Funerals fill an important role for those mourning the loss of a loved one. By providing surviving family members and friends a caring, supportive environment in which to share thoughts and feelings about the death, funerals are the first step in the healing process. The ritual of attending a funeral service provides many benefits including:

• Providing a social support system for the bereaved.
• Helping the bereaved understand death is final and that death is part of life.
• Integrating the bereaved back into the community.
• Easing the transition to a new life after the death of a loved one.
• Providing a safe haven for embracing and expressing pain.
• Reaffirming one’s relationship with the person who died.
• Providing a time to say good-bye.

At Eastgate and Parkway Funeral Services, our training and experience have prepared us to help, to reassure, and to understand when a family faces the loss of a loved one. We believe your service choice is a personal decision, and when you are faced with the death of a loved one, we will take the time to explain all options available, and then allow you to make your own decisions.

Whether choosing burial or cremation, our staff assists you in creating a personalized service to honor and remember the one you've lost. We provide an opportunity to create a service that reflects individual character and contribution.

We know that to lose someone is a devastating experience.  It is frequently traumatic and can seriously impact judgment.  It is important to celebrate the life of someone important to us when that person has died, and to make the experience as meaningful as possible.

Personalization
At Eastgate Funeral Service and Parkway Funeral Service, we understand a family’s need to create a service that is as unique as the person who died.

‘A Celebration of their Life.’
Through personalization, funeral services can be more creative, unforgettable and meaningful. Funeral directors can offer various ideas to make the service more personalized and are very open to family suggestions and creativity. We encourage families to discuss their ideas with the funeral director to ensure an individualized ceremony fitting of the person who died. A funeral is so much more than a way to say goodbye; it’s an opportunity to celebrate the life of someone special.
Today, a funeral can be as unique as the individual who is being honored. From simple touches like displaying personal photographs to events created around a favorite pastime, funerals can reflect any aspect of a person’s life and personality.
Following are questions you can use to help you decide how to personalize a service:

What did the person like to do?
Often people have hobbies that become more than just a casual pastime. Their activity could have been as much a part of who they were as their smile. Why not showcase that important part of their life during the funeral?
Incorporating a hobby can be as simple as:

• Displaying items used for their hobby; e.g. sports equipment, gardening tools, or collections.
• Personalizing the casket or urn with a symbol of their hobby.
• Displaying trophies or awards they won.
• Creating a picture board or presentation featuring pictures of them engaged in their hobby.
• Having someone speak about the person’s passion for the hobby.

By adding these or other personal touches to a funeral, the service becomes a reflection of the person’s life and personality.

What was the person like as an individual?
One way to enhance a funeral is by bringing a piece of the person’s personality to life. Consider what made that person special, what made them who they were? Then find ways to link their individuality to traditional aspects of a funeral service.
As an example, an avid cowboy or cowgirl may want to ride of into the sunset one last time. Tasteful ways to honor their wish include:

• Using a covered wagon rather than a hearse
• Having their saddle and riding equipment displayed
• Playing western music
• Having their horse walk in the procession
• Having a barbecue after the service

Other themes you may want to consider:

• Military honors for a member of the armed forces
• Tailgate party for a sports enthusiast
• Harley-Davidson rally for the Harley owner

What was the person like as a professional?
Many people take great pride in their career. Perhaps they dedicated a lifetime to a profession that transformed into more than just a job. If this holds true for your loved one, you may want to consider ways to include their professional life into their funeral service.
Following are two examples of how you could incorporate a profession into a service:

For a teacher:

• Have the choir or band from the school perform during the visitation or service.
• Encourage students to write essays about the person, which could be displayed.
• Invite a past student to speak at the service.

For a fire person/police officer:

• Incorporate any honors or traditions that their department has established.
• Use fire trucks or police vehicles in the procession.
• Have bagpipers play at the visitation or service.
• Display their uniform and equipment.

Was the person spiritual?
Through organized religion or personal beliefs, most people have some sense of spirituality in their life. Often those values are from the very core of who the person was in life. Therefore, you may feel it is important to incorporate the individual’s sense of spirituality into their funeral service.
Following are ideas on how to incorporate spirituality into a funeral service:

• Hold the service at the person’s parish or religious facility.
• Have someone read excerpts from a key religious publication
• Decorate the funeral home with symbols of the person’s faith.
• Have the person’s cremated remains scattered at a place of spiritual significance to them.
• Read a prayer that touches on their key beliefs.
• Include sacred music from the religion in the service.

For additional ideas on personalizing a funeral, please contact the funeral home.

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