Willetts Funeral Services will work with you every step of the way to make the process easier, and to ensure your loved one’s funeral service is as they would have wanted.
During this process, medical and legal professionals have a number of duties to perform depending on the nature of the death.
An Expected death
If an expected death has occurred at home, you should contact your family doctor to arrange for the death to be certified. Notify them that we will be taking care of the funeral arrangements.
An Unexpected death
If an unexpected death has occurred, contact the emergency services in the first instance. Advise them of the circumstances and that we will be taking care of the funeral arrangements.
Hospital or Rest Home death
If your loved one has passed away at a hospital or rest home, contact us directly or advise the hospital or home that we will be taking care of the funeral and they will liaise with us.
The next steps
Notify the next of kin and family members. If you are on your own, one of your first phone calls should be to a family member or a close friend who can offer immediate support. They may be able to come and be with you or contact other family members for you. Their assistance will take some of the immediate pressure off you.
Personal details about the deceased are required for us to register the death with the Births, Deaths and Marriages Department of Internal Affairs. Some of these details can be found on the deceased’s birth and marriage certificates if they can be located.
The deceased’s solicitor or executor of the will also needs to be notified of the death because sometimes funeral instructions are noted in a person’s will.
A death notice is usually inserted in the local newspaper (and/or elsewhere) to advise the general community that the death has occurred.
Choosing to hold a Funeral Service
Everybody has a story to tell and it deserves to be shared with those that are left behind.
Please watch our video below about why funerals matter to help understand why funerals are so important to friends and family.