Who to call FIRST …
- Hospice Nurse (if the deceased was in hospice care)
or - Call the Sheriff’s Office at (858) 565-5200 if death occurs somewhere other than a nursing home or medical facility
Next, decide whether to:
- Use a funeral home – See our list of privately owned mortuaries that we have pre-negotiated the pricing.
or
- Have family and friends handle deathcare (requires a good deal of planning ahead),
or - Use a combination of above options
or - Whole Body Donation: If the deceased wished to be a whole body donor, don’t call a funeral home. Here are two organizations that can help:
UCSD Body Donation Program
Lifesharing Donate Life Organization
Notes on Body Donation:
- Even if the decedent pre-registered, the organization will have to determine – based on the condition of the body at the time of death – if it is still acceptable for donation. If it is, they will make arrangements to transport the deceased to their facility as soon as possible.
- Bodies donated to UCSD are cremated (with no cost to the family) and the ashes scattered at sea.
- Provide information required for the death certificate(s).
- Optional: Submit an obituary to newspaper(s). All of our funeral homes will help you with this.
Prior to Final Disposition (Optional):
- Visitation / Wake / Vigil (Where?)
- Funeral service prior to burial or cremation (Where?)
- Only brief service at graveside
- Memorial service / celebration of life (anywhere, at any time; often occurs after burial or cremation)
Final Disposition of Remains (and associated costs):
- Body Burial (casket or shroud, plot, liner if required, opening/closing of grave, marker)
- Body Entombment in mausoleum (vault, non-sealer casket, opening/closing, inscription)
- Cremation:
- Urn Burial (urn, plot, liner if required, opening/closing, marker)
- Ennichment in columbarium (urn, niche)
- Scattering
- Keep cremated remains (urn)
