Start with your most recent point of contact. Ask the person who informed you about the death what they know about funeral arrangements.
Find out if he or she can give you the persons last known address and phone number. If they heard the information from a third party, request that individual’s contact information and call them for anything they might know.
Chances are, the more people you contact and the more questions you ask, the closer you get to learning about service or funeral arrangements.
Ask the deceased’s immediate family
If you were able to obtain your friend’s phone number or address, make contact with his family and ask when the funeral will be held. If you don’t have a phone number, look it up in that area’s phone book or try searching on Facebook.
Ask last known places of work and affiliates
Work the affiliate angle. Write down what you know about the departed. Focus on information that can lead you to information about the funeral service: friends, where the person worked, schools or church attended, and organisations the person was involved in.
Once you’ve completed your list, use it to create a blueprint for contacting sources that may be able to tell you about funeral arrangements.
Check for death announcements
Start scanning both the death notices and the classified sections of local newspapers for obituaries and death announcements. Contact newspaper obituary departments (see our list below). Sometimes newspaper obituaries are held to be published for later release. Find a funeral notice in Australia.
Call the state coroner
If the deceased’s body is with the state coroner, that office may be able to tell you which funeral director took possession of the deceased. The funeral director can then inform you about the date and time of the funeral service.
Contact local funeral directors
Call local local funeral directors near where the deceased lived. Even if you reach a funeral director not handling the service, the staff might be able to point you in the right direction.
Call local cemeteries
Contact staff at local cemeteries if a burial or a graveside service is scheduled at that facility. The staff will likely be happy to assist you in any way they can. Find cemeteries in Australia.
Conduct your own investigation
Using the information you gathered in Steps 1 through 3 you can generate a list of names of individuals who may be able to give you the information you need. Look them up in Facebook or similar sites to find the city where the deceased person previously lived and the names of possible relatives.
About eziFunerals
eziFunerals supports individuals and families cope with end of life decisions, death and funerals. We are an independent, Australian-owned and operated company. We are not part of any other funeral company.
Our member Funeral Directors operate in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Australia wide. Thet are chosen for their knowledge, quality, service, personalisation and experience. They go above and beyond, and will take the time to support the family.
For more information or to make contact with a trusted Independent funeral director, call eziFunerals on 1300 236 402 or visit www.ezifunerals.com.au.
