What To Do When Death Occurs

1. Make an appointment with the funeral home. The funeral home will help coordinate arrangements with the cemetery, crematory and other establishments.

2. Contact your clergy. If you do not have one, the funeral home will be able to provide one. The funeral home will also assist you in determining the place and time of funeral or memorial service.

3. The funeral home will assist you in determining the number of certified copies of the death certificates you will be needing and will get them for you.

Some information needed to complete most states death certificates:
-Birth Date
-Birthplace
-Father's Name
-Mother's Name (Maiden)
-Social Security Number
-Veteran's Discharge or Claim Number
-Education Level Completed
-Marital Status

4. Make a list of immediate family, relatives, close friends, employer, and business colleagues. Notify each by phone.

5. Decide if you would like any memorial contributions to be made to any churches, hospice, charities, schools, and/or any other organizations.

6. Decide if you would like any death notices or obituaries to run in newspapers or on the Internet. The funeral home will assist you in compiling and submitting the notice with place and time of service. Other information needed will include age, place of birth, occupation, college degrees, cause of death, memberships held, military service, outstanding work, and list of survivors in the immediate family.

7. Arrange hospitality for visiting relatives and friends.

8. Select pallbearers and notify funeral home. (Anyone with a disability or medical condition should be made an honorary pallbearer or avoided all together).

9. Plan for disposition of flowers after funeral home. Ex: (Certain family members, churches, hospitals, nursing homes)

10. Prepare list of distant persons to be notified by letter and/or printed notice deciding which to send to each.