Boyd-Panciera Family Funeral Care

Throughout human history, and around the globe, people have gathered together to acknowledge the death of a member of the community. A funeral ceremony is the one (and sometimes the only) opportunity for everyone to come together to acknowledge their death, recognize the community's shared loss and share the burden of grief.

These three can be seen as three points on a spectrum—a range—of ceremonial formats. At one end is the funeral; at the other, the celebration-of-life, and in the middle, the memorial service. The funeral is most commonly the most expensive of the three, especially when you consider the cost of the casket is a significant expense. The cost of any of the three is totally dependent on the choices you make during the arrangement conference.

People who would want to be there. A person's role at a funeral is two-fold: one, they are there to demonstrate support for the bereaved family. Second, funeral guests are there to tend to their own sorrow; to begin to come to terms, in the safety of a shared collective experience, with the death of someone they held dear. You know the people that mattered most to your loved one, as well as those who mattered least.

Flowers create a background of warmth and beauty which adds to the dignity and consolation of the funeral service. While 'necessary' may not be the right word; flowers at a funeral or other end-of-life ceremony serve many valuable purposes including a means of a visual expression of sympathy, love and respect or a means of lending support.

Derived from the French phrase, 'en lieu', strictly speaking 'in lieu' means 'in place'; so 'In place of flowers, contributions may be made to…'. However, its use doesn't imply you can't send flowers to the service; it is only meant to offer you a choice of ways to show your sympathy for the family and show your respects for the deceased. Only when the obituary states 'no flowers please' are you being requested to abstain from sending floral tributes or sympathy arrangements.

Certainly not; it's important to never feel obligated to do anything in response to the death of a community or family member. Your actions should always come from the heart.

The preparation of the deceased can involve a number of different tasks performed by trained and licensed embalmer and restorative artists. The body is temporarily preserved by embalming, refrigeration, or a combination of the two. It is washed, dressed and otherwise groomed; then placed in the chosen casket for viewing. Contact the funeral home for more details.

Human beings sometimes need to see in order to truly believe. It's a way of confirming the fact that this individual is dead; but it's also an opportunity to say your good-byes. It can be a cathartic time where you can quietly share a long-held secret, let go of any anger or resentment, and otherwise come to terms with their death.

It's best done with honesty and awareness. Let them know basically what they can expect. Advise them there will be people there who will be sad and may cry openly; tell them there will be time for some people to stand up and talk about how much they loved the person (but they won't be required to do so). Let them ask all the questions they need to ask, reassure them you'll be right next to them throughout the experience. Never force them to go to a funeral, and always give them the opportunity to change their mind about attending.

Celebrants are trained professionals who believe in the power and effectiveness of ceremony and ritual to serve basic needs of society and the individual. A life-cycle celebrant is especially valuable when a family has no religious affiliations or ties to a clergy person or minister who can officiate the funeral service. Contact the funeral home for more details about involving a celebrant.

It depends on the service. Just as no two movies or novels are the same length or cover the same emotional ground; no two end-of-life ceremonies are the same.

Black used to be the only color to wear to a funeral; but not anymore. Today things are less formal than they once were, and it's not totally uncommon for families to ask prospective guests to altogether avoid wearing black clothing.