When an individual passes away, regardless of his or her age, the family is left grieving over the loss of a person they loved and cared about so much. These family members will often need to start planning the funeral shortly after their loved one dies, but it is not always easy to do that when they are going through such heartache and emotional suffering. While families focus on grieving the loss of their loved ones, it is the funeral director who will take on many of the responsibilities for the family.
Speaking to the Family
Before helping with funeral planning, the funeral director must meet with the family to talk to them about their loved one and the specific wants and needs they have for the viewing and the burial or cremation. While talking with the family, the funeral director can learn more about what these loved ones want to have for the deceased individual in terms of casket colour and style, floral decorations for the viewing, and the specific location for the burial. If the family is not sure what they want, the director can provide these individuals with multiple options that they can discuss, review together, and then choose.
Creating the Obituary
An obituary is often placed in newspapers and online publications for individuals when they have passed away. The funeral director will request information from the family to ensure that the obituary contains only the most accurate information, including the name of the deceased individual, birthdate and date of death, name of spouse, and the names of other close relatives, including the individual’s parents, children, and siblings. If there is something specific that the family would like to have added to the obituary, they can let the funeral director know before it is created.
Setting Up the Memorial Service
The memorial service is the last time people will get to see their deceased loved one before the casket is closed and they are cremated or buried. People often attend the memorial service to say goodbye and share a few final words with someone they love and are going to miss so much. Because it is a final farewell for everyone, the memorial service needs to be perfect. The funeral director can have floral arrangements, photographs, and other beautiful decorations at the venue where the memorial is taking place. Some people choose to have the memorial service inside of a church while others choose to have it in a room inside the funeral home.
Although the funeral director puts in a lot of work and helps with planning things out, the family has a lot of say and will get to make important decisions. The funeral director is simply there to reduce the amount of stress people suffer from when they have just lost someone they love. The family can focus more on grieving and spending time together while the director of the funeral takes care of creating the obituary, setting up the memorial service, and following special requests.
