Funeral Services

  A funeral represents a purposeful opportunity to reflect on the meaning of a life that has been lived and to determine the impact of that meaning for the family and friends. There is no single proper funeral service. It is a time for human sharing in its deepest sense. You and the ones you love are at the very center of the process, and the choices you make will determine its significance for you. As you participate in the planning of the funeral service, you help create a meaningful experience for everyone.

  It is the goal of Avalon Pasadena Funeral Home & Cremation to help people complete the relationship with the one who has died and to provide a climate that encourages each person to give and receive emotional support. During the funeral service, family and friends have the opportunity to relate to each other at the deepest levels and find mutual strength.

Complete Funeral Service
  Traditionally, the funeral will be a Complete Funeral Service. This includes a family or public viewing of the deceased. Following this will be a service, typically in the church or at the funeral home. This would be followed by the earth or above ground burial of the casketed remains. Caskets selected may cost from several hundred dollars to several thousands of dollars depending on the material the casket is constructed of. Many cemeteries require that a minimum grave liner be used to encase the casket when earth buried. These minimum liners are constructed of concrete and are designed to hold the weight of the earth, maintaining the cemetery property. A sealed vault may also be used. The vaults are also constructed of concrete and are designed to not only protect the gravesite, but are manufactured with inner liners that not only restrict the entrance of graveside elements (water and earth) but increase the strength of the vault.

Graveside Service
The Graveside Service can be another selection. This many times would follow a time of visitation at the funeral home. The casketed remains would then be transferred to the cemetery where a graveside ceremony could take place followed by the burial.

Complete Cremation Service
  The Complete Cremation Service is another type of selected offering. This service will be just like a Complete Funeral Service except cremation will follow instead of the casketed burial. This can be accommodated by the use of a cremation casket (casket that is designed to be cremated) or even a rental casket may be used. Following the viewing, service or ceremony, and eventual cremation, the cremated remains can be buried, properly scattered, or returned to the family for safe keeping. Urns are used to hold the cremated remains. Urns can be constructed out of basic materials like cardboard or plastic, or constructed out of more protective materials like basic and semi-precious metals, ceramics, and woods.

Immediate Cremation Service
  The Immediate Cremation Service can be arranged as an immediate disposition of the body, but is most times followed by a memorial service at the church, funeral home or other location. A Memorial Service is one where the body is not present. We recommend that if you select an immediate cremation that you are allowed a time, if possible, to privately view the body as a family. If the viewing can be done in a matter of a few hours after the death then embalming will not be necessary. If there is to be a long delay (more than 8-12 hours) then embalming would be encouraged. State laws vary as to when embalming becomes required. Viewing of the deceased is a very important step in acknowledging that the death has occurred. Having some type of service or ceremony is also a key ingredient to a healthy recovery of a loss due to a death.

Personalized Services
  It is important to acknowledge that life that has been lived and to offer to the community a way in which to celebrate that life. By offering services and memorialization features that are personal and special, a unique life can be remembered and honored in an individualized way that is comforting to the family and friends.

How Your Funeral Director Can Serve You
  When a death occurs, your primary responsibility is to yourself and the ones you love. There are a number of things that require attention simultaneously. Regardless of the day or hour, Cabot & Sons Funeral Home is always prepared to respond to your needs quickly and competently. The funeral director's main function is to assist you with the necessary details of the funeral process. Among the services funeral directors provide are:

• Arranging funeral plans
• Securing necessary permits and death certificates
• Care and custody of the body
• Coordinating all details with the clergy
• Arranging the music you have selected
• Placing obituary and funeral notices in newspapers
• Assisting in arranging for burial or cremation
• Assisting in arrangements for cemetery space, grave opening and closing, flowers and monuments
• Arranging transportation for you and the members of your family prior to, during, and after the funeral
• Supervision of the funeral or memorial service
• All necessary arrangements for transportation, funeral service, and burial if the deceased is to be sent to a distant location

Burial or Cremation ?

  The number of people choosing cremation has increased significantly in the past few years, yet cremation carries a long tradition and remains largely unchanged.

  Cremation simply expedites the process of reducing a body to bone fragments through application of intense heat.

  What is done before or after the cremation is up to the survivors, or up to you. You can relieve the burden of these decisions by pre-planning your arrangements in advance of need so that your wishes will be honored.

  Contrary to what some people believe, Cremation does not limit choices, but, in fact, increases one’s options. It is a process which is performed in a respectful and dignified manner and can be memorialized in many ways.

Cremation and Funerals
  Choosing cremation neither eliminates nor does it require a funeral service. Traditional or contemporary services are often planned before or after the cremation process. A funeral service followed by cremation may be exactly the same as a funeral service followed by ground burial. They can be elaborate or simple and traditional or nontraditional. Arrangements and ceremonies tend to be as individual as the persons for whom and by whom they are made.They may be personalized specifically to reflect the life of the deceased, and thus have a special meaning. Avalon Pasadena Funeral Home is able to assist in any and all of your Funeral Service needs. To obtain more information on funeral services call (626) 449-2121.

Online Memorials

We can set up an online memorial for your loved one. Our online memorials provide information for guests about the funeral services and also provide a tribute to your loved one. Guests will be able to gain information about dates, times and locations of funeral services. Guests will also be able to order flowers, make donations and sign a guest book through the memorial. The family will have access to the memorial to add photos to create a photo gallery for their loved one. By providing information to guests about services, our online memorials help lessen the load on a family during a difficult time. The memorials also serve to pay tribute to your family's loved one.

Advanced Planning

There are many advantages to planning a funeral ahead of time. By planning a funeral in advance, difficult decisions will not have to be made during a time of grieving and stress. You will be able to visit a potential resting site and have time to decide on and compare options. Thought can be made to whether or not cremation is an option you may want to choose. Your wishes can be put into writing to give your family direction when the time for the funeral comes. Our staff will help you plan so that your family can carry out your wishes.

Obituaries

We will prepare an obituary to be published for your loved one.

Veteran's Benefits

We will help you secure your potential veterans benefits, such as burial flags, government markers, memorial certificate and a burial plot.

Social Security

We will notify the Social Security Administration of the death. We will explain and help you apply for any benefits you may be entitled to through Social Security.

Death Certificates

We will help you in obtaining a death certificate which can be important for insurance purposes as well a host of other issues.

After Care

Sometimes the loss of a loved one can be especially painful. We understand that the grieving process does not end with the funeral. We are here not only to help arrange the funeral, but to help families cope with the loss of their loved one. There are a wide variety of grief resources available and we will help to point you in the right direction and begin the healing process.

Personalization Services

    We know that every family we serve is unique, and we strive to make each service a personal tribute to the life that has been lived. We provide a wide variety of choices that will help fulfill a family's wishes, from a traditional funeral to a personalized service that celebrates a loved one's hobbies and interests.

The following are ideas that you may use to personalize a service:

• photographic collages
• displays of personal memorabilia, such as awards, trophies, or favorite pastime items, such as garden tools
• flag presentation from Military Honor Detail
• dove release- for millenia the dove has been the symbol of the human soul. These elegant birds leap into the sky with energy and exuberance.
• service folders & registry books that reflect personal style and interests
• live music
• special customs particular to different faiths, ethnic groups, and fraternal organizations
• displays of uniforms and equipment for government employees
• bagpiper- for many the stirring sound of bagpipes highlights the reverent and sacred nature of a funeral.

Avalon Pasadena Funeral Home & Cremation
415 E. Orange Grove Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91104
(626) 449-2121