CELEBRATING LIFE: HOW TO CREATE MEANINGFUL MEMORIAL SERVICES, WITH TEMPLATES AND TIPS Gail Rubin, CT, and Susan Fraser Table of Contents Foreword .................................................................................................................................................. 1 Why Have a Memorial Service?....................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: The Cremation Process and Disposition Issues ................................................................... 4 The Cremation Process .................................................................................................................................... 4 Arranging a Cremation .................................................................................................................................... 4 Free Cremation Options .................................................................................................................................. 5 Environmental Aspects .................................................................................................................................... 6 Mailing and Shipping Issues ............................................................................................................................ 8 Air Travel with Cremated Remains .................................................................................................................. 9 Cremation Disposition Issues ........................................................................................................................ 10 Social, Ethical and Emotional Issues .............................................................................................................. 10 Religious Issues .............................................................................................................................................. 11 Legal Issues .................................................................................................................................................... 12 Memorialization ............................................................................................................................................ 13 Chapter 2: Types of Cremation Ash Scattering ..................................................................................... 14 Urns for Scattering and Burial ....................................................................................................................... 14 Casting ........................................................................................................................................................... 15 The History of Casting ................................................................................................................................ 16 Modern Casting Ceremonies ..................................................................................................................... 16 Trenching ....................................................................................................................................................... 16 History of Trenching .................................................................................................................................. 17 Modern Trenching Ceremonies ................................................................................................................. 17 Raking ............................................................................................................................................................ 17 History of Raking ....................................................................................................................................... 18 Modern Raking Ceremonies ...................................................................................................................... 18 Scattering Over Water ................................................................................................................................... 18 History of Scattering Over Water .............................................................................................................. 19 Modern Water-Scattering Ceremonies ..................................................................................................... 19 Aerial Scattering ............................................................................................................................................ 19 History of Aerial Scattering ........................................................................................................................ 19 Modern Aerial Scattering Ceremonies ...................................................................................................... 20 Green Burial................................................................................................................................................... 20 History of Green Burials ............................................................................................................................. 21 Modern Green Burial Ceremonies ............................................................................................................. 21 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... 22 Chapter 3: Life Celebration Stories ........................................................................................................ 23 A Memorial in the Mountains ....................................................................................................................... 23 Bachelor Water Burial on a Boat ................................................................................................................... 25 "J. Strong": A Riverside Memorial ................................................................................................................. 27 A National Park Scattering ............................................................................................................................. 28 Memorial Sail in Narragansett Bay ................................................................................................................ 30 29 Ports O’ Call .............................................................................................................................................. 31 Graveside Ceremony: Ashes Over His Heart ................................................................................................. 32 A Beach Memorial Service ............................................................................................................................. 34 A Restaurant Celebration of Life ................................................................................................................... 35 Practical Considerations for Outdoor Ceremonies ........................................................................................ 36 Practical Considerations for Beach/Seaside Ceremonies .............................................................................. 38 Chapter 4: Cremation Ceremony Templates ........................................................................................ 40 Visitations and Viewings ................................................................................................................................ 40 Visitation ................................................................................................................................................... 41 Viewing ...................................................................................................................................................... 41 Traditional Versus Celebrant-Led Services .................................................................................................... 42 Funeral/Memorial Service Template ............................................................................................................. 44 Benjamin Franklin’s Words ........................................................................................................................ 45 Cremation Ceremony .................................................................................................................................... 46 Short Memorial Service Template ................................................................................................................. 46 Recognize .................................................................................................................................................. 47 Remember ................................................................................................................................................. 47 Reaffirm ..................................................................................................................................................... 47 Release ...................................................................................................................................................... 48 A Nondenominational Christian Memorial Service ....................................................................................... 48 Invocation .................................................................................................................................................