"When I started working in this industry back in the early '70s, it was a difficult time to be a woman in the field," says Roan, the director of Conley Funeral & Cremation Service, who initially worked as a physical therapist before joining Conley, also a family business. "And in Brockton, at the time, there weren't any other women who were licensed. I had to fight to prove myself.
"I would hate to think that anybody would think there are limitations to being a woman in this business," she adds. "How can we help women get their foot in the door? For starters, I think it's persistence. . . . This is a 24/7 job, 365 days a year. Death takes no holiday."
Sara Faith Alterman can be reached at salterman@thephoenix.com.
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