When a death
occurs
Make a list of immediate family, close friends and employer or business colleagues. Notify each by phone.
Make an appointment with the funeral home. The funeral home will help coordinate arrangements with the cemetery.
Contact your clergy. Decide on time and place of funeral or memorial service. This can be done at the funeral home.
Consider any religious rites that are needed.
Arrange for appropriate clothes, jewelry and hairstyle for your loved one.
The funeral home will provide you with the number of copies of the funeral director's statement(s) of death you will be needing to close a persons affairs.
Some information which will be needed for the funeral director to register the death with the NB government:
Full Name
Address
Date and Place of Birth
Date and Place of Death
Father's Name and Place of Birth
Mother's Maiden Name and Place of Birth
Medicare Number
Occupation
Marital Status
Decide on appropriate memorial to which gifts may be made (church, hospice, library, charity or school).
Gather obituary information, including age, place of birth, cause of death, occupation, college degrees, memberships held, military service, outstanding work, list of survivors in immediate family, give time and place of services. The funeral home will normally write article and submit to newspapers or the Internet.
Arrange for members of family or close friends to take turns answering door or phone, keeping careful record of calls.
Coordinate the supplying of food for the next several days.
Consider special need of the household, such as cleaning, etc., which might be done by friends.
Arrange for child care, if necessary.
Arrange hospitality for visiting relatives and friends.
Select pallbearers and notify the funeral home. (Avoid anyone with heart or back difficulties, or make them honorary pallbearers).
Plan for disposition of flowers after funeral (church, hospital or rest home)
Prepare list of distant persons to be notified by letter and/or printed notice, and decide which to send to each.
Prepare list of persons to receive acknowledgments of flowers, calls, etc. Send appropriate acknowledgments (can be written note, printed acknowledgments, or some of each). Include "thank you's" to those who have given their time as well.
If Social Security checks are automatic deposit, notify the bank of the death.
Notify insurance companies.
Locate the will and notify lawyer and executor.
Check carefully all life and casualty insurance and death benefits, including Social Security, credit union, trade union, fraternal, and military. Check also on income for survivors from these sources.
Check promptly on all debts and installment payments, including credit cards. Some may carry insurance clauses that will cancel them. If there is to be a delay in meeting payments, consult with creditors and ask for more time before the payments are due.
If deceased was living alone, notify utilities and landlord and tell post office where to send mail.
