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Non-funded prearrangements

Things you should know before you go:

Non-funded funeral arrangements
By Andrew Hodges
October 2008

A non-funded funeral pre-arrangement means that a person’s information is placed on file at a funeral home to be used at the time of death. This information consists of vital statistics that are required to register the death with the government at time of death, contact information of the next of kin responsible for finalizing funeral arrangements (preferably a named executor in a will) and information regarding funeral service preferences. Those preferences can be a point-form list of what could take place: visitation, funeral at church and burial in a particular cemetery.  Some pre-arrangement files can go into more detail, such as including a pre-composed death notice, naming a charity for memorial donations, preference on flowers, a list of pall bearers, hymns to be sung at a service, etc. The reason non-funded funeral arrangements are called such is that no money is paid. Having information placed on file at a funeral home costs absolutely nothing and is a service provided by every funeral home.

So I’m going to make it easy for you. Below is a  link to the Ontario Board of Funeral Service Pre-arrangement information sheet. Print it up and fill in your information (ignore the Insurance, Financial and Real Estate Information section as only your executor needs to know that information), then drop it off at your funeral home of choice. Be sure to call first before you stop by. Have the funeral home staff photocopy it so that one copy is on file at the funeral home and the other you can either retain to or give to your executor.  If you wish to add more detail the option is there, but for all intents and purposes your funeral pre-arrangements are in place.  Next month’s article will look at pre-paid funeral options.  

Ontario Board of Funeral Service
printable funeral planing information file