Until 2016, Michigan law rigidly dictated who could serve as your representative for funeral arrangements. There was a hierarchy of next of kin: Spouse, parent, siblings according to age and so on. But families can be complicated, scattered or non-existent. A new law lets you designate who will handle your funeral and final resting place. […]

In our Royal Oak display room you’ll find our newest casket, with a military theme, and our oldest, the stunning Marsellus M710 FTH President model. For more than 130 years, the Marsellus Casket Company in Syracuse, New York made what came to be called the Rolls Royce of caskets. The M710 FTH President was the […]

The Federal Trade Commission requires funeral homes to provide price information on request. This New York Times article reports on consumer groups who want the rules updated to require prices to be shared online – something we at William Sullivan & Son have done for many years. (Here’s our price information.) The FTC provides good, […]

For many of us, when we think of funeral poems we think “Funeral Blues” by W.H. Auden in the movie Five Weddings and a Funeral: Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, Silence the pianos and with muffled drum Bring out the coffin, let the […]

By Michelle O’Hara It’s hard to think about your own death and even harder to talk about it. In my experience, though, once the conversation begins it brings great satisfaction and sometimes even great joy. As a funeral planning educator at the Sullivan Funeral Home in Utica I advise people in all elements of pre-planning. […]