When you are called upon to arrange a funeral, it can be a very stressful and confusing time. H Keeton Funeral Directors have many years of experience and we are here to assist you in any way we can.

We will help you find your way through all the documentation and plan a funeral which is tailored to your own personal wishes and beliefs.

The process differs slightly depending on where the death occurred…

Death at Home

Should a death occur at home, you will first need to call your doctor (or the on-call doctor) who will come to your home to certify the death. You will then need to call us, day or night, to arrange for us to take your loved one into our care.

Death in a Hospital

If the death occurs in a hospital, you