When a loved one passes, you may be responsible for funeral planning while managing your grief. To ensure all details are covered and you have time to bond with family and properly mourn, here’s a helpful planning checklist to guide you through this process.  

5 Funeral Planning Tasks to Cover

1. Determine Directives

Talk to your loved one’s lawyer, partner, or executor to determine whether they left behind any specific directives regarding their funeral. In many cases, elderly or ill individuals pursue funeral preplanning to minimize the financial burden and decision-making associated with their passing. 

2. Find the Right Funeral Home

If your loved one has not left behind specific requests, ask relatives, neighbors, and even health care providers in your area for funeral home recommendations. The right funeral director will be compassionate, honest, supportive, and helpful in guiding you through every step of the process. 

3. Prepare a Contact List

Work with your family and friends to compile a contact list of individuals who should be alerted of the passing and invited to any funeral and memorial services. With the help of your loved ones, reach out by phone, email, or even written mail to ensure your network is aware of the celebration of life to come. 

4. Memorial Service Date & Setup 

To allow time for out-of-town family and friends to be present, many individuals opt to have a memorial service weeks or even months later. Determine which date makes sense for you and yours and work with your funeral director to cover details such as programs, flowers, and reception needs. 

5. Pen Obituary

An obituary or public death announcement that’s published in the newspaper or your funeral home’s website helps alert members of your community. To write this brief article, work with your family to compile critical details on your loved one’s life. The obituary can include vital statistics, awards and commendations, names of surviving family members, and hobbies. If you’ve already set a date for the funeral or memorial service, you can include this information as well.

Are you looking for a compassionate funeral home that can help you properly celebrate the life of a loved one? If so, Jacqueline M. Ryan Home for Funerals is ready to provide patient, dedicated service. Since opening in 1947, residents across Monmouth County, NJ, have relied on this professional team for comprehensive funeral planning needs. To connect with their funeral director, call today at (732) 787-1177. For more information on their services and commitment to helping families manage grief and loss, visit their website.