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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Should he come to the funeral?

40 replies

xyz111 · 23/02/2025 15:33

My nans funeral is this week. She has been in a care home since just before Covid with severe dementia so DH hasn't seen her for a long time. He has found out there is a work union meeting on the same day, which he is very much a part of for his area. He has said that he won't go to the meeting, but I can tell he's really pissed off about it. Part of me feels like saying to him don't bloody come them, but in typical MN fashion, I'd be pissed off if he doesn't come. Did your DP/DH attend your grandparents funerals?

OP posts:
Mabiscuit · 23/02/2025 16:26

I wasn't close to my grandparents so didn't need support. My DH didn't go to any of their funerals.

MaybeOrMaybeNot2 · 23/02/2025 16:27

I'm sorry for your loss. Is the funeral close to his work? Could he maybe do the meeting and go to the wake? At the end of the day its up to you - sounds very much like its about you wanting his support since he hasn't seen her for a while he would be going more for you than because he wants to? And how you would feel about that - only you can decide.

ANiceBigCupOfTea · 23/02/2025 16:31

Yes, my DH came to my Granddads funeral and I went to his Granny's. He barely knew my Granddad as he had been ill for so long but he didn't go for DGF, he came for me.
Attending eachothers family funerals is very much a non negotiable for me. It's our jobs to support eachother.

AxolotlEars · 23/02/2025 16:34

We don't always go to funerals because of our relationship with the person who died. Sometimes we go to funerals because of our relationship with the person who is alive.
For me, it would be a big deal that my husband asked me what I want. Then I need to express what I actually want. Even if he didn't ask me, I still need to express what I want and/or need.....he's good at knowing me after 30 years but mind reader isn't in his list of qualifications!

Gettoachiro · 23/02/2025 16:37

Only one funeral for your nan. There will be other union meetings. I can't believe he wouldn't go.

urbanbuddha · 23/02/2025 16:38

Could he go to the service but leave straight after to go to his meeting?

ExercicenformedeZ · 23/02/2025 16:45

Gettoachiro · 23/02/2025 16:37

Only one funeral for your nan. There will be other union meetings. I can't believe he wouldn't go.

It depends on what his role is in the union. If it is important, and they are discussing a particular course of action, it could well be bad for him to miss it. It isn't as if OP was going to be completely on her own, presumably her family will be there, and her husband wasn't close to her grandmother.

NormasArse · 23/02/2025 16:48

DH didn’t come to my grandmother’s funeral because he was working. I didn’t need him there though because my family were with me.

RM2013 · 23/02/2025 16:50

Think it depends on the circumstances ie relationship with family etc. I’d like my DH to attend if I felt I needed support.
when maternal GM passed away DH couldn’t get out of something important at work so didn’t come to actual funeral service but did come to wake afterwards. I was upset at the time but was with family anyway. When paternal GM passed away DH was able and did come to funeral which I appreciated

Cynic17 · 23/02/2025 16:53

No. If someone has a busy job, work has to come first. I certainly wouldn't expect a partner/spouse to attend.

StormingNorman · 23/02/2025 16:54

I wouldn’t be bothered if my DH didn’t go to a grandparent’s funeral. I’m not sure I’d even start with the assumption he would be going unless he was close to them in his own right.

ExercicenformedeZ · 23/02/2025 16:58

Those of you who would be upset if your husband/partner didn't attend your grandparent's funeral, why is that? Is it because you would feel that your partner didn't consider your feelings important, or would you think that it would cause comment? As I said, I did go to my husband's grandparents' funerals, but that is because we were close. There are relatives of my husband whose funerals I absolutely wouldn't go to, even if he would, and nobody would raise an eyebrow.

smallchange · 23/02/2025 17:11

No. We have strict jobs that specify what relationships get time off for funerals. Mine is more flexible in that I can swap time/take short notice annual leave to cover one that falls outside the "acceptable" level of closeness but dh can't.

He didn't attend my gran's because of this. More recently he's missed two of my aunts and an uncle, one of which he had a close personal relationship with and saw as a good friend but thems the breaks.

I got a few comments re: the latter. People didn't understand but I did.

snoopyfanaccountant · 23/02/2025 17:20

I missed DH's DGM's funeral because my DF was dying and I was at his bedside. In any other circumstances it wouldn't have occurred to me not to attend. I wanted to be there for DH but the wider family fully understood why I wasn't there and supported that.

Kingofthetyrantlizards · 23/02/2025 18:06

I really think it depends - DH came to one of my grandparents funerals, but missed the other due to a clash with a work charity event he was really involved in. He was very conflicted and could have managed both, but it would have been tight. In the end, I mentioned it to my parent and surviving grandparent, who took the decision out of his hands and told him not to come.

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