Archive for the ‘Pre-Arrangements’ Category

Five Good Reasons why you should Plan your Funeral Arrangements in Advance

November 6th, 2009

The Following Five Benefits can be realized by Planning your Funeral Arrangements in Advance:

1. PROTECTING YOUR ARRANGEMENTS FROM INFLATION

By prefunding your funeral arrangements you can guarantee the funeral home charges.  The way it works is when you prepay for a funeral you are placing the cost of the funeral at the price listed on the funeral homes most recent General Price List in an investment vehicle, the most common method is a Prepaid Funeral Trust account, so that the interest earned will keep up with inflation to cover the cost of the funeral, at the future prices from the most recent General Price List, when the death occurs.

2. PEACE OF MIND

Just knowing that you can choose how you wish to be remembered and also knowing that your personal wishes will be carried out.

3. YOU CAN CUSTOMIZE YOUR FUNERAL

You get to make all of the important decisions for what type of funeral arrangements you want for yourself.  Whether it be burial or cremation preplanning allows you to make specific choices for the type of services or merchandise based on your own personal preferences.

4. YOUR MONEY WILL BE PROTECTED

Anyone who prearranges their funeral in New York state can take comfort in knowing that their money will be protected by what are honestly the most powerful pre-need laws in the nation.  New York State laws require that 100% of the money used for prearranged funerals be deposited in an interest bearing account.  The account needs to be a government backed trust account where the principle and interest earned remain the property of the purchaser.  According to the law the purchaser must remain in control of the assets in the account.

5. FREE YOUR FAMILY FROM FINANCIAL BURDEN

You can relieve your family of making very difficult decisions at one of the worst times they may have to face.  Prepaying funeral costs can be financially beneficial buy purchasing a future funeral at today’s costs.

The King of Pop, Interred September 3, 2009

September 2nd, 2009

When it comes to grief, closure is an essential element.

July 25, 2009- Michael Jackson died from lack of breathing and whatever else the coroner’s report might read. Seventy days later, the world will once again conduct him accordingly through their prayers and lay his body to its eternal rest. Finally we can have some closure.

I understand in criminal investigations funerals may be delayed for a period of time. Surely when speaking of someone as well noted as the “King of Pop,” extra care must be given so that the fingers are pointed in the right direction. It is unfortunate that while this appears to be necessary for justice to be accomplished, a man lies in a state of unrest.

Michael Jackson’s body is being kept in storage at another cemetery in refrigeration for his family to view him until his day of committal. I believe most will agree that the length of time is a bit extreme. I’m here to also add that it is not unheard of.

There are circumstances such as these where a disposition must be delayed. Aside from criminal investigations, there are situations where the cemetery is the cause. An interment may be delayed for months due to climate conditions where the grave cannot be dug until after the winter months begin waning. Another good example is Arlington National Cemetery, where there is a waiting list for interments. I recall an incident early in my career where a woman died and the funeral home I was working for received permission to remove and embalm. The arrangements had to be postponed until two of the woman’s sons could get to the funeral home. Turns out they were both working for the CIA and one of the sons was undercover and would not be back for the funeral. The other son was going to return for the services and funeral but that was not going to take place until a month later. The two boys explained that their aunt who was working for the embassy in Italy could not get back to the states until her work there was finished. Not only that but she would be the authorizing agent for the funeral arrangements. The length of time from date of death to the day of burial was 21 days.

Did I mention that I specialize in pre arrangements otherwise known as advance funeral planning? Let this be a lesson to any person who works for the CIA, FBI, some foreign embassy, military personal… get my drift? Basically, any person whose lifestyle warrants them to be away from home and responsibility…Please make sure you have funeral plans in place- it just makes everything that much easier.

Getting back to Michael, with the interment scheduled for tomorrow I believe that now his family can go on and grieve the loss of their son, brother, husband, father and friend. Let us not forget to mention his undying fans who will keep his memory alive by playing his songs and music videos forevermore. Tributes are already flooding the internet for this great legend and I’m sure more are to come. My concern lies with his contemporaries and when they will write a song fitting to this man’s legacy. There are some who believe such tributes are forthcoming and that they are already in the works just waiting for the right time…I certainly hope so. I believe that time is now.It would bring disgrace to his name if neglected. Sean “Puffy” Combs, where is the lyric for Michael? Biggie received his tribute just 80 days from his date of death. Now is the time to get it done.

Lastly, if I may quote one of Michael’s lyrics:

But They Say The Sky’s
The Limit
And To Me That’s Really True
And My Friends You Have
Seen Nothin’
Just Wait ‘Til I Get Through . . .



Michael has broken through and the world has changed.

Lord, let his good deeds follow him.



Amen.

What do I need a Funeral Director for?

July 16th, 2009

One night I am at home on call and the funeral home I work with contacts me and advises me that a gentleman is curious about cremation and  is waiting for a call back.   Quickly I grab my General Price List so that I my help this gentleman with his inquiry.   You see any time a funeral director is discussing prices for a particular funeral homes services and or merchandise they must take the charges directly from the funeral homes general price list.  When I get the  said gentleman on the phone he advised me that his mother was ill and he needs prices for a cheap cremation (his words not mine).  As I  was quoting the price for our funeral homes direct cremation fee, which is a limited service provided by the funeral home, the gentleman became rather ungentlemanly.  He said to me with a drunken stuper that his mom is old and dying and why can’t he just light the old hag on fire and stick her in a garbage can.  I calmly stated that no you can’t get her out of the convalescent home because you need a New York State Licensed Funeral Director who would be working under a funeral homes registration to take possession of her remains.  I also added that lighting her on fire is a criminal act and punishable by law.  My professional opinion was that he would be much better off using a crematory to do the actual cremation.   I predicted that he might scare his neighbors into calling the fire department as his mothers earthy shell is incinerated in his illegal pyre.  To conclude the conversation I added that if he chose to store his mothers ashes a garbage can well there is no law against that but he may want to get an urn instead.

to be continued…

Welcome to Long Island Funeral

April 26th, 2009

This site is dedicated to providing information about funerals in Long Island, New York. Residents and former residents of Long Island looking for preened arrangements or advanced planning information are best served by our site and its contents, which are authored by a New York State Licensed Funeral Director.

Each week we will be adding more articles about typical pre-need and arrangement planning issues and content related to funerals in the Long Island area.