No one likes to think about death—their own or anyone else's. Making funeral arrangements, securing a cemetery plot and planning a memorial service are difficult endeavors, but they are ones that most of us will have to confront at some point in our lives.

How to Plan a Funeral seeks to demystify the funeral industry and walk you through the decisions that must be made following the death of a loved one.

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  (Creative Commons photo by Skender)

• Everyone will have to confront the death of a loved one at some point in their lives. The experience is difficult and disconcerting. In the midst of our shock and grief, we must contend with funeral homes, permits, lawyers and clergymen. Because many of the people and places you must deal with following someone's death are out to make a profit, they can easily exploit your emotional vulnerability.

• Fortunately, the Federal Trade Commission and organizations like the AARP have resources in place to help you with both the emotional and pragmatic aftermath of a loved one's death.

• When someone dies, an "official pronouncement of death" must be made and the body must be cared for until the burial or cremation can take place.

• If the death occurs in a hospital, you may simply need to call a pre-selected funeral home. In many cases, however, we are not so well-prepared. Fortunately, there are several religious and medical organizations that can help you through the first few hours following the death of a loved one.

1. Pronouncement of Death: Call 911 or the coroner's office. A medical professional must be notified to make the official pronouncement of death. If the death occurs at a hospital or in hospice, the attending professional will make this pronouncement.
2. Expected Death: If the death was expected and arrangements have already been made, call the funeral home or crematorium to pick up the body.
3. Unexpected Death: If the death was unexpected, you will need to contact someone to pick up the body after the pronouncement of death has been made. You have a few options when it comes to who to contact next:
   • Funeral Home: When a death is unexpected, you're not going to feel like comparison shopping for funeral services. Just remember that the only decision you will need to make in those first few hours is whether or not you wish the funeral home to embalm the body. If you're not prepared to make that decision, they can pick up the body and hold it while you plan the funeral arrangements more thoroughly.
   • Crematorium: If you are aware that the deceased wished to be cremated, contact a crematorium to pick up the body.
   • Medical Examiner: While most people would prefer not to have their loved one's body stored in the County Morgue for any length of time, calling the Coroner's Office is an option in a time of crisis.
   • Priest, Rabbi or Religious Organization: While a religious organization cannot take the body away for you, it can direct you to the funeral home or crematorium that is often used by members of their congregations. A priest, rabbi or another appropriate spiritual leader can also help you with any last rites required by religious law.
   • Training Hospital or Medical School: If the deceased wished for his or her body to be donated for the benefit of science, it can be picked up by a training hospital or medical school. Be certain that the program is legitimate and connected to a major medical institution.

• If you are the primary mourner of the deceased, you will spend the first few days following your loved one's death making funeral or memorial service arrangements. Before that process can begin, however, you will need to do the following:

1. Look for the Deceased's Instructions: Did the deceased person leave a will or anything stating his or her desires regarding the funeral in writing? You will want to adhere to your loved one's wishes. If nothing was left behind, all major funerary decisions will be made by the primary mourner, typically the deceased's parents, spouse, domestic partner or adult children.
2. Contact Friends and Family: If you are the primary mourner, you may wish to contact just one or two close friends and family members, and have those people reach out to others.

(Creative Commons photo by blmurch)

• There are several different types of rites, services and ceremonies conducted when someone dies. The type of funeral or service held for someone will depend a great deal on the deceased's religious affiliation and cultural background.

1. Funerals: A funeral is the most traditional type of ceremony held when a person dies. A funeral is typically held in a church or funeral home and may include a full mass, prayers, songs and remembrances. The body of the deceased is usually present in either an open or closed casket.
2. Viewing: A viewing gives friends and family members an opportunity to sit with the body of the deceased for several hours. Viewings can take place at a funeral home, the home of the deceased, a church or another public space.
3. Wake: There are several different types of "wakes." In some cultures, a wake is synonymous with a viewing and is typically conducted on the evening before the funeral. In other cultures, a wake is essentially a party held immediately after the funeral and celebrates the life of the deceased.
4. Memorial Service: Unlike a funeral, the body is not present at a memorial service. Memorial ceremonies are usually less formal than funerals and are held after the body has been buried or cremated. A memorial service can take place anywhere—a mortuary, a church, a park, on the beach, at a favorite restaurant, etc.
5. Shiva: Shiva is a Jewish custom, which requires the immediate members of the deceased's family to observe a week-long period of grief and mourning following the burial. The ritual is often referred to as "sitting Shiva." For more information on observing Shiva, consult your Rabbi or the United Jewish Communities Jewish Funeral Customs resources.

(Photo by Jenny Erickson)

• A burial is the most expensive way to inter a person's remains due primarily to the cost of the casket and cemetery plot. Burials, however, are an important part of certain religious and cultural traditions.

• There are several different types of burials for the family of the deceased to consider while making funeral arrangements:

• Direct Burials

• The body is buried shortly after death in a simple container. There is no viewing or visitation and embalming is not necesary. A memorial service might be held at the graveside or elsewhere any time following the burial. A direct burial is the least expensive type of burial.

• Traditional Burials

• Traditional burials typically include a viewing or visitation at the funeral home followed by a full funeral service and the transportation of the remains by hearse to the cemetery for the burial.

• Green Burials

• A "green burial" is a burial that ensures the burial site remain as natural as possible. The body is interred in a biodegradable casket or shroud, and no embalming fluid is used. For more information on green burials, contact the Green Burial Council.

• Veteran Burials

• Veterans are entitled to a free burial in a national cemetery and a grave marker. The spouses and dependent children of veterans are also entitled to a lot and marker when buried in a national cemetery. A funeral home can help you make arrangements for veterans, or you can contact the Department of Veterans Affairs independently. To find your region's Veterans Affairs office, call 1.800.827.1000.

