21-year-old becomes funeral director to take the lead in family business
The TL;DR: While his peers are taking a gap year, serving the army or starting university, Republic Polytechnic graduate Shane Tan is transporting dead bodies or performing rites. This 21-year-old is taking over his family business – as a funeral director.
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Shane Tan is 21 years old and recently took over from his father as the funeral director at SG 24 Hour Funeral Services.
ST PHOTO: SARAH LEE
Camillia Anum
- Shane Tan, 21, is one of Singapore’s youngest funeral directors, taking over his family business after years of learning alongside his father since age 12.
- He balances difficult, irregular hours and emotional challenges, providing care and dignity to grieving families.
- Tan uses skills from his digital design diploma to enhance the business’s branding and operations, showing dedication despite peers’ scepticism and social sacrifices.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – Shane Tan wakes up at 5am and reaches his “office” around 6am. More often than not, this office is a funeral parlour or an HDB void deck.
As the funeral director at SG 24 Hour Funeral Services, Tan arranges funerals and guides families through the entire process, transporting two bodies from their respective wakes to the crematorium on a typical day. At 21 years old, he is one of the youngest funeral directors in the business.