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 What to do When Death Occurs:
What should I do when a death occurs in my family?
Contact the funeral home as soon as a death has occurred. A time will be set up with the funeral director to come in and make arrangements. The funeral home will help coordinate arrangements with the cemetery, church and clergy.
What should I do if a death occurs while I am away traveling?
Contact us immediately, and let us coordinate with a funeral home in the area where the death has occurred. We will take charge from then on and make all the arrangements for transporting the deceased to a local funeral home for embalming and preparation for return to home. You only need contact us with some basic information and call us when you return home to set a time for an arrangement conference.
What if a death occurs while traveling outside the U.S.?
If a family member dies while traveling outside the United States, the U.S. Embassy will come to your assistance. You should call us immediately when a death occurs abroad. We are well versed in the procedures for returning the deceased to the United States.
Death Away From Home…and how you can avoid costly mistakes!
Remember this RULE: If the death occurs elsewhere but the funeral, services, and disposition will be in the Westchester area call Edwards and Dowdle. We will take care of the rest including all of the out of town arrangements and transportation details.
- We will protect you from unneeded extras and duplication of services, saving you money.
- We have vast experience in dealing with regulations in all regions.
- Our nationwide and worldwide contacts will be put to work for you.
This list will help you to organize and it applies whether a death happens locally or far away:
- Contact us as soon as possible. We can be reached 24 hours a day. An appointment will be made to come in and make arrangements. The funeral home will help coordinate arrangements with the cemetery, church and clergy. You will need to be able to provide the following information to complete the vital statistic requirements.
- The legal name of the deceased
- Birth Date
- Birthplace
- Father's Name
- Mother's Name (including maiden)
- Social Security Number
- Veteran's Discharge or Claim Number for Civil Service
- Education Level
- Marital Status
- If burial, not only the name and address of the cemetery but also the plot numbers/deed
- You will tell us when you want the funeral and we will do the scheduling
- The funeral home will assist you in determining the number of certified death certificates you will need and will order these for you.
- Make a list of immediate family, close friends and employer or business colleagues. Notify each by phone.
- Decide on appropriate memorial to which gifts may be made (church, hospice, library, charity or school) if desired.
- Gather obituary information, including age, place of birth, occupation, college degrees, memberships held, military service, outstanding work, list of survivors in immediate family. The funeral home will normally write article and submit to newspapers. You will be asked to proofread before submission to prevent any mistakes. Please be aware that most newspapers now charge to publish announcements or obituaries.
- Prepare list of insurance companies and include the name of company and policy number. We will gather needed forms for you and prepare them for your signature. Let us help you, it is our job and you have enough to do.
- We will notify Social Security for you. (The $255 dollar death benefit is payable ONLY if there is a surviving spouse, or a child under 18 or a disabled child.)
- If Social Security checks are direct deposit, notify the bank of the death.
- Arrange for members of family or close friends to take turns answering the door or phone, keeping careful record of calls. Try not to leave the home unattended during this time, including during the services.
- Consider special needs of the household, such as cleaning or shopping for items such as trash bags or paper goods, which might be done by friends.
- Arrange for childcare, if necessary.
- Arrange hospitality for visiting relatives and friends.
- Plan for disposition of flowers after funeral. Normally all cut flower arrangements are left at the graveside and the cards are delivered to the family.
Later, after the funeral:
- Send appropriate acknowledgments to those who sent flowers, brought food, or gave their time to be of service (can be written note, printed acknowledgments, or some of each). It is not necessary to send an acknowledgement card to every person who signed the register. You may if you wish, but people do not expect to be acknowledged for simply signing the registry. They don't want to cause an added burden.
- Locate the will and notify lawyer and executor.
- Check carefully all life and casualty insurance and death benefits, including Social Security, credit union, trade union, fraternal, and military. Check also on income for survivors from these sources.
- Check promptly on all debts and installment payments, including credit cards. Some may carry insurance clauses that will cancel them. If there is to be a delay in meeting payments, consult with creditors and ask for more time before the payments are due.
- If deceased was living alone, notify utilities and landlord and tell post office where to send mail.
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