TYPES OF SERVICES

The four main types of funeral services include the Traditional Funeral Service, the Memorial Service, the Committal or Graveside Service, and the Affirmation or Celebration of Life Service.

The funeral director's main goal is to assist families in any way possible to help them through the loss of a loved one. A funeral director provides bereavement and consolation services for the living, in addition to making arrangements for the cremation, burial, and memorial services for the deceased. He fulfills the role of funeral arranger, funeral director, funeral attendant, and embalmer.

The following list is not all-inclusive, but describes some of the major tasks of a funeral director:

• Transfer of the deceased from the place of death to the funeral home
• Professional care of the deceased, including embalming, casketing, and cosmetology
• Consulting with family to make arrangements for the funeral service including any merchandise selections
• Filing certificates, permits, and other required forms
• Obtaining copies of the death certificate(s)
• Coordinating with the cemetery, crematory, or other places for final disposition
• Creates and publishes the obituary
• Coordinating clergy, music, flowers, transportation, pallbearers, and special fraternal or military services
• Directs and manages the funeral service and the funeral procession
• Assists the family with death-related claims, including Social Security, insurance, grief counseling and planning ahead

A traditional funeral involves a number of services which add to the total cost. Besides a Professional Director and Staff Service fee, other charges may include transfer of the body to the funeral home; embalming or other preparation of the body; use of facilities and staff for viewing; use of facilities and staff for the funeral ceremony; use of a hearse, lead, service car, or van; a basic memorial printed package; casket, a vault or grave liner, and purchase of a cemetery plot.