There’s no easy way to communicate the passing of a loved one, especially during these sensitive times wherein the coronavirus death toll continues to increase despite the massive amount of effort of health care workers and volunteers. As an immediate family member, however, you face the difficult task of making funeral arrangements and informing people about the death.
Make the task more manageable by taking it one step at a time.
Step 1: Coordinate with the Funeral Director
The first thing you should do is coordinate with the funeral director. This way, even if you’re in Glasgow and your departed loved one rests in London, you can rest assured that somebody is taking care of the logistics while you’re arranging other pressing matters.
The funeral director takes care of the pallbearers, coordinates with the cemetery and orders flowers and other necessities for the funeral or memorial. Many funeral directors are also licensed embalmers. They can prepare your loved one’s body for interment.
With those tasks out of your mind, you can focus on accepting the loss of your loved one and breaking the news to others who also cared for them.
Step 2: Choose How You Want to Communicate It
If your departed loved one prepared an end-of-life plan which specifies how they want their death to be announced, it’s up to you to fulfil their final wishes. But if they never had the chance to communicate how they want their death announcement to be, the first thing you have to do is decide whether a traditional or modern announcement is most appropriate for the situation.
For example, if your grandfather passed away and you know that they preferred communicating via telephone calls and written letters, then you might consider announcing the circumstances in the same way. This is ideal if your loved one’s closest peers also prefer traditional communication methods.
Alternatively, you may opt for group e-mails or social media posts. This is the quickest way to deliver the message. Of course, you still have to inform your departed loved one’s close family and friends before making a public announcement.
Step 3: Think About the Wording of the Announcement
Now that you’ve finalised how you want to announce the passing of your loved one, it’s time to draft the announcement. It isn’t easy to come up with the right words for something so emotional. You can get started by including the following information:
Your deceased loved one’s complete name
- The date of their passing
- The date, time and location of the funeral
- Details of the memorial, if there is one
Be careful where you share this information, though, especially online. Specify whether the service is open to the public or if it is reserved for close family and friends. This is also the time to specify any schedule, such as public viewing and private hours, to avoid uncomfortable situations.
Take Note: Check the Coronavirus Situation at Your Location
The coronavirus pandemic has made it particularly challenging to organise a funeral regardless of the cause of death. For safety purposes, verify first which mourners can attend the funeral. Memorial services might be suspended until a later date so coordinate with the funeral director about this matter.
