A Death Has Occured
Who to Call First
Whether you received a 2 a.m. phone call with news of an unexpected death or shared your loved one's final moments of a long illness, your initial reaction to the death was likely shock. It doesn't seem to matter how prepared we are - or aren't - a loved one's death often leaves us feeling numb and bewildered. If you're responsible for making the funeral arrangements or executing the will, shock and grief can be immobilizing. Even simple decisions can be overwhelming.
Making the first phone calls
What to do first depends on the circumstances of the death. When someone dies in a hospital or similar care facility, the staff will usually take care of some arrangements, such as contacting the funeral home you choose. You may need to notify family and friends. It may be easier on you to make a few phone calls to other relatives or friends and ask each of them to make a phone call or two to specific people, so the burden of spreading the news isn't all on you. If you are alone, ask someone to keep you company while you make these calls and try to cope with the first hours after the death.
Call a Funeral Director
Whatever the circumstances of death, one of your first calls should be to a licensed funeral director. We are here to help you 24 hours a day. We will obtain some information from the caller and coordinate transportation of your loved one into our care.
The next few hours
Once we have arranged for transportation the next step is for a licensed Funeral Director to contact you in order to begin coordinating arrangements. If a death occurs in the middle of the night, we may wait until the morning to call you. However, we are available at any time to answer your questions.