The Police or Fire Department, if the death occurs in the home. They, in turn, will advise the Medical Examiner.

• All of the deceased's relatives
• The deceased's employer, if any
• Your employer, if you will not be attending work
• If the deceased was an active member of a religious community, contact his/her priest, minister or rabbi. The clergy can be very supportive during this difficult period.

How you choose to pay tribute to a life lived or make an expression of remembrance is a personal decision. You will have to make decisions concerning preferences on matters such as:

• Will there be a memorial service? If so, when--day and time?
• Will the service be elaborate or simple?
• Should you hold a memorial service such as: a funeral service prior to disposition; a committal service at the time of disposition; a memorial service at a later date; a combination of two, or all three?
• Should the service be held: in the cemetery/crematorium chapel; in the church; in the home; in the funeral home chapel; or, at some other location which may hold special meaning for the deceased and/or the family?
• Will it be a private, family service, or open to all?
• Who should be asked to conduct (lead) the service?
• Will you need pallbearers? How many? Who should be asked?
• Music--religious, secular, or a combination? Which hymns/songs should be played/sung?
• Do you want a soloist? A professional, or a family member or friend?
• Should one or more family members or friends be called upon to pay tribute to the deceased? If so, how many? Who will you ask?

If the funeral has been pre-planned, contact the funeral home or transfer service handling the arrangements. If no funeral arrangements have been made, contact the funeral home or transfer service of your choice. Complete listings can be found in the Yellow Pages, under Funeral Homes.

You will have to make decisions on matters such as:

• How much would you like to spend on funeral services?
• What type of casket/container should you purchase?
• Will there be visitation? One or more days? Open or closed casket?
• To embalm, or not?
• Would you prefer floral tributes, charitable donations, or either?
• Which charity--one of your choosing, or of the donor's choosing?
• Do you wish a notice to be placed in the newspaper(s)? Which one(s)? What should it say?

If cemetery arrangements have been pre-planned, contact the cemetery right away. Next, advise your funeral home or transfer service. They will need to know:

• The name of the cemetery and/or crematorium where the arrangements were made.
• What type of service(s) you wish.
• The location of any interment rights which were purchased--this information may be found on the Interment Rights Deed issued by the Cemetery at the time of purchase.

• Decide how much you wish to spend for the purchase of cemetery services (interment rights and required services, memorial, etc.). Green Hills Memorial Park provides cemetery services for all wishes and budgets. A complete list, with specific price information is available from our office.
• Is interment, entombment or cremation desired? If you would like further information to assist you in making your decision, please contact Green Hills Memorial Park for our three-part series on The Facts about Interment... Entombment, and...Cremation. These booklets are available free of charge.
• What kind of memorialization do you prefer? A memorial serves as a tribute to a life lived. The story can be expressed in images, in words or in the materials chosen. For example, you may choose a memorial in the form of a bronze or granite marker.
• Please consider the memorial carefully, before you purchase interment rights (grave, lot, crypt, niche, urn space), since not all types will permit all memorials.

Not many people like to think of money at a time like this. Unfortunately, from a practical standpoint, it is necessary. Some things may have to be paid for before the service can take place. For example:

• A portion of, if not the full, purchase price of the interment rights (ie., grave, lot, crypt, niche, urn space).
• The interment, entombment or cremation fee. Late or Saturday charges--ie., most often interment or entombment services taking place in the late afternoon or on a Saturday incur additional charges.
• Fees for additional cemetery services, if any.
• Chapel rental, if any.
• Clergy, organist and soloist, if not covered in any of the above.

Where applicable, the following should be notified of the death:

• Lawyer: To help you administer the estate, including probating the will, if necessary, or obtaining a grant of administration if there is no will.

• Bank: Bank accounts which are held in the name of the deceased only may require probate action or a consent to transfer from a governmental agency. Consult your bank manager if you have any questions or doubts about the availability of funds in any such accounts.

• Life Insurance Company: Contact the agents of all life insurance companies, or the life insurance companies directly, as soon as possible for claim forms. Life insurance policies may provide for some advance payment before probate of a will. Examine all policies closely, including lapsed policies, to check for any extended coverage. Survivor's life insurance policies naming the deceased as beneficiary should be changed immediately.

• Insurance Agents: Contact the agent for deceasedŐs car and property insurance to notify them of the death and ensure that the estate is covered.

• Department of Motor Vehicles: Vehicles automatically become a part of the estate when the deceased is the sole owner. For information regarding the transfer of title contact the DMV or a lawyer.

• Employer: Consult the deceased's employer(s) or a lawyer regarding unpaid wages and vacation pay, and the status of group life insurance plans, pension plans, retirement plans and survivor benefits. If the deceased was paying into a Group Retirement Savings Plan, the amount in the account will go to the beneficiaries.

• Supplementary Medical Insurance: Terminate coverage.

• Department of Veterans Affairs (D.V.A.): Terminate benefits.

• Contact the local office of the Department of Veterans Affairs for additional information. Documentation required for benefits:
  • Funeral director's Statement of Death
  • Veteran's discharge papers

• Welfare: Terminate benefits. Subject to certain limits, Social Services will provide a basic funeral and cemetery services for a welfare recipient who dies without assets.

• Workers' Compensation Board (W.C.B.): Terminate and/or collect benefits. Death due to a work-related injury or disease may qualify the deceased worker's dependents for a lump-sum paymentand a continuing monthly payment. Within certain limits, W.C.B. will also offset the costs of transporting the deceased's body for interment.

• Public Trustee: If there is no will and no next of kin, the Public Trustee may be able to assist with administering the estate.

• Unions, Clubs or Organizations: Terminate and/or collect benefits. Some unions, clubs and fraternal organizations may provide assistance with funeral expenses.

• Cemetery: At the time of death, interment rights become part of the estate--whether specifically mentioned in a will or not. Call the cemetery office and find out what is required to establish signing authority on behalf of the estate.