moved to another independent funeral directors. He stayed on the independent side of the profession for fifteen years until he moved into the licensed trade.

Always having had a dream of opening his own funeral directors Mark saw an opportunity in Wells, Somerset and after a great deal of refurbishment of the building the offices and chapel opened on 5th December 2011 in Priory Road.

     

 

Mark has a personally trained team who all strive to provide a first-class service to our families, with dignity and respect. There is another company director, Andrew Oxley who comes in as and when required.

In September 2012 Mark moved to live more locally to the offices and lives in the surrounding countryside just outside Wells. He enjoys horse riding, swimming, reading, concerts and eating out. He is also known for his enjoyment of writing articles and is currently working on his first novel. Having a particular passion for music Mark plays the piano as well.

He views his work not as 'just a job' but as a vocation and is always happy to provide vocational talks to interested groups. 

                             Andrew Oxley ARCM

Company Director

Andrew Oxley and Mark Jales have been friends for many years and as Mark was discussing the possibility of opening a funeral business Andrew and his wife showed an interest. Andrew and Adelaide came up with some investment and they have a vested interest in the business.

Andrew stays pretty much in the background but is happy to come in and direct funerals when Mark is on holiday, drive the hearse or arrange funerals and collections. He keeps a general eye on the business as he and Mark speak regulary on the telephone when they jointly make any major decisions.

 

We have a team of part-time staff that assist in the business in all aspects of our work.