Funeral Arrangement Checklist
Losing a loved one is an emotionally challenging time. Rose Hills professionals are here to support and guide you through the process of planning a funeral or memorial service that truly honors your loved one and your cultural traditions.
When death occurs and there is an immediate need, a caring Rose Hills associate will walk you through the next steps and schedule an arrangement meeting. To help make that meeting easier, we’ve created some helpful checklists.
1. Securing a death certificate
A Rose Hills funeral arranger can help you file for a death certificate and obtain certified copies. To do this, you'll need to provide some information. We can also use some of this information to help you write an obituary.
From the information you give us during the arrangement conference, we will initiate the original death certificate. In most cases, it needs to be signed by a physician, who will also indicate the cause of death. The certificate then goes to the health department for registration and recording. The original certificate stays at the health department, which issues certified copies to you. Multiple copies of the death certificate are generally needed when handling the affairs—closing bank accounts, settling retirement accounts, selling an estate, etc.—of someone who has passed away.
The following information about your loved one is needed at the arrangement conference:
- Decedent’s Social Security card
- Completed Vital Statistics Record
- Completed Family Record of Survivorship
- Date and place of birth
- Address at the time of death
- Marital status and the surviving spouse’s name, if applicable
- Veterans discharge papers (DD-214) if applicable
- Father’s name
- Mother’s full name, including maiden name
- Place of death
- Highest level of education and occupation
2. Providing obituary information
Your Rose Hills funeral arranger can help you write a fitting tribute about your loved one to publish in the newspaper and online and to share on social media. In addition to the information above, consider writing down your loved one's biographical details and special characteristics such as:
- Education
- Work history
- Personal achievements
- Church or temple affiliation, if applicable
- Organizations and memberships
- Hobbies or favorite vacation spots
- What made your loved one unique
- Ways your loved one impacted the people around them
- Names of surviving relatives and the cities in which they live, including parents, spouse, siblings, children, grandchildren, grandparents, etc.