Thursday, January 21, 2010

The Main Duties Of A Funeral Director

By Alvin Cruise

A funeral director's main job is to make preparations for the cremation or burial of the deceased and for the particular rituals that are held before the burial.

There are four important tasks of a funeral director, they are: (a) shifting of the corpse to the mortuary; (b) embalming and preparing the body for the ceremony; (c) preparing for the services for friends and family to pay their last respects to the departed and; (d) the last act of cremation or burial according to the beliefs of the family.

The responsibilities of a funeral director range from publishing obituaries in the local electronic and print media to arranging for a vehicle to carry the body, in addition to other essential tasks like deciding the timings and venue for holding the memorial service etc. Further, funeral directors have to arrange flowers and have the decoration done for each service, make provisions for conveyance for the gathered people and clothe the deceased for the ceremony after anointing it.

Besides these jobs, a funeral director also handles the essential paperwork that are a part of the formalities that follow a person's death. He helps the family obtain a death certificate. He also shoulders the responsibility of settling claims of insurance for the family as well as helping them take advantage of schemes like veteran's burial support. He can also arrange for the clearance of any pensions or annuities that the family members are entitled to receive, and offers tips to the family on how to manage funeral expenses.

In addition, a funeral director has to coordinate with a wide range of people so that he can do his tasks in a systematic way. He must be able to interact with doctors, florists, casket makers and priests equally well.

Finally, it is essential for funeral directors to come forward and offer some solace to the bereaved family on an unofficial level, so as to help them get over the loss of a near and dear one. Some funeral directors overlook this task, but it is an important part of their service no doubt.

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