Funeral Planning
Worksheet for Funeral Planning
Planning a memorial can be an incredibly difficult task. When you are grieving, sorting out the details of your loved one's life can be hard to do properly. Use this worksheet, working with other family members, to collect your thoughts and plan a successful celebration of your loved one's life.
This worksheet is intended to assist you in planning for the deceased's memorial, be it a service, gathering, or private burial. This form can assist you in collecting your thoughts as a group, or you may pass this form out to family and friends for them to complete individually.
Paid Burial/Funeral Plan:
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Family plot or traditions:
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Family members or close friends to be asked to assist in the planning:
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Did your loved one have any particular wishes about how his or her remains were handled after they passed away? If so, how?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Do you know of any other special wishes that the deceased asked to have fulfilled after they passed away?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
|
About the Deceased |
A memorial or service should be just that, a way to commemorate and celebrate the importance of a loved one's life and accomplishments. The following will assist you in thinking through the details of this important event.
Who They Were
Talk about who the deceased was with his or her loved ones, and what he or she meant to them. All of these fond memories can be of benefit as you plan announcements, epitaphs, speeches, and other elements of the service.
FULL NAME: ____________________________________
Date of Birth: ___________ Place: ____________________ Date of Death: __________ Place: ____________________
Who are their surviving relatives?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Religious Affiliation:___________________________
What sort of gatherings did your loved one prefer (large or small, formal or informal)?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
What were some of their most important or prized accomplishments?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
What were their passions (such as a hobbies, sports, interests, etc)?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Did they belong to organizations?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Assembling Memories
Memories about the deceased and their interests are another great starting point for choosing a focus for his or her memorial. Planning a service, creating a gravestone marker, and choosing topics to include during a wake or reception are all enriched by carefully gathering these memories.
Write a brief paragraph describing the importance of the deceased in your life. Include any favorite or cherished memory that you may have of the deceased person:
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Do you have favorite pictures of the deceased? If so, could they be reproduced for the memorial?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
List some music they liked (songs, albums, genres, etc.):
_______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________
Did they have a favorite saying, poem or piece of wisdom that they shared with you? If so, what was it?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
List any favorite meals, flowers, food, or scents of the deceased:
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Did they have a favorite place to visit or go?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Did the deceased have any favorite charities, causes, or beliefs to which they would want donations made in their name?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Friends and Family
While your loved one no doubt had many friends and relatives, sometimes it is necessary to choose attendees depending on the size of the gathering or event. If it is, look carefully at the important people in your loved ones life to ensure that the people they would want to be there for them are at this final celebration of their life. Who were the people who were the closest or most important to the deceased?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
What were the most important groups or organizations that your loved one was active in (examples: church, school, civic, or government groups, etc)?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Do you know of anyone who was close to the deceased who would be willing to help host or assist with the organizing of the memorial?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________