Funeral Directors are caregivers and administrators. They make arrangements for the transportation of the deceased, complete all necessary paperwork, and implement the choices made by the family regarding the funeral and final disposition of the body. Funeral Directors are listeners, advisors and supporters. They have experience assisting the bereaved in coping with death. Funeral Directors are trained to answer questions about grief, recognize when a person is having difficulty coping and recommend sources of professional help.

The hospital will notify the family once the death has occurred. Depending upon hospital policy, either the family or the hospital will need to contact Copeland Funeral Home.

Call 911. Emergency personnel will access the situation and gather information from the family. The medical personnel will then notify the coroner and the person’s primary care physician. The coroner will then determine whether or not further investigation into the cause of death will be needed. If no further investigation is needed, the medical personnel will contact Copeland Funeral Home. If further investigation is needed, the coroner will contact Copeland Funeral Home when they have completed their examination.

The family will notify hospice once the death has occurred. A hospice nurse will then come to the home and make sure that all legal requirements are taken care of, such as contacting the coroner and doctor. The hospice nurse will then contact Copeland Funeral Home. The hospice nurse will help in guiding the Funeral Director in the timing of the removal if more time is needed for family and friends to say good-bye to their loved one.

Yes. Call 412-264-1390. Copeland Funeral Home will contact a funeral home in the area where the death has occurred to aid in the removal, preparation, securing the death certificate and transportation to our facility. By having us manage these arrangements, we can often save families time and money. We will need your help in gathering information needed for the completion of the death certificates. These vital records will then be faxed to the aiding funeral home in order to bring your loved one home as quickly as possible.

Yes. Most Funeral Directors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.

Yes. A family member may be able to suggest one that they are familiar with, and if not, our Funeral Director will be able to suggest and contact an officiant to perform the service.

Many people want to relieve their families from the burden of having to make big decisions during such a stressful time. Preplanning your funeral may help alleviate some stress by letting family members know what kind of funeral goods and services you desire. It is also a good idea to put monies aside for such an event. Prices for services and merchandise selected are guaranteed for the life of the contract if prepaid. Cash advanced items such as newspaper notices and death certificates can be estimated into the total cost and have money set aside for their charges, but they aren’t guaranteed.

Three major choices for final disposition would be burial, entombment or cremation. Entombment is placement of the human remains in an above ground housing unit, such as a crypt in a mausoleum. Cremation is the process of turning the human remains into a fine powder by the introduction of high temperatures and the pulverization of the solid substances left behind. The cremated remains of a loved one, depending on faith, could be placed in an urn, scattered, buried, incorporated into wearable jewelry or a multitude of other creative options, such as the eternal reef and other ecology conservation projects.

Yes, a viewing and even a service in church is possible. The family will have the option of either purchasing a cremation casket or renting a casket for the viewing purposes. Once visitation and services are over, our staff will arrange for the cremation to take place.

Cremation doesn’t have to be a quick and private process. Along with the option of having a viewing and service in church, memorial services are becoming increasingly popular. A memorial service is a funeral service that is held after the cremation process has been completed. The service may be held in a funeral home, church or other gathering place, with or without an urn present.

Absolutely. Organ donation does not hinder the preparation of human remains. Once an organ procurement group, such as CORE, has completed their organ recovery procedures, Copeland Funeral Home will be notified as the funeral home of choice.

Personalization can be achieved from a variety of ways. The deceased person’s favorite music can be played during calling hours or incorporated into the service. Memorabilia such as a favorite fishing pole, golf club, or stuffed animal, as well as crafts such as quilts, doilies, clothing or other hand made items can be displayed. A memory board displaying family photos may be constructed by family members. A photo can be added to prayer cards or to an obituary in the newspaper. A person’s favorite cologne or perfume and make-up can be used by the funeral director during preparation. Bagpipers, military personnel, and a dove release can also be incorporated into the service.

There are actually three reasons why we embalm. Embalming provides a means of sanitation of the human remains and protects the general viewing public from disease and illness. It also provides a means of preserving the human remains, so that there may be a delay between the time of death and final disposition for viewing and service purposes. Lastly embalming helps restore the appearance of a body that may have been disfigured by a traumatic death or illness.

No, although most states do require embalming when death is caused by a contagious disease, when remains are to be transported from one state to another by common carrier, or if final disposition is not to be made within a prescribed number of hours.

Vaults are not required by law, but most cemeteries require vaults to be used to preserve cemetery landscape and protect the caskets from damage that heavy machinery, such as machinery used for digging the graves, may cause.

No. The purchase of an urn is entirely up to the family. Cremated remains will return from the crematory in a temporary container; a standard box wrapped in brown paper, if no urn is purchased.

Of course you can. Almost any type of clothing is acceptable, whether it is a suit or dress or pajamas or a favorite sports jersey and jeans. All clothing should be accompanied by undergarments, as well, just as the person would have worn them during their life. Clothing such as a variety of burial gowns for the ladies and suits for the men are also available for purchase at Copeland Funeral Home.

Funeral Directors, with the help and guidance of family members, are usually responsible for composing an obituary, but the family is more than welcome to compose the entire obituary if desired.

When the death occurs, our staff at Copeland Funeral Home will aid in the ordering of certified death certificates by obtaining a cause of death from the doctor. We will need vital information, such as the deceased person’s parent’s names (including mother’s maiden name), date and place of birth and social security number to complete the death certificate form.

Just call 412-264-1390. The staff at Copeland’s will be able to assist you with ordering as many death certificates as you may need. We will ask questions to complete an order form to be sent to our Vital Records Department, located in New Castle, PA. Mailing the request form will take 4-6 weeks to obtain death certificates. You will need to supply a photocopy of ID plus a personal check in the amount required. Faxing the request form will take 5-7 business days to receive the death certificates and will require the use of a credit card to purchase them. There is also a one-time surcharge for the use of a credit card to purchase death certificates.

Some agencies that may provide financial assistance would be Social Security, Veteran, Union and Retirement Agencies. The Copeland staff would be able to aid in filing for such assistance or help in finding answers to questions that you may have about such agencies.

With a photocopy of the Veteran’s Honorable Discharge papers and a certified copy of a death certificate, the Copeland staff will complete the paperwork needed to get you benefits provided to deceased veteran’s family, such as free death certificates, a United States flag, and a military grave marker and possibly a minimal monetary compensation. Veterans are also eligible for military honors, which would include two military personnel folding and presenting the flag to the next of kin while playing a recording of “Taps”.

Through a series of general questions about the deceased veteran, such as date of birth and social security number, the Copeland Funeral Home will be able to assist you in obtaining a copy of Honorable Discharge.

A funeral is the customary way to recognize death and its finality. They are a ritual for the living to show honor and respect for the dead and to help survivors begin in the grief process. Public viewings are a part of many cultural and ethnic traditions. Viewing aids the grief process by helping the bereaved recognize the reality of death.

Viewing is encouraged for children, but it is ultimately left up to the parent’s discretion. The child should also be given the choice of whether or not to attend. The child should be properly prepared for what she or he will see and how the adults around him or her may act. There are children’s books that may be helpful in explaining the process.