Immediately notify the following:
• Funeral Director
• Cemetery
• Physician
• Clergy
• Attorney/Executor of Estate
• Relatives
• Friends
• Employer of deceased
• Employers of family members
• Insurance agents (life, health, etc.)
• Organizations (religious, civic, etc.)

Immediately do the following:
• Check Will for special wishes
• Select Funeral Director who will handle all of the arrangements including preparation of the deceased's body, filing for death certificates, notifying newspapers, making cemetery preparations, etc.
• Select cemetery
• Select burial property
• Select casket
• Select burial vault
• Select clothing for deceased
• Select flowers
• Select memorialization (monument, marker, or crypt)
• Obtain and sign burial permit
• Provide obituary information
• Select Pallbearers
• Determine the type of services (military, graveside, etc.)
• Select clergy or officiant
• Determine the time & location of services
• Select special readings and music
• Contact an organist, soloist, or other musicians
• Provide information for eulogy
• Arrange funeral transportation
• Decide name of charitable organization to which donations are suggested in memory of deceased
• Select clothing for you and family members, if appropriate.
• Prepare food for family and guests at home
• Provide addresses and phone numbers to appropriate people
• Answer sympathetic phone calls, messages, wires and letters
• Meet and talk with funeral director, and clergy about all details
• Greet all friends and relatives who call
• Arrange for meeting relatives who arrive from out of state at airport or railroad station
• Provide lodging for out-of-town relatives
• Make list of callers and floral tributes which were sent in order to send thank you cards.
• Arrange for religious services
• Arrange for childcare for younger children

Provide necessary vital statistics, including the following:
• Name, home address & phone
• Business name, address & phone
• Occupation and title
• Social Security Number
• Veteran's Serial Number
• Date and place of birth
• If appropriate, proof of U.S. Citizenship
• Father's name
• Father's birthplace
• Mother's Maiden name
• Mother's birthplace
• Religious name (if appropriate)

Locate important documents, such as:
• Will
• Funeral arrangement documents
• Cemetery arrangement documents
• Birth certificate
• Social Security card or number
• Marriage license
• Citizenship papers
• Insurance policies
• Bank books
• Deeds to property
• Bill of sale of car
• Income tax returns
• Veteran's discharge certificate
• Disability and pension claims

Make required payments, such as:
• Funeral Service and Merchandise
• Cemetery Service and Merchandise
• Clergy or officiant
• Organist, soloist, musicians
• Florist
• Transportation
• Memorials
• Hospitals and ambulance
• Medicine and drugs
• Current & urgent bills (i.e. mortgage or rent, taxes)
• Food
• Doctors