Funerals are an emotional time and many arrangements can be missed or forgotten. The Memorial Society of Edmonton and District has put together a list of jobs to help arrange a smooth funeral.
- Decide on the time and place of the funeral or memorial.
- Make a phone list of immediate family, close friends, fellow workers or business colleagues to contact.
- If flowers are to be omitted, decide on an appropriate memorial to which gifts can be made.
- Write an obituary. Include age, place of birth, cause of death, occupation, university or college degrees, memberships held, military service, outstanding work, list of survivors of immediate family, time and place of service.
- Call insurance companies, including auto insurance for immediate cancellation and available refund.
- Arrange for a member of the family or close friend to take turns answering the phone and door. Keep careful records.
- Arrange for child care.
- Co-ordinate a supply of food for first few days.
- Consider special needs of the house. Cleaning to be done by friends.
- Arrange hospitality for visiting friends and relatives.
- Select and notify actual and honorary pallbearers.
- Notify lawyer and executor.
- Plan for disposal of flowers at end of funeral to a hospital or rest home.
- Prepare a list of people to receive acknowledgements of flowers. Call or send notes.
- Check carefully all life and casualty insurance and death benefits including social insurance, credit insurance, trade unions, fraternal, military. Check also on income for survivors from these sources.
- Check promptly all debts and instalment payments. Some may carry insurance clauses that cancel them. Or discuss penalties if payment is delayed.
- If the deceased was living alone, notify utilities, landlord and post office. Take precautions against thieves.
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