Absence is a house so vast that inside you will pass through its walls and hang pictures on the air.
— Pablo Neruda

someone just died.

When someone you know has died, many decisions will need to be made or honored. We hope that our funerary information and general overview of logistics can provide some orientation and/or a basic framework for making final arrangements suited to your needs.

  • If you’re looking for a funeral home, Funeralwise offers a free search engine that will direct you to funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, and other deathcare providers in your area. Funeralocity, another free search engine, shows the prices of nearly every funeral or cremation provider in the United States.

    Did you know that funerals can be held at home? National Home Funeral Alliance is a good resource for learning more.

    For those in New York City, we recommend Sparrow, located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Sparrow is a contemporary funeral home that tailors services to the individual in a beautiful and surprisingly uplifting space.

    “Questions to Ask a Funeral Home” - download list of questions here.

  • There are a number of tasks to complete in the days, weeks and months following a death. Some logistics are more time-sensitive, while others you can complete as you’re able.

    For a comprehensive, interactive checklist, set up a free online account at Cake, an end-of-life and funeral planning website.

    For more hands-on assistance, Empathy provides services and support for navigating after-loss logistics.

    “What Needs to be Done and When?” - download our checklist here.