Westbrook Memorial Chapel · Cleveland · Since 1928
We’re here (216) 555-0142
A pre-planning conversation at the chapel office
PRE-PLANNING

A gift to the children.

Many of the families we serve come to us first as planners — making the decisions they hope will be a gift to the children.

We have not charged for a pre-planning conversation since 1991. Whether you come to us six weeks before, six months before, or six years before, the conversation is the same: we sit at the kitchen table — yours or ours — and walk through the service together. We write nothing down that you do not want written.

What pre-planning is

Two things, separately:

  1. The conversation — choosing the service, the music, the readings, the casket or aron, the cemetery, the pallbearers, the order of who speaks. None of this needs to be paid for or even formalized; many of our pre-plans are a single sheet of paper kept in our office.
  2. The pre-paid funeral — if the family chooses, the service can be paid for in advance through an Ohio-licensed pre-need trust. We use the Ohio Funeral Directors Association Trust. The funds are held by the trust, not by us; they earn interest; they cannot be touched by either party until the time of need. The family receives an annual statement.

The conversation is the harder of the two. The payment is the simpler. We recommend doing the conversation regardless of whether you choose to pre-pay.

What we walk through

Your faith tradition and your clergy.
Where the service will be held and who will officiate.
The order of service.
Scripture, hymns, music, eulogies, readings, the order in which they will appear in the printed program.
The casket or aron.
We show you our full range. We do not push you toward anything.
Cemetery and committal.
Which cemetery; whether you already own a plot; whether burial or cremation.
The obituary.
For families who wish, we will draft a working obituary together — to be updated by the family when the time comes.
The pallbearers and family roles.
Who carries the casket, who reads the Scripture, who speaks at the eulogy.
The repast, shiva, or reception.
What happens after the service, and who is responsible for what.

Begin the conversation

Either fill the form below or call (216) 555-0142 and ask for Anne. We will not call you back outside of the time window you specify. We do not put pre-planners on a marketing list.