What Does a Funeral Director Do?
It has been estimated that over 136 individual activities must take place in order for one funeral to be conducted. The funeral director is actually an organizational specialist. Here is a condensed list of some of the more visible activities of a typical funeral director. • Removal and transfer of the deceased from place of death to the funeral home. • Professional care of the deceased, which may include sanitary washing, embalming preparation, restorative art, dressing, hairdressing, casketing and cosmetology. • Conduct a complete consultation with family members to gather necessary information and to discuss specific arrangements for a funeral. • File all certificates, permits, affidavits, and authorizations, as may be required. • Acquire a requested amount of certified copies of the death certificate needed to settle the estate of the deceased. • Compile information and create an obituary for placement in the newspaper and/or website of the family’s choice. • Make arrangements with
Funeral directors are caregivers and administrators • providing professional advice but remaining open to suggestions and the familys wishes • organizing the church • liaising with the clergy, organist, caterer etc • supplying a book of remembrance which includes photographs of the floral arrangements • arranging appropriate floral tributes • insertion of notices in newspapers • providing a hearse and viewing room • providing a casket which meets with the familys wishes • embalming by trained mortuary staff • arranging for either cremation or burial services • arranging for the placement of ashes • collating official forms from the doctor or coroner • filing death registration forms • Help secure any veterans burial allowance, social security or other benefits to which you may be entitled • offering a pre-paid funeral plan
Often referred to as an undertaker, the funeral director is a professional that provides competent and sympathetic support during the arrangement of funeral rites and the respectful disposition of the body of a loved one. While many people perceive the funeral director as a somber figure who hovers in the background during a funeral, the fact is that a funeral director performs a number of important functions. One of the main functions of a funeral director has to do with preparing the body for disposition. In larger funeral homes, the funeral director may oversee the activities of several morticians and undertakers. While the actual definition of the mortician, undertaker, and funeral director are all different, the reality is that in family owned funeral homes it is not unusual for one person to provide all three services. This means the funeral director will often arrange to pick up the body from the home or morgue, oversee the embalming process according to local regulations, and w
Answer • A funeral director can perform over a 100 individual services for a family. Some of these services include: • Picking up the deceased and transporting to the funeral home (any time of day or night). • Notifying proper authorities, family and/or relatives. • Arranging and preparing death certificates • Providing certified copies of death certificates for insurance and benefit processing. • Working with insurance agent, social security or veteran’s administrations to ensure that necessary paperwork is filed for receipt of benefits. • Prepares and submits obituary to local paper(s). • Bathing and embalming (if necessary) of the deceased. • Preparation of the body for viewing including dressing and cosmetizing. • Assisting the family with funeral arrangements and purchase of casket/urn, burial vault and cemetary plot (if needed). • If a burial is to be performed, scheduling the opening and closing of the grave with cemetery personnel. • Coordinating with clergy if a funeral or mem
