Funeral Procedures

Making Funeral Arrangements or Pre-Arrangements

It is our sincere desire to be of real assistance to those who call or come into our funeral homes. Whether it involves questions and information, or the need to make funeral arrangements, our experienced professional staff can assist each family in making informed, intelligent decisions, Respecting different creeds, cultures, traditions and personal preferences and guided by each family's personal choices, we make every effort to render sensitive, caring, professional service. Our options range from various full service traditional funerals to the simplest of cremation and burial services and include a nearly unlimited variety of offerings to meet the needs of the families.

Tailoring Individual Services

In making funeral arrangements, and understand exactly what it is that we need to be doing, our process in help you would be as follows:

1. We furnish you with our Federal Trade Commission General Price List of good and services.
2. We listen, offer options and sometimes suggestions about the service you wish us to perform.
3. We estimate for your various third party expenses, which usually include some of the following items of expense: cemetery, crematory, newspaper notices, church/clergy honoraria, transcripts of the death certificate, limousines, professional pallbearers, out-of-state expenses with another funeral home, air fares, and foreign consulate fees.
4. Provide you with a selection of funeral merchandise appropriate for the services you select. These may include some of the following: casket, burial vault, alternative cremation container, urn for cremation ashes, burial clothing, memorial printing, acknowledgement stationery, monument inscription work and flowers for the funeral.
5. Discuss with you options and/or requirements related to cemetery, crematory, religious and/or fraternal services, obituary and/or paid death notices, transcripts of the death certificate, out-of-state or international transfers, Social Security and/or Veterans Administration benefits and forms, insurance assistance and completion of claim forms, Public Administrator's Office application, foreign consulate needs, notary public service, memorialization of cremated remains and monument inscription.
6. Establish with you the time schedule for calling hours, religious services, funeral service, etc.
7. Provide you with a written, itemized list of all expenses and discuss with you appropriate terms of payment.
8. Finally, determine if there is anything else we can do in order to render sensitive, caring professional service.

Obtaining Certified Copies of a Death Certificate

Our staff completes and then files the death certificate in the municipality where the death occurs. Certified copies of the death certificate can be obtained for the next of kin or Executor of the Estate of the deceased. One of our services is assist the family in determining the quantity of these certified copies needed for estate purposes. The following are the most common reasons for ordering such certified copies:
__Transfer of real property
__Bank accounts
__V.A. benefits    

__Insurance claims
__Safe deposit box needs
__Mortgage insurance     

__Union benefits
__Filing for tax refunds
__Insured loans

In some circumstances, more than one copy may be needed, and in other circumstances obtaining a certified may not be necessary for some or all of the above. The list should be carefully reviewed. In New York State, (outside of New York City), certified copies of the death certificate are $10 each. In New York City, they are $15 each.

Vital Statistics Information

Part of the funeral arrangement process is to accurately record the information required on the certificate of death. The physician completes the medical portion and the licensed funeral director completes the Vital Statistics. This includes the following:

Name of deceased; Date of birth; Age at last birthday; Place of birth; Years of education; Residence, street address, municipality and ZIP Code; Father's name; Mother's maiden name; Authorizing next of kin; Usual occupation prior to retirement; Kind of business or industry; Name and location of employer; Social Security #; Race; If a veteran, years of service; race; and years of education.

Click here to download a printable .pdf file which can be used to accurately record the information required on the death certificate.

Where we can be of help

• Cemetery/crematory questions

• Church/clergy assistance; organization services

• Death notice and obituary composition

• Estimating quantity of death certificate copies needed

• Out-of-state assistance with other funeral directors; transportation

• Printing of special memorial cards, and acknowledgement stationery

• Veteran's Administration benefits and form completion

• Social Security benefits and notification

• Insurance collection and form completion

• burial clothing if needed

• Notary Public assistance

• Cremation urns and disposition of cremation remains

• Monument inscriptions

• Floral arrangements

• Public administrator and Foreign Consulate assistance