When Death Occurs

There are many decisions to be made when a loved one dies and emotions can during this time may be heightened. Due to heightened emotions, it is often recommended to ask a close family member or friend to assist you with making decisions and help with making the final arrangements for your loved one. Our compassionate funeral directors and staff are eager to assist you and your family in making the best decisions possible while remaining focused on your desires and your budget.

Contact The Proper Authorities

Before any arrangements and decisions can be made, a legal pronouncement of death must be declared. If your loved one dies in a medical or nursing facility like a hospital or nursing home, the staff will handle getting this declaration made. If your loved one dies at home, you need to immediately contact the local emergency officials to come and take them to a hospital where they can be legally declared dead. Family members who die under hospice care can be declared dead by the hospice staff. This legal declaration must be made before the family can proceed with making any funeral arrangements or handling any legal affairs.

Begin To Make Arrangements

Once the death has been pronounced you and your family can proceed with making any type of funeral arrangements. If your loved one has not made any previous arrangements and you have decided on which funeral home you would like to use for the services, you will contact them and meet with the funeral director and begin discussing options.

If the deceased hasn’t made their final wishes known, the family will need to decide if they will bury or cremate the body, and what type of service should be held. These decisions include the time, date, and location of any service; what type of casket or urn your loved one needs; drafting an obituary notice; deciding on pallbearers; and making any decisions about the specifics of the service like who the minister will be, what music will be played and who will speak.

As part of the process to begin making the funeral arrangements, if the deceased was active or retired military, contact the Veterans Administration to determine if they offer any death benefits or service options.

Information Funeral Directors May Need

Once you have met the funeral director, they will advise you on any information or paperwork they need for the death certificate or to proceed with making final arrangements.

Information Required:

• Full name and address

• Marital status

• Race/Ethnicity

• Date and city of birth

• Highest level of education

• Father’s name, mother’s maiden name

• Name of spouse

• Occupation and employer

Documents Funeral Directors May Need

Funeral directors will need important documents to complete any legal paperwork. These documents include:

• Account statements

• Beneficiary designations

• Life insurance policies

• Military discharge papers (form DD 214)

• Social Security number

Death Certificate

A death certificate is a legal document indicating the cause of death, including other vital statistics of the deceased, signed by the attending physician. In case your loved one died due to an accident, a coroner or the county medical examiner may prepare the form.

Certified copies of the death certificate can also be requested at the time of arrangements. The request is then submitted to the state registrar who supplies the certified copies. This process typically takes 4-6 weeks from the initial request. These certified copies are important when gaining access to bank accounts and safety deposit boxes, claiming benefits due to the family (like the Veteran’s benefits or insurance claims), and transferring or selling ownership of properties.

Taking Care of Personal Property

Following the death of your loved one, there are a few things you need to attend to involving the deceased’s personal life. First, secure your loved one’s property. Make sure their home and vehicle are properly secure. If your loved one has a pet, make the necessary arrangements for the pet to be taken care of by family or friends. Any mail that comes to your loved one should be forwarded to a family member who plans to handle the deceased’s estate. Any mail that piles up at a vacant home only alarms potential intruders that a home is empty. Make sure to contact the deceased’s boss and inform them of the death. If your loved one has any upcoming appointments, make contact to notify them about the death and to cancel the appointment.