What do you do When a Loved One Dies?

Posted on November 1st, 2021 by under Funeral Home
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funeral homes in Sterling Heights, MI

If your loved one has passed away and you are looking at funeral homes in Sterling Heights, MI, it might be confusing where to start. With so many options on the market and the different responsibilities of planning an event, it can feel overwhelming. This might be further complicated if you have specific cultural or religious traditions that you need to follow to ensure you meet your loved one’s last wishes. Having choices like cremation or funeral services can lead you to a more personalized event, so here is some help to get you started.

Documents

One of the first things that you will need is a certificate of death. This will be provided to any companies, officials, medical examiners, or nurses to help prove that the loved one has passed away. If you are having issues getting copies, speak with the funeral director for guidance or you can also check with your family to see if anyone has any of the documents needed. We recommend getting two to three dozen copies for any institutions such as credit card companies or utilities that may need the proof.

Notifications

The next step will be sending out notifications to individuals who need to know that the individual is passed away, such as:

  • utility and credit card companies
  • the employer or doctors of the deceased
  • any mediators for estates
  • church groups or volunteer organizations the individual was involved with

Because suffering a loss can be so painful it is always recommended to reach out to companies to hire individuals for extra support. For example, if the individual lived alone, you may need a house sitter or pet sitter for the property.

Additional Steps

You will want to contact the chosen funeral home you have chosen to transport the body if applicable. You will then need to decide between burial or cremation services to start the planning. If the individual passed away in hospice care, there could be some removal regulations depending on your state.

If you plan on having an open casket service, you will need to have the body stored and embalmed. If the body needs to be autopsied, you will have to contact a doctor to achieve this.

You may need to take out an obituary to release any information to the public about the services you have chosen. We recommend including the date of birth, name, and place of birth for the deceased, and a photo for identification. In addition, if there are any insurance companies that need to be notified or banks, you will need to do that.

funeral homes in Sterling Heights, MI

Here for Your Hard Choices

The process is never easy when someone you love passes away, and if you have decided to look for funeral homes in Sterling Heights, MI, you want a company that’s locally trusted and reliable. Wm. Sullivan & Son Funeral Directors understand the pain of loss and our company offer services in grief counseling and planning. We are here to help, so give us a call today to get started.

 

Michael Lope

Co-Owner, Funeral Director Michael J. Lope is a licensed funeral director and co-owner of the Wm. Sullivan & Son Funeral Home. Mike attended American Academy McAllister Institute for mortuary school in New York City. Mike was licensed in 2006 and began working with his family at Wm. Sullivan & Son Funeral Home. He currently works at both family funeral homes in Utica and Royal Oak. In his time off Michael enjoys golfing, skiing, hiking and camping. He is a parishioner at Holy Name Catholic Church with his wife Christine and his two children Andrew and Ashlyn. He and his family are committed to maintaining a family owned and operated funeral home that is a progressive and innovative leader in burial and cremation services.

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