Far For A Funeral: When Not Everyone Can Easily Get There On Time

A funeral is for the living, and it's an essential part of the mourning process for many people. As essential as it might be, being physically there for the funeral may not be possible—particularly for those who must travel from out of state or internationally for the service. Is there a straightforward way for everyone to participate? 

Memorial

Depending on your loved one's wishes, a formal funeral may not be appropriate—if the deceased explicitly left wishes to that effect. This may be the case with direct cremation, which is a rapid process. As soon as the legal requirements have been fulfilled (such as the issuance of a death certificate), the remains are transported for cremation as soon as everything can be arranged. In these circumstances, a post-cremation memorial service may be held, with the cremated remains on display. This can resemble a formal service or could be more in line with an informal celebration of life. A post-cremation memorial service can be held at a later stage—allowing everyone ample time to make travel arrangements.

Delayed

Delaying the funeral to a more suitable date is also an option, even when your loved one is to be buried on this more suitable (and later) date. Funeral homes typically have mortuary facilities that can refrigerate, and therefore preserve human remains. Although remains should not be stored indefinitely, this type of storage certainly permits a delay between your loved one's passing and their funeral. Again, a delay of some weeks allows more than enough time for all parties to make their travel arrangements.

Streaming

Travel arrangements are not always so easy to make, even when there's sufficient time. There may be financial constraints that prevent some from attending the funeral in person. Remote attendance can be organized. One of the increasingly common funeral home options is streaming the service. The onsite funeral chapel may already be set up for audio and video, allowing for the service to be privately live-streamed on Zoom, Facebook, or a similar platform. Only those you share the link with will be able to access the stream. Ask your funeral director if their chapel currently supports streaming. The technology isn't complicated to set up, and basic streaming of the service can be done with a smartphone.

The funeral of a loved one is an extraordinarily difficult time, so you'll want to make it as straightforward as possible for everyone to be there—even remotely. 

Contact a local funeral home to learn more.