When Death Occurs

What To Do When Death Occurs

Immediately following the death of a loved one, there are many decisions that must be made. At this time, you may find your emotions are heightened, and for that reason it is a good idea to ask for help in making all the decisions and arrangements. Additionally, the funeral home’s staff is eager to assist you and the family in making the best decisions possible. This information can help guide you and your family through the process.

A red rose is sitting on a gravestone in a cemetery.

Contact the Proper Authorities

Before any arrangements and decisions can be made, a legal pronouncement of death must be declared. If your loved one dies inside of a medical or nursing facility like a hospital or nursing home, the staff will handle getting this declaration made. However, if someone dies at home while under hospice care you will need to call them directly and a hospice nurse will pronounce.  If your loved one dies outside of a healthcare facility or hospice care, you need to immediately contact the local emergency officials and they will come to the location of passing and make the pronouncement.  This legal declaration must be made by the appropriate authorities and cannot be done by a family member.  Once the death has been legally pronounced, the family can proceed with calling the funeral home to begin the process of making any funeral arrangements.

Begin to Make Arrangements

Once your loved one has been declared dead, you and your family can proceed with making any type of funeral arrangements.  Please call us to make an appointment and we will schedule a time to meet and finalize the arrangements once you have decided on the services you've chosen.  If you are unable to come in person, we are able to make arrangements over the phone and through email.


If your loved one had pre-planned any type of services, we will discuss those choices with you and your family. If your loved one did not make any previous type of arrangements and if they hadn’t made their final wishes known, the family will need to decide if they will bury or cremate the body. 


If you want to have funeral services, such as a Traditional Service, additional decisions include the preferred time, date and location of any service (which will need to be confirmed by your Funeral Director due to availability, permits, etc.); what type of casket or urn your loved one needs; drafting an obituary notice; deciding on pallbearers; and make any decisions about the specifics of the service like who the minister will be, what music will be played and who will speak. 

Information Funeral Directors May Need

Once you have met the funeral director, they will advise you on any information or paperwork they need for the death certificate or to proceed with making final arrangements


Information Required:


  • Full name and address
  • Marital status
  • Race/Ethnicity
  • Date and city of birth
  • Highest level of education
  • Father’s name, mother’s maiden name
  • Name of spouse
  • Occupation and employer

Documents Funeral Directors May Need

Funeral directors may need important documents and information to complete any legal paperwork. This may include:


  • Military discharge papers (form DD 214)
  • Social Security number

Taking Care of Personal Property

Following the death of your loved one, there are few things you need to attend to involving the deceased’s personal life. First, secure your loved one’s property. Make sure their home and vehicle are properly secure. If your loved one has a pet, make the necessary arrangements for the pet to be taken care of by family or friends. Any mail that comes to your loved one should be forwarded to a family member that plans to handle the deceased’s estate. Any mail that piles up at a vacant home only alarms potential intruders that a home is empty. Make sure to contact the deceased’s boss and inform them of the death. If your loved one had any upcoming appointments, make contact to notify them about the death and to cancel the appointment.