From hotelier to leading a crematorium. No common career switch, but Jacqueline Zomers was ready for something else. And so since this month she has been at the helm of crematorium Meerdijk in Emmen.
Occasionally she saw a few frowned eyebrows opposite her. Because after 35 years in the hotel industry, a switch to the funeral world is rather unusual. “Still, most people said: this fits you,” says Zomers (55) in the Radio Drenthe program Cassata.
The hotel and funeral sector differ from each other, but also have similarities. This keeps hospitality an important pillar. “The experience is different,” explains summer. “In the crematorium you can be very meaningful. We welcome people with a small smile, warmth and cordiality.”
Zomers was involved in the ins and outs of Hotel Lubbelinkhof and the Oringer Marke in Odoorn, among others. At Buitengoed Fredeshiem near Steenwijk, where funerals are also provided, she became convinced. “There I made the decision: someone else is going to do the weddings here.”
The hotel industry has brought her a lot, and looking back, she has a good feeling about it. Yet she consciously opts for the funeral industry. “It gives a certain satisfaction and is valuable to do. A comforting smile, a nod, see someone straight in the eyes and say it will be fine. That makes it so beautiful.”
She does not rule out a return as a hotelier. “Who knows, I might come back to it, but now I feel like a fish in the water. And that at the age of 55.”