In my 30 years as funeral director, I have assisted countless families in arranging funeral services following the passing of a loved one. Everyone deals with a loss differently. Some families have clear wishes as to the kind of ceremony and service they wish to arrange. Others have mixed feelings and are very undecided on the various options and details involved in the organisation of a funeral service, especially if the subject was never discussed with the person that passed on.
As funeral directors we discuss with the grieving families and assist them in deciding as to what type of funeral, burial or cremation to arrange for their loved one. Nevertheless, options are vast and choices vary depending on the families’ circumstances, personal wishes, religious beliefs and financial limitations.
It is not uncommon for families to have mixed feelings and contrasting opinions on the type of funeral arrangements the person would have wanted and this may raise difficulties for families that are unprepared.
“Shall we arrange a burial or cremation? We never spoke about the subject and so we have no idea what he would have wished!”.
“We don’t have a family grave and although I believe my mother wanted to cremated, my sister thinks this is not the right choice. What shall we do?”
“Shall we have a church service in our Parish or in the church where he was baptized?”
“We know our uncle wanted to be cremated and we want to respect his wishes but we were not prepared for this expense and he does not have a funeral plan. Can we arrange burial in a common grave for the time being then arrange cremation once its available in Malta?”
“Our father died three months ago and we already arranged a burial. We now opened his will and found out he wishes to be cremated. Can this be arranged or is it now too late?”
These are all questions we are asked by families who are not prepared and need to make decisions quickly in a time of grief. Having experienced and dealt with numerous such situations, I can state that it is so much easier and less distressing on families to arrange a funeral of someone who had a plan.
With a funeral plan in place, loved ones left behind need not worry about difficult decision-making as all personal wishes would have been decided and documented beforehand. If the plan is prepaid the family need not even worry about the financial aspect since the plan would have been paid for and the costs of all the services guaranteed in a contract between the plan holder and the funeral company.
Camilleri Funeral Directors offer secure funeral and cremation plans with guaranteed costs. E-mail info@camillerifuneraldirectors.com or call 2133 8471 to request a free brochure or to arrange an appointment without obligation.