Funeral Planning
Checklist of information to gather:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Social Security Number
- Occupation
- Education Level
- Father’s full name
- Mother’s maiden name
- Spouse’s full name
- Sibling’s names with contact information
- Close friends’ names with contact information
- What tissues/organs you would like donated? or no donation? Whole body donation?
For more information click HERE…
- Charitable organizations membership
- Alumni membership and education history, fraternities/sororities membership
- Union membership
- Awards from organizations, clubs
- Status
- Rank
- Date of enlistment
- Date of discharge
- Conflicts/Tours of Duty
- Serial number
- Honors or citations earned
- Military friends’ contact information
- Living Will with name of Executor
- Trust
- Power of Attorney
- Medical Directive with “do not resuscitate” if it exists
- Medical Insurance Information
- Retirement/Pension/401K Plan
- Pre-paid Funeral (Disposition) Plan
- Life Insurance Plan
- Location of Income Taxes
- Location of Property Taxes
- Location of Auto and Home Insurance
- Bank Account Information
- Bank Safe Deposit Information
- Home Safe Combination
- Social Media Accounts
- Important passwords to important information
- Current creditors
- Current assets and Real Estate
- Lawyer contact information
- List of personal belongings to distribute
After Death
- Name of persons making the after death decisions
- Whom to inform
- Spouse
- Ex-spouse
- Children
- Siblings
- Extended Family
- Friends
- Business associates
- Organization associates
- Military associates
- Charitable donations others can make in your name
- Organizations receiving donations upon your death
Services and Obituary:
Who will deliver the eulogy?
Decide if a funeral service or memorial service is best for you and your loved ones
A Funeral Service refers to memorializing a deceased person with their body present
A Memorial Service refers to memorializing a deceased person with their cremated remains present
Burial Options include:
Direct Burial, where body is taken from place of death to cemetery and buried in a simple container followed by a Memorial Service
Funeral Service at funeral home followed by an in- ground burial in a lawn crypt
Funeral Service at a funeral home followed by an above ground burial in a community mausoleum
Funeral Service at a funeral home followed by an above ground burial in a private mausoleum
Funeral Service held at the gravesite at the cemetery (Graveside Service). A Graveside Service can follow a traditional funeral or can be a stand-alone event.
Location of the service (which funeral home, crematorium or cemetery)
Funeral Service at Home, “natural death care” (contact a home funeral director)
Green Burial in a green cemetery or natural burial (no embalming or grave vaults or grave liners, using natural containers
Burial at sea (military or private)
Casket or container
Burial clothing
Cremation Options
Decide if loved ones should or should not be at cremation
Direct Cremation (body is taken from place of death to crematorium followed by a Memorial Service)
Memorial Service at a crematorium followed by a graveside service held at the gravesite at the cemetery where the ashes are interred
Memorial Service held at cemetery gravesite . (Graveside Service) A Graveside Service can follow a traditional funeral or can be a stand-alone event.
Location of the service (which funeral home, crematorium or cemetery)
Religious or non-religious Funeral Service or Memorial Service
Cremation container
Urn
Other Options
Other options include everything from bio-cremation to mummification or a space burial.
- Direct Burial (body is taken from place of death to cemetery and buried in a simple container followed by a Memorial Service
- Funeral Service at funeral home followed by an in- ground burial in a lawn crypt
- Funeral Service at a funeral home followed by an above ground burial in a community mausoleum
- Funeral Service at a funeral home followed by an above ground burial in a private mausoleum
- Funeral Service held at the gravesite at the cemetery (Graveside Service).
- A Graveside Service can follow a traditional funeral or can be a stand-alone event.
- Location of the service (which funeral home, crematorium or cemetery)
- Funeral Service at Home, “natural death care” (contact a home funeral director)
- Green Burial in a green cemetery or natural burial (no embalming or grave vaults or grave liners, using natural containers
- Burial at sea (military or private)
- Casket or container
- Burial clothing
- Decide if loved ones should or should not be at cremation
- Direct Cremation (body is taken from place of death to crematorium followed by a Memorial Service)
- Memorial Service at a crematorium followed by a graveside service held at the gravesite at the cemetery where the ashes are interred
- Memorial Service held at the gravesite at the cemetery (Graveside Service) A Graveside Service can follow a traditional funeral or can be a stand-alone event.
- Location of the service (which funeral home, crematorium or cemetery)
- Religious or non-religious Funeral Service or Memorial Service
- Cremation container
- Urn
Other Options
Other options include everything from bio-cremation to mummification or a space burial.
Wakes and viewings usually take place when the body is present
Visitations usually take place at the family’s home and offer an opportunity for friends and family to spend time with the family before the Service.
- Who will officiate at the service
- Who will deliver the eulogy
- Who will deliver the life sketch/other speakers
- Who will be the Pall bearers
- Choose Music
- Choose Flowers
- Photography or no photography
- Location address and contact information of cemetery
- Burial permit
- Plot number or mausoleum number
- Headstone
- Choose a personalized headstone
- Flat or upright
- Slanted
- I want my cremated remains to go to… (name a loved one)
