Article by Gerry Lougheed, General Manager of the Lougheed Funeral Homes
My Irish grandmother was never keen about my father, brother or myself talking about work as funeral directors. She worried that such conversations would hasten a death within the house.
She also believed if a bird flew into the front window of the house someone in the house would die; if the dog barked in a certain direction that the neighbour would die; and death always came in threes.
My grandmother would never have prearranged her funeral. She died at Extendicare Falconbridge without a broken bird, barking dog or the company of a couple of other caskets.
With time foolish folklore has been replaced with factual realities; that we live in a mobile society where family are often scattered; that we live longer requiring us to wisely allocate our resources for end of life decisions; that rites, rituals and customs have changed regarding surviving families needs and expectations; that diseases like dementia, strokes, and cancer have estranged networks of friends and family from meaningful relationships; that death is no longer a taboo topic but an acknowledged reality in our health care system with Do Not Rescitate documents, end of life options, wills and estates and investment decisions to avoid taxes.
This said – prearranging a funeral is a good idea.
Why? It gives you peace of mind knowing your choices will be carried out. It alleviates the burden from your loved ones. At the time of death, the emotions of grieving are stressful and sometimes overwhelming. Prearranging the funeral removes that practical burden of decision making - what should we do? Further it eliminates conflicts among family members of what would the deceased want?
Prearranging your funeral costs nothing. You contact the funeral/cremation provider you prefer. They will meet with you and setup an information file. It will include vital statistics for government requirements and the issuing of Proof of Death certificates; family and personal information for obituary announcements; funeral preferences regarding burial/ cremation, visitation / services etc.
Once you have prearranged your services, prepaying is an optional step you may wish to consider. Prepaying your funeral can be done in one payment or through a payment plan that suits you. Once a funeral is prepaid in full it is considered “guaranteed” which prevents price inflation: the prices will be frozen, so you never pay more.
At Lougheed’s we are pleased to offer a 10% discount on fully prepaid funeral services. All prepaid money by law must be placed in a trust account where it will remain until the death occurs. While in trust, the funds earn interest to offset inflation. The interest earned is not taxable if used for funeral costs. The funeral home guarantees that at the time of death the services prepaid will be provided.
Under Ontario Law if the trust account has not earned enough interest the funeral home must absorb any shortfall. If there is more money than necessary in trust after the services have been provided, it is refunded back to the estate. If you move, the funds can be transferred to another funeral home. You can cancel the trust and receive your money and interest back, less the trust administration fee, and this may generate a T5. We are also pleased to offer funeral service estimate of costs agreements which are guaranteed for one year from the date they are issued until payment.
Once you’ve considered what type of funeral you wish to have, be sure to include your family in these decisions. We often hear people say, “When I die just dispose of my body, it’s easier for everyone.” If that’s the case, be sure everyone agrees. If you die suddenly by a heart attack or in an accident, they may want or need an opportunity to say goodbye. It’s important to have your plans reflect the needs of those you love.
Lougheed’s Limited has been providing funeral services for over 70 years. We pride ourselves as progressive in meeting changing needs. We are knowledgeable regarding traditional funerals. We also provide direct cremation services at a reasonable cost literally no frills.
Consider calling Lougheed’s today for information on prearranging at (705) 673-3611 or visit our website. Why? Because Lougheed’s is a name you know and a name you can trust!
