Arranging a Funeral
What to do when someone dies
Meeting with the funeral director
Planning the funeral service
Preparation for the service
The format of the service
Writing a eulogy
Writing notices for the newspaper
What to do when someone dies
When a death occurs at home you should phone the family doctor. Provided that the doctor has treated the deceased during the past three months, and is satisfied as to the cause of death, the doctor will normally issue a medical certificate of death. The funeral director can then be contacted and will arrange the transfer of the deceased at your request. You may wish to spend time with your loved one before contacting us. We are available at any hour of the day or night, seven days a week. The funeral arrangements can then be made at a time convenient to the family. If the funeral has been pre-arranged this may merely be going over the finer details.
When an unexpected death occurs (sudden or accidental death), the State Coroner’s Office will be notified by the doctor or police. When such a death is reported, the police or ambulance are called, and the person who has died is transferred to the hospital mortuary. At this point, you may require the immediate assistance of the funeral director to take care of any formalities on your behalf.
Meeting with the funeral director
Meeting with a funeral director can take place in your home, at the hospital, or at our centre, whichever is most convenient for you. There is no need to rush when making funeral arrangements. Some families need time to think and talk about the details they would like to include in the "celebration of the life" of the deceased. Be assured that your loved one will be well cared for whilst in our trust. Some families feel that they need to organise all the details quickly so that they can move forward and allow themselves time to grieve. It is entirely personal.
During this meeting, specific information is also collected to inform the Register of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Decisions need to be made regarding venue and time, place of burial or cremation, coffin or casket, newspaper notices, minister or celebrant, flowers, pallbearers, viewing, eulogies and refreshments. This may seem overwhelming at first but our staff will take you through the details, guiding and advising you on the many matters which need to be considered.
Our staff are fully flexible when it comes to assisting you with making informed choices, always mindful that cost considerations may be an important factor in any decision making. Once the arrangement details are complete you will have a fairly accurate idea of the costs involved.
The order, content and style of the service can all be varied to suit the family's needs. A personal tribute from a family member or a close friend, or perhaps the inclusion of appropriate cultural traditions, may make the service more meaningful. It can be a very special privilege for pall bearers to be able to render a last act of love and respect.
Our aim at is to provide families with a creative, flexible and meaningful funeral. There are unlimited options available, but outlined below are some examples of possible types of services:
- a simple disposition of the deceased with only the funeral staff in attendance
- service held in a church or our chapel followed by a full procession to the cemetery or crematorium
- service held in a church or our chapel followed by a private committal attended only by family
- service and committal in a church or our chapel with the coffin removed after the service
- service at a crematorium chapel
- service and committal at the graveside
- service at another venue that is meaningful to the deceased, such as the local hall, bowling club, a special garden or at the beach
- memorial service where the coffin is not present, followed or preceded by a public or private burial or cremation
- a burial preceding a service of thanksgiving
Preparation for the service
It is the funeral director’s predominant role to make all the relevant arrangements prior to conducting the funeral on the day. Our staff work with the minister or celebrant to ensure that any special requests such as coffin bearers, music, flowers, photo displays, candles, donation boxes and memorial books have been set in place. Audio visual presentations, guest musicians and organisations forming a guard of honour may also be part of the ceremony. The funeral director is ultimately responsible for the flow of the service, working with family members to plan the format of the service.
Involves:
- deciding who will deliver the eulogy (whether family members, close friends, the minister or celebrant)
- the selection of music, readings, and/or poetry
- programming in the audio visual presentations if requested
- RSL and Lodge Tributes
An "Order of Service" is then provided for funeral attendees.
The following guide may be of assistance in preparing a eulogy:
- When and where the deceased was born
- Nicknames known to others
- Parent’s names
- Brothers and Sisters
- Childhood–localities, interests and stories
- Schools attended, awards given
- Academic or trade qualifications and achievements
- Details of any war or military service
- Marriages, children, significant relationships
- Grandchildren/great grandchildren
- Club memberships and positions held
- Sporting achievements
- Hobbies, interests, travel, crafts etc.
- Details of historical significance
- Preferences, likes and dislikes
- Details of activities e.g. music, theatre etc.
- Any special stories, sayings, qualities that are significant to others
- Special readings, music or poetry to be included
The most touching and meaningful eulogies are written from the heart. Ask friends and relatives for their recollections and stories.
Our staff are more than happy to assist in the placing of notices in the requested newspapers. Information to be included following the deceased’s name may include:- Nickname, maiden, name, date of death, closest relative and subsequent family (children, partners, grand and great grandchildren) parents, brothers, sisters and perhaps a concluding phrase. All the above may be re-arranged to suit the individual.
We have a brochure "Verses for Newspaper Notices".
- Understanding Funerals
- Common Questions
- Arranging a Funeral
- Funeral Options
- After the Funeral
- Planning Ahead:
My Life / My Funeral