funeral

[magicdice]

do you have to have a funeral of some sort when you die? if not, what happens? (i mean to the body, not the soul/spirit/whatever)

[Scarlett]

I guess the body would be picked up by an undertaker, it would get an autopsy to establish the reason for death, get a death certificate and be buried, with no service? I guess this must happen somtimes- especially where the dead person is unknown... Hmm. Not sure.

[spudqueen]

Yes, someone I knew died last year and had already expressed their wish for no funeral. They had donated their body to medical science, but were then diagnosed with cancer and apparently you can't leave your body to medical science if you have cancer, so they went to the crematorium and the undertakers and arranged to be taken straight to the crem. It was what they wanted but having had my Mum die last year, also through cancer, I personally think that the funeral is a good idea for those who are left. It gives you something to concentrate on in the first few days, it is comforting to speak to people at the funeral who have meant something to the person who has died and it also gives a feeling of closure.

[thikasabrik]

There is no legal requirement for a funeral service to be held but there are legal rules regarding the disposal of a body.  You could be buried in your own garden or at a local beauty spot as long as this did not breach local bye laws and you obtain permission from your local council. A coffin is not essential (although most crematoria would insist on one) but again it is down to  local bye laws. You do not have to use a funeral director but the paperwork is a bit hard going if you dont know what you are doing. One comment about Scarlett's answer - not all bodies need a post mortem (autopsy). The oldest undisposed of body I know of is a girl who died in 1979 & the ruling was accidental death. Her father refuses to accept the coroners verdict (he thinks she was murdered) and her body is languishing in a council mortuary freezer to this day.

[Octavius]

See the Dept of Health Guidance Notes:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/OrganisationPolicy/PatientAndPublicInvolvement/PPIBereavement/PPIBereavementArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4000469&chk=17b71i

[Octavius]

I think the Public Health Act would require that the body is disposed of as deemed appropriate (burial, cremation etc) failing this the corpse could be dedicated for medical research Human Tissues Act, after which it becomes the reponsibility of the institute using the cadava.  Once this has happened it is most likely to be incinerated.

http://www.yourrights.org.uk/your-rights/chapters/rights-of-the-bereaved/formalities-after-death/disposal-of-the-body.shtml

[hopalong]

My aunt was an non believer. When she died there was no religous service. She asked when she died is to be taken the cremitorium and for a piece of her favourite piece of music and a poem be played.

[thikasabrik]

In A Pickle...............yes it is the same girl.