• Watch out for commercial cemeteries advertising "Veteran's Specials." They may offer plots for free, but will charge exorbitantly for adjoining plots and the opening and closing of the grave.

• Jewish Burials

• Jewish law doesn't permit cremation or embalming. Bodies must be buried as soon as possible following death, preferably within the first 24 hours. The body cannot be left alone prior to burial and must be buried in a casket made entirely of wood so as not to interfere with the body's "return to the earth." Consult a Rabbi for guidance.

• A casket is the most expensive item you'll buy for a traditional burial and full-service funeral. Caskets range in price from roughly $2,000 - $10,000.

• Thanks to the Funeral Rule, the mortuary is required to show you a full price list of the caskets sold by the home before you see the actual caskets. It's important that you look at this list. According to the FTC, most people buy one of the first three caskets they look at so it's in the funeral home's best interest to show you the higher priced models first. Some mortuaries won't even put the cheapest options on the salesfloor.

• If you find a casket online or at another establishment that you'd prefer using, the funeral home that you've made the rest of your arrangements with is required to use it.

• In addition to the casket, you will be required to buy some kind of burial vault or grave liner. This is a cover which fits over the tops and sides of the casket to prevent the ground around the casket from settling following the burial. The mortuary must provide a separate list of costs associated with the grave liner as well as the casket.

• Cremation is the process of incinerating the body, reducing it to ash and small bone fragments. The remains are then placed in an urn or alternative container and can be interred in a columbarium or scattered.

1. Direct Cremation: A direct cremation is one in which the body is promptly cremated without a funeral service or viewing. The cost of such a cremation typically includes the transport of the body, the actual cremation and a container for the ashes. It is the most economical way to dispose of the body. (For-profit groups like The Neptune Society provide only direct cremation services.)
2. Caskets: You do not have to purchase an elaborate casket for a cremation. You are, however, required to purchase a cremation container for the body. These are available from the funeral home or casket store.
3. Viewings: If you'd like to have a viewing before the cremation or a funeral with the body present, ask the funeral home if you can rent a casket for this purpose.
4. Memorial Services: You can have a funeral or memorial service following the cremation with the urn present to represent the deceased.
5. Being Present at the Cremation: If it is required by your religion or you simply wish to be present, most crematoriums will allow you to help in the incineration process. There may be an additional cost associated with this.
6. Urn: You do not have to purchase an urn from the crematorium or funeral home. They will give you the ashes in a durable, temporary container.
7. Cremation Permit: A permit is required from the vital records office of your local health department for a cremation to take place. The funeral home or crematorium will help you secure this permit.

• Once the body has been incinerated, you have several alternatives for preserving or disposing of the cremated remains.

1. Storing in an Urn: Cremated remains can be stored in a decorative urn or alternative container. Urns do not have to be purchased from a funeral home or crematorium.
2. Interring in a Columbarium: A columbarium is an above ground structure in a cemetery intended for the internment of ashes and cremated remains. There are different types of columbariums. Some have glass fronts that allow you to see the urn. Others seal the ashes in a marble niche. If you purchase a columbarium niche, you can expect to pay for the cost of the space, opening and closing fees and an epitaph.
3. Scattering Ashes: As long as you have permission from the owner of the property or, in the case of a National Park, a permit, you can theoretically scatter your loved one's ashes wherever you wish. It's important to remember that you should pour the ashes rather than throw them into the air.
4. LifeGems: The company LifeGem will use the carbon from the cremated remains to create a "memorial diamond" that you can wear as jewelry.
5. Shooting into Space: There is an industry dedicated to sending cremated remains into space via a rocket. The cost is dependent upon how far into space you want the ashes to be shot.

Even after the funeral, there's still work to be done. (Creative Commons photo by Jim)

• Once the funeral is over, there are still many pragmatic details to deal with along with the process of grieving. Organizations like the AARP provide many resources to help you through the days and months following the funeral, and the Colorado Bar Association maintains a substantial list of organizations you need to contact following someone's death. Some of the things you'll need to attend to immediately include:

1. Obtain Death Certificates: You need to attain several copies of your loved one's death certificate. The funeral director will typically help you with this. There is a price associated with obtaining the first one; subsequent copies are less expensive. If you need additional copies at a later date, you can contact your county's Vital Records Office. These certificates are necessary to legally establish your loved one's death and obtain benefits from governmental and financial institutions.
2. Locate Important Papers and Certificates: These may include banking-related documents, investment statements, insurance policies, tax forms and the deceased's social security card.
3. Notify Insurance Companies in Writing: Each company will need a statement of claim and a death certificate before the surviving spouse can receive any benefits.
4. Contact the Social Security Office: If your spouse has passed away, you may be eligible for benefits.
5. Notify the Deceased's Employer and Creditors: Write a letter to your loved one's employer and creditors.
6. Consult a Lawyer: Discuss fees before you actually solicit a lawyer's help, but understanding the legal ramifications of your loved one's death is that much easier with professional help.

• eHow.com: How to Write an Obituary

• wikiHow: How to Write an Obituary

• How To Do Things.com: How to Write an Obituary

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• Introduction
• What to Do When Somebody Dies
• Funeral and Memorial Service Options
• How to Choose a Funeral Home
• Burials
• Cremations
• How to Choose a Cemetery
• How to Plan a Memorial Service
• How to Write an Obituary
• How to Write a Eulogy
• What to Do After the Funeral
• How to Pre-Plan Your Funeral
• Resources