Know Before You Go

Immediately following the death of a loved one, there are many decisions that must be made. At this time, you may find your emotions are heightened, and for that reason it is a good idea to ask for help, whether it be from another family member, clergy, neighbor, or family friend. Additionally, our staff is always available to assist in any way we can. This information can help guide you and your family through the process.

Contact The Proper Authorities

Before any arrangements and decisions can be made, a legal pronouncement of death must be declared. If your loved one passes away while in a medical or nursing facility like a hospital or nursing home, the staff will handle the pronouncement of death. If your loved one passes away at home under hospice care, you will need to contact the hospice facility so that their representative can make the declaration of death. If your loved one passes away at home unexpectedly, you will need to immediately contact the local emergency officials to come and take them to a hospital where legal declaration of death can be made. This legal declaration must be made before the family can proceed with any funeral arrangements or handling any legal affairs.

Begin To Make Arrangements

Once your loved one has been legally pronounced deceased, you and your family can proceed with making funeral arrangements. Your loved one may have pre-planned or pre-paid funeral services at a local funeral home. Check with those closest to your loved one, to see if any plans exist.

If your loved one has not made any previous type of arrangements, you will need to decide on a funeral home to handle service arrangements, and contact them to set up a time to meet with a funeral director and begin discussing options.

During this time, if the deceased hasn’t made their final wishes known, the family will need to decide if they will choose burial or cremation, 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; obituary notices; deciding on pallbearers; and make any decisions about the specifics of the service like who the minister will be, what music will be played and who will speak.

Information Funeral Directors May Need

When meeting with the funeral director and making final arrangements, there is much information that will be needed in order to file the necessary paperwork. To better prepare you before you sit down face-to-face, we have compiled a list of things you will need to know before you head to the funeral home.

Information Required:

• Full name and address of the deceased
• Date of birth and city/state of birth of the deceased
• Social Security Number of deceased
• Marital status of the deceased
• Race/Ethnicity of the deceased
• Highest level of education that the deceased completed
• Father’s name, and mother’s name, including maiden name, of the deceased
• Occupation (brief employment history of deceased for obituary purposes)
• Armed Service Discharge Form – DD214 (if applicable)
• Family information (siblings, parents, spouse, children, grandchildren, etc.)
• Life insurance policies if any exist
• Cemetery Information for burial
• List of pallbearers
• Clergy name and contact information
• Music selections (3-4 songs)
• Photographs and Music Selections (if slideshow is requested)
• Newspapers to Notify
• Type of Funeral or Memorial Service Desired
• Recent Photograph
• Clothing, Undergarments, Jewelry, Glasses, Scarves or Caps, Shoes and Socks
  

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

Taking Care Of Personal Property

Following the death of your loved one, there are few things you need to attend to involving the deceased’s personal life. First, make sure their home and vehicle are properly secure. Any mail that comes to your loved one should be forwarded to a family member that 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. If your loved one has a pet, make the necessary arrangements for the pet to be taken care of by family or friends.

When a loved one has passed away, various businesses and organizations may also require a notification of death from you or your family. Some of the agencies listed below require a certified death certificate. Make sure to contact them and inform them of the death. Keep in mind that each individual situation is different, and this general list may not be complete. If your loved one had any upcoming appointments, make contact to notify them about the death, and cancel the appointment.

• Social Security Administration                     
• Veteran’s Administration (military)
  
• Defense Finance and Accounting Services (military)
  
• Office of Personnel Management (military)       
  
• State Department of Motor Vehicles
  
• Credit Reporting Agencies                       
  
•  Credit Card/Merchant Card Companies
  
• Banks, Credit Unions, and Loan Associations     
  
• Mortgage Companies and Lenders
  
• Stockbrokers and Financial Planners               
  
• Election Board/Voter Registration
  
• Post Office (for mail forwarding)                 
  
• Employers/Human Resources
  
• Utility Companies/Phone Providers               
  
• Pharmacies and Doctor Offices
  
• Life Insurers and Annuity Companies             
  
• Health, Medical and dental Providers
  
• Disability Insurer                                 
  
• Automotive Insurer
  
• Social Media Accounts/Email Accounts             
• Libraries, Gyms and Alumni Clubs