Phaedra Parks wears so many hats in her life as a mom of two, an attorney, a business woman, author, certified Reiki master, and mortician. The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 16 cast member has shown all these different sides to her resume on RHOA and Married to Medicine. And of all of them, Phaedra has a very deep connection to being a mortician and having worked in a funeral home.
Phaedra previously opened up about her career in funeral services in a Dec. 2022 post to Instagram. The Parks Group founder posted photos alongside funeral home director, Willie Watkins, who mentored Phaedra and allowed her to pursue this dream of hers after the death of her beloved grandmother. "Willie gave me a chance and opportunity to learn the art and ministry of mortuary science following the tragic death of my Nina," she wrote in the caption of the post.
"It was one of the hardest times in my life but working at the funeral home gave me a new purpose and birthed my mortuary ministry," she concluded.

Phaedra posts a photo of herself on February 12, 2024 in New York City to Instagram.
Photo: Phaedra Parks/InstagramWhy did Phaedra Parks want to become a mortician?
Phaedra told Page Six in 2016 that her passion to become a mortician stemmed from a rough period in her life. "I went through a very terrible time about two years straight," she said. "My sister passed, my law partner died, and two of my friends committed suicide. I became so depressed that it sparked something in me, to really research and start hanging out at the funeral home, just to figure out the process."
Phaedra Parks opens up about her career as a mortician
In 2022, Phaedra spoke with The Daily Dish about how being a mortician has become a place for her to be creative, whereas her law career allows her to play by the books. "You know, with the funeral home, that is my artistic outlet where I can paint and play with science and bodies and all the nice feely things that I like to do that's not so black-and-white like the law," she said. "So everything is really going good. I have no complaints. No complaints whatsoever."
But, in a separate interview in 2016, she told The Daily Dish that the business is "bittersweet" for her, especially as she does funerals for people that she loves and are connected to. "It's always a great testament to your work and professionalism when you get the personal call from somebody's parents saying, 'Hey, I want you to do the funeral. I want you to prepare the body. I want you to be a part of it. I want you to make sure that it's right.' And so while it's unfortunate because it's never a nice occasion to meet someone at the funeral home, it's very comforting to me when people entrust me with that level of service and say, 'Hey, I know you're gonna do the right things for my loved ones,'" she said. "It's bittersweet."