Pre-Planning Checklist

There’s a lot that goes into planning a funeral, but making those arrangements beforehand gives you time to consider all of your options and make sure that you’re covering all of the necessary details. The following checklist will help you to make sure you’ve thought of everything when you begin creating your personalized plan.

Information you'll need to assemble:

  •  Vital Statistics

​- This includes your father’s name, your mother’s maiden name, your level of education, and your social insurance number.

  • Affiliations

- This includes fraternal, service, or union membership, along with any special recognitions you might have

- If you are a Veteran, obtaining a copy of your DD-214 is helpful


Ways in which you can plan ahead:

General

  • Gather personal information for your obituary
  • Choose a charity to direct donations to, if desired
  • Make note of any special instructions you desire for your services and final disposition
  • Make a list of friends and relatives that need to be contacted at the time of your death

Funeral Service

  • Choose burial or cremation
  • Select a casket or cremation container
  • Choose the location and type of service
  • Decide whether you’d like to have a viewing or visitation
  • Select which photographs and memorabilia you’d like to display
  • Consider any customs, traditions, or religious rites that are important to you and your family
  • Choose the clothing you’d like to be dressed in
  • Select music and hymns, if desired
  • Select a style for your stationery and memorial register book
  • Brainstorm any additional ways you’d like to personalize the services or pay tribute to your accomplishments, hobbies, personality, and life story.

Participants

  • Choose a clergy member or officiator to preside over the service
  • Select any musicians whose talents you’d like to employ
  • Select pallbearers
  • Choose friends or family members to perform the eulogy, read scripture, or prepare a speech

Cemetery

  • Choose a cemetery
  • Select a burial or cremation plot, or a mausoleum, if appropriate
  • Decide between above- and below-ground burial
  • Select a memorial or grave marker and inscription


Remember that there’s no need to make all of the decisions right away, and that the purpose of pre-planning is to allow yourself to take the time you need when considering your options and making the choices that are right for you. For personalized assistance in creating your plan, consult our family service counselor to meet one-on-one. This is a no cost service.