When Death Occurs: A 22-Point Checklist

1. Make appointment with Howard K. Hill Funeral Services by dialing 203-624-4477. We’ll assist you in coordinating arrangements with the cemetery.

In order to satisfy the State vital statistic requirements, you’ll have to complete the following information:

• Date of Birth
• Place of Birth
• Mother's Name
• Father's Name
• Social Security Number
• Veteran's Discharge or Claim Number
• Marital Status
• Education

2. Contact your clergy and determine when and where the memorial or funeral service is to be held. You can do this at our funeral home if you’d like.

3. Determine how many copies of the death certificate you’ll need. We can assist you with these as well and even order them for you.

4. Compile a list of individuals to notify by phone. This should include immediate family members and close friends as well as business colleagues or the employer of the deceased.

5. Determine a fitting memorial to which gifts may be given. This could be a church, school, charity, hospice or library.

6. Gather information for the obituary including age, birthplace, occupation, cause of death, degrees earned, memberships held, outstanding achievements, military service, and surviving family members along with the time and place of services. In most cases, we’ll write an article to be submitted to the local newspapers. Newspapers typically accept pictures and return them intact.

7. Assign close friends or family members to take turns answering the phone or the door. Be sure to keep a record of each call.

8. Notify the bank of your loved one’s passing if the deceased had Social Security checks on automatic deposit.

9. Organize the supplying of food for the next several days to come.

10. Think about special household chores that can be done by friends. 11. Arrange for child care, if necessary.

12. Set up hospitality for friends and relatives who are visiting.

13. Choose pallbearers and notify us of your selection. Be sure you don’t choose anyone who has back problems or heart issues. Instead, you can make them honorary pallbearers.

14. Plan to have flowers placed in the hospital, church or funeral home after the service.

15. Make a list of individuals who need to be notified by letter or some other printed notice due to distance. Determine which form of communication is appropriate for each.

16. Compile a list of people to receive calls, acknowledgements of flowers, etc. Appropriate acknowledgments can be sent by written note, printed or a combination of the two. Be sure to include “thank you” cards or notes for those who have volunteered their time, too.

17. Notify insurance companies of your loved one’s passing.

18. Find the will and notify the appropriate attorney and executor of the passing of the deceased.

19. Carefully examine all benefits associated with death such as trade union, fraternal, credit union, military and Social Security. Be sure to check casualty and life insurances as well along with income from these sources that is designated toward survivors.

20. Promptly check on all installments payments and debts including credit cards. You may be able to have some cancelled due to insurance clauses in the agreements. Ask the creditors for more time to make payments if there will be a delay in meeting these obligations.

21. If your deceased loved one lived alone, notify the land lord and utility companies of their passing. Let the post office know where to send mail, too.

22. Your Funeral Director will prepare Social Security Form SSA 721. Consult the Social Security office to be sure this number is retired.