Spreading the Word to Loved Ones After a Death

When a loved one dies, your whole world may feel like it is turned upside-down. Amidst the loss, the pain, and the grief is the new task planning for funeral arrangements. But sometimes, the most daunting task thrust upon you is informing friends and family that your loved one has passed. 

Communication and Acceptance

Part of the reason that letting people know about the funeral service is the pain of accepting that they are lost. In order to tell people that a loved one has passed, you need to have moved, at least partially, out of the denial stage of grief. It can be difficult to figure out how to tell others about the loss.

Methods of Communication

As hard as it can be to tell people that a loved one has passed; your friends and family should know, so that they can go to the funeral services. How do you let people know?
It is probably the best to tell people in person of a loved one’s passing, but it is practically impossible to reach everyone face-to-face. Everyone has different schedules; and families can be spread out to different states, or even countries. 
Most people today prefer to break the news over the phone. This can be extremely taxing to the family making the calls because they have to repeat the news, and hear the grief in the voices of those on the other end as well. But calls are a good way to make sure individuals and close family members are made aware of the services.
Facebook posts of the funeral information is often used by families to notify beyond just close family members of the funeral services. Many of these posts will include the location of the Services, the viewing times, and some pictures of your loved one.

Facebook “Legacy Contact”

If your loved one has set up you as a legacy contact, you will be able to post on their behalf this information for their Facebook friends to see. In the event of your passing; your Legacy Contact can tell Facebook that you have died. They will gain minor access, in order to post a memorial message, accept friend requests on your behalf, and even change your profile picture. But that is the only level of access that they gain. This avoids legal issues with Facebook’s Terms of Service Agreement.

Obituaries

Obituaries in newspapers and online are common ways for people to be notified and memorialized. Some people still find out about funeral services via obituaries, and they can go out to a local audience.

For almost 50 years, Matthew Funeral Home has been serving the Staten Island community. We can help with almost every aspect of your loved one’s memorial service. Our family is here to serve yours, every step of the way.