When a loved one passes away, families oftentimes choose to work with a funeral director to assist them in making arrangements to ease the burden of planning while grieving. 

When a licensed funeral director is planning the service, the National Funeral Directors Association says that directors will outline the whole funeral arrangement process. They will outline the full range of services and products offered and will contact all the parties involved with the arrangement process.

Depending on the amount of assistance needed by the family, the role of a funeral director can vary. Here are a few things that you can expect almost all funeral directors to handle.

Managing Arrangements

Besides contacting family members, one of the first calls you’ll need to make after your loved one has passed away is to the funeral home. This is referred to as the “first call” in the funeral industry. During this call, you’ll speak with the funeral director and they will offer you guidance and what your next steps need to be. 

You should be prepared to provide the following information to your funeral director:

• The name, Social Security number, address, and phone number of the deceased
• Location of body
• Time of death
• Physician’s name and phone number
• Your full address and phone numbers
• Your relationship to the deceased

Following this call, typically a funeral director will help you arrange for the body to be moved to the funeral home where the funeral home staff will begin the prepping process. They’ll do things such as; embalming, sanitary washing, dressing, hairdressing, restoration, and cosmetology.  

A funeral director will also handle all of the official paperwork required to perform a burial or cremation, contact local newspapers, help you set the time and date for visitation and funeral locations, and more.

Managing the Service

After all the necessary arrangements have been made, the funeral director will manage the service for the family. Every funeral ceremony is different and will have personal touches in order to properly honor the deceased. The tasks a funeral director does in this part of the process will vary vastly and will ultimately be determined by the family members. 

Most funeral homes double as a location for funeral services, but the funeral director can also help families make arrangements at churches or other locations depending on the wishes of the family.

Funeral directors can also help with printing products for the funeral such as guest register books, memorial cards, prayer cards, and service programs. 

After The Service

Once the ceremony is over, the funeral director will help clean up any loose ends. You’ll likely need multiple copies of the death certificate to use for proof of death in order to settle your loved one’s final affairs. A funeral director will also help you notify the Social Security Administration and banks.

Following the funeral, emotions and grief will still be fresh in your family, and having a knowledgeable funeral director to help you along the way will be immeasurable. They can connect you with support options, grief counselors, help you find resources online, and so much more. It’s their job to help you along the way, all you have to do is ask. 

At Wyuka, our funeral directors and staff are extremely knowledgeable, and we’re here to help walk you through this incredibly tough time of your life. Call us today and speak with one of our funeral directors so we can come up with a plan to perfectly honor your loved ones. 

(402)-474-3600