Frequent Questions

However it looks, a funeral or memorial vital step in the healing process to mark a life's impact through remembrance activities.

A funeral or memorial provides an opportunity for the living to show respect for the deceased and pay tribute to their life. It provides a framework to freely and openly express our beliefs, feelings, and thoughts about the death of our loved one. It gives us permission to grieve our loss, share in solidarity, and gain strength from others who are experiencing in the same loss.

A "funeral" can be traditional, more like a party, or anything inbetween.

The truth is it doesn’t have to be expensive. Anything important in life usually carries some type of expense with it; however, we’ve worked extensively to provide options that meet every family’s budget. As we talk with families we identify what is most important to them and help to create a remembrance that honors their loved one, cares for them with dignity, and fits within their budget. 

Selecting mid-range pricing is usually the best approach when selecting a funeral provider because it offers a balance of quality, value, and meaningful personalization. High-cost providers with significant overhead generally pass along costs without necessarily increasing the customer service or products provided. The lowest-cost providers, many times, are built on practices that value volume over attentive care and quality services.

One the most commonly ask questions is: If my loved one has selected has selected Gift of Life on their Driver’s License, can we still have a regular funeral?  The short answer is: Yes, most definitely!  Once the Gift of Life personnel have completed the organ and tissue donation, our skilled and professional staff work to prepare your loved one for visitation. 

Although it can be uncomfortable, we always recommend families having open conversations about donation. Making your feelings and ideas known will help those closest to you in those difficult moments after death. 

When a person passes there are two ways organ and tissue donations can take place. The first is that your loved one has chosen to join the Gift of Life donation registry, or more commonly stated, has put a “little red heart” on their Driver’s License. At time of death, medical personnel and Gift of Life Staff will determine if a donation is eligible. If you are choosing a path of donation, it is important you are knowledgeable about your choice and your family knows what to expect. The other way a donation can take place is through at-need care. At time of death, Gift of Life Michigan or Eversight may reach out to your next of kin to ask for permission for a donation.  

Yes, cremation or burial is merely the disposition of the body. Funeral services are to honor and remember your loved one, regardless of disposition.

The funeral director's job is to assist the bereaved in various ways to help them through the loss of a loved one. A funeral director provides bereavement and consolation services for the living, in addition to making arrangements for the cremation, burial, and memorial services for the deceased. He fulfills the role of funeral arranger, funeral director, funeral attendant, and embalmer.

The following list is not all-inclusive, but describes some of the major tasks of a funeral director: 

• Removal and transfer of the deceased from the place of death to the funeral home
• Professional care of the deceased, including embalming, casketing, and cosmetology
• Consulting with family to make arrangements for the funeral service
• Filing certificates, permits, and other required forms
• Obtaining copies of the death certificate
• Arrangements with the cemetery, crematory, or other places of final disposition
• Creates and publishes the obituary
• Arrangements for clergy, music, flowers, transportation, pallbearers, and special fraternal or military services
• Directs and manages the funeral service and the funeral procession
• Assists the family with death-related claims, including Social Security, VA insurance, grief counseling

Pre-arranging funeral services can be done regardless of the final disposition. Pre-arranging is simply recording your wishes with the funeral home and prefunding if you choose to do so.

• Advance Directives - If the deceased left any written advance directives concerning the disposition of his remains and memorialization, you need to bring them with you. These instructions may be found in a will, or there may be a formally witnessed disposition directive, funeral pre-arrangements, or a pre-need contract.
• Military Discharge Papers
• Details on any cemetery property owned by the deceased or the family (grave plot, columbarium space, etc.)
• Recent photograph of the deceased and any personal effects that you wish to be included in the viewing or burial
• Specific information on the deceased: 
• Full legal name
• Address
• Marital status
• Social Security number
• Date of birth
• Place of birth (city and state)
• Educational history (number of years of schooling)
• Armed Forces service dates and serial number
• Occupation or profession
• Parent's names, including mother's maiden name
• Next of kin and other survivors