Who is defined as a person licensed to prepare a deceased human body for burial or disposition?

The person who is licensed to prepare a deceased human body for burial or disposition is most accurately defined as a funeral director. Funeral directors are professionals who manage all aspects of funeral services, which includes overseeing the process of preparing the body for burial. This often involves arranging for embalming (which is the preservation of the body) and coordinating the logistics of the funeral service.

While an embalmer specializes specifically in the process of embalming and may perform the preparation of the body, they are typically not responsible for the broader aspects of funeral service management, such as coordinating with families or arranging services. Therefore, while an embalmer plays an essential role within the funeral service, it is the funeral director who is comprehensively licensed to handle the entirety of the tasks associated with preparing a deceased individual for burial or other forms of disposition.

Mortuary technicians support funeral directors and embalmers by performing specific tasks, but they do not have the same licensing or authority as funeral directors. Grief counselors offer emotional support to those dealing with loss but are not involved in the technical aspects of preparing bodies. Thus, the best choice reflecting the title given is the funeral director.