It is the customary way to recognize death and its finality. Funerals are recognized rituals for the living to show respect for the dead and to help survivors begin the grief process.

What do funeral directors do?

Funeral directors are caregivers and administrators. They make the arrangements for transportation of the body, complete all necessary paperwork, and implement the choices made by the family regarding the funeral and final disposition of the body. Funeral directors are listeners, advisors and supporters. They have experience assisting the bereaved in coping with death. Funeral directors are trained to answer questions about grief, recognize when a person is having difficulty coping, and recommend sources of professional help. Funeral directors also link survivors with support groups in the community.

I've decided on cremation. Can I still have a funeral or a viewing?

Yes, cremation is an alternative to earth burial or entombment for the body's final disposition and often follows a traditional funeral service. Quite often some sort of viewing precedes the actual cremation. We can assist you with the necessary information for a funeral with a cremation following or a memorial service.

What determines the cost of a funeral?

The family of the deceased does. The cost is based on the type of service and merchandise you select. A funeral can be as simple or as elaborate as you desire. We offer a wide variety of services to choose from. Remember, a funeral home is a 24-hour, labor intensive business with extensive facilities (viewing rooms, chapels, limousines, hearses, etc.) and these expenses must be factored into the cost of a funeral. Moreover, the cost of a funeral includes not only merchandise, like caskets, but the services of a funeral director in making arrangements, filing appropriate forms, dealing with doctors, ministers, florists, newspapers, etc. and seeing to all the necessary details.

What do I do when a death occurs?
Call the funeral home. Our staff is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As soon as the deceased is released to us by a hospital or physician, we will transfer your family member to the funeral home.

What do I do if I am out of town and a death occurs?

If a death occurs when you are away from home, contact your hometown funeral director first. Don't be misled by a stranger saying you have to call a local funeral home right away. We are a phone call away and we work with funeral homes all over the country and abroad that will help us get your family member back home. When you call us directly, there is generally a financial savings because you are not dealing with two different funeral homes.

If I pre-pay my complete funeral arrangements with you, are those prices and services guaranteed?

Once funds for a complete service are deposited in our PrePlan Trust, your money will earn a high enough rate of interest to cover the future inflationary price increases. You can have confidence that your wishes are entrusted to an experienced, local, family-owned and managed firm. Your money is placed in a trust account and remains under your ultimate control. At any time, your principal and accrued interest is refundable without any cancellation fee. (For individuals concerned about Medicaid eligibility, a special irrevocable trust can be established.)

We're expecting a death in Florida, but we want to use your funeral home in New York. What's the best procedure?

If you anticipate having all the appropriate services here in New York as opposed to having them in an out-of-state location, it's to your advantage to contact us directly as soon as the death occurs and not engage a separate funeral home out-of-town. A single call to us will enable us to coordinate all the details both in the city where the death occurs and here in New York where the wake, services and interment take place. This can save you and your family time, anxiety and usually lower expenses as well. You'll be able to make your decisions in more familiar surroundings and with people you know. Furthermore, you may want to consider the pre-arrangement of these matters and know exactly what will be happening when that difficult time comes.

I'm considering cremation, but my family has concerns about it. What choices are there?

Concerns about cremation often come about through misunderstandings and misinformation. When death of a loved one occurs, the family needs and generally wants the time to gather, to experience the support of one another, their faith and the community. Unfortunately, many believe that cremation eliminates all these healthy, supportive opportunities. Cremation is simply the final physical step, just as burial is a final step. A religious service and other cultural traditions and experiences associated with a funeral can and should take place whether burial or cremation is the choice. We offer a range of cremation oriented services which offer the opportunity for family and friends to gather, for clergy to be present, and for the death of a loved one to be marked in an appropriate manner.

What Can Be Done About Missing Documents?

In the event of a death, it is important that a family have quick access to the cemetery deed and military discharge papers, if any. We've always found it wise, therefore, to assure yourself that these papers are readily available.

If either has been misplaced, a duplicate record can be obtained. But we suggest that the time to apply for duplicates is now -- before they're needed. When you have them in hand, keep them in a secure location, and make sure your family knows where to find them. But remember a bank safety deposit box is not the best place for such documents, because access to it is not always assured.

Can You Help Us With Our Insurance Claim?

We're here to help. We know that filing insurance claims can be a confusing, time-consuming procedure, and unfamiliar forms are just another added burden. That is the reason that many families ask us if we can assist in handling life insurance policies.

We have claim forms for most insurance companies and we are familiar with how they should be filed. We can make sure that these important benefits are obtained without delay. We know that this is the kind of extra service that families appreciate -- especially in times of stress.

Have Government Burial Allowances Been Eliminated?

Allowances are still available, but fewer people are entitled to receive them.

Social Security continues to provide a burial allowance payable to the surviving spouse or minor children of a deceased worker. And the Veterans Administration has a number of benefits for those who qualify and apply for them.

For example, those receiving VA pensions or compensation and veterans who die in a VA hospital are qualified. Transportation allowances are provided as well. Other benefits include a grave or urn site, and a memorial marker for the veteran and spouse.

We file all the necessary applications as part of our standard service. And we are always available to answer your questions about specific benefits.

If I choose cremation, must I purchase a casket?

With cremation, the purchase of a casket will depend largely on what services you want performed. Families having services such as a visitation period, funeral mass or other service in church, or other opportunity for family and friends to gather will select a casket. Other families may prefer cremation without any visitation period, church service or other family or public gathering and, in these circumstances, they have the option of cremation with the use of an "alternative container" in place of a casket. The choice is yours.

How can I make sure my funeral arrangements are carried out according to my wishes?

Pre-arranging a funeral is one of the more thoughtful decisions an individual can make for his or her survivors. It ensures that your funeral preferences and desires will be respected upon your death.

To make informed choices, you should know what you want; how much you can afford to pay; what guarantees are provided on merchandise and services; what happens if you move and want to change funeral homes; the tax consequence of the funding arrangements, if any; and if you are protected against inflation.

Do I have to use a vault?

There is no NY State law that requires the use of a burial vault. However, most cemeteries in our area require the casket to be placed in a protective outer container suitable to keep the ground above it from sinking after the grave is filled in. This reduces maintenance for the cemetery.

Years ago graves were dug by hand. Today heavy earth moving equipment is used. That equipment may travel on top of many graves to reach the specific location. Vaults and concrete grave liners provide adequate strength to keep the earth from sinking.

Is embalming required by law?

In New York State embalming, in nearly all situations, is not required by law. As is the case in most states, however, embalming is required when a reportable contagious disease caused the death or when the remains are to be transported from one state to another by common carrier (airlines, etc.).

Embalming sanitizes and provides temporary preservation of the body, decelerates the decomposition process, and enhances the appearance of a body disfigured by traumatic death or illness.

Embalming makes it possible to lengthen the time between death and the final disposition, thus allowing family members time to arrange and participate in the type of service most meaningful to them.