This book provides a detailed explanation of “Everything you ever wanted to know” about funeral planning. It is designed to help consumers navigate through the many choices required for making final arrangements. Written in a clear, jargonless style, “Saying Goodbye” is a much-needed contribution at a time when so many aspects of the funeral service and cemetery environment have changed.
John Welshons says, “In this wonderful book, John Llewellyn has taken a lifetime of experience and crafted it into a beautiful, comprehensive roadmap designed to guide us through two of life’s most significant events—creating and planning funerals for ourselves and creating and planning funerals for our loved ones.
”This beautiful guidebook will take much of the mystery and fear out of the planning process. It will help us learn and grow through all of life’s inevitable transitions. This book should have a place of honor and importance in the library of every home in America. It should be required reading for every member of the family.” The comprehensive list of topics covered includes:
- What is a funeral? Types of Services.
- It’s Personal—Having it Your Way.
- Grief and Mourning: Emotional and Physical Reactions.
- Where should a ceremony be held? How long should it last? Who should speak or participate? Music; Visitation; Memory Table; Videos; Obituaries; Casket at a Ceremony? Open or Closed Casket? Flowers or contributions to charity?
- Cremation with a Ceremony; Cremation memorialization options; Urns and keepsakes; Scattering; Description of the cremation process; The right cremated remains? Shipping cremation remains.
- Why prearrange? How to prearrange; Price or delivery guarantee; Financial tools; How insurance works; Trusts; Cancellations and Changes; Portability; Non-prearrangement options; Estate plans and wills; Durable power of attorney; Organ donations.
- Comparing mortuaries; Comparing cemeteries; Memorial and Cremation Societies; Monument dealers; Retail casket sellers; Do it yourself.
- Who to notify when death occurs; Decisions to be made; Embalming or Refrigeration; What to take to the mortuary; Autopsy; Death certificates; Delays in burials; Out-of-area deaths; Moving remains to another cemetery.
- Death with dignity; Hospice.
“Saying Goodbye Your Way” by John Llewellyn, CEO of Forest Lawn Memorial Parks and Mortuaries, Southern California
, 208pp, soft cover, ISBN 0-9665801-4-1, 2004. John F. Llewellyn is CEO of Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks and Mortuaries, a third generation cemeterian and an active industry leader for many years. Since John’s great uncle Dr. Hubert Eaton took the helm in 1916, Forest Lawn has been recognized as not only one of the country’s premier cemeteries, but also as the birthplace of many of the concepts that have driven the modern cemetery industry.
Price: ICCFA Members $10.95; Non-Members $14.95 (you must be logged in to receive member discount price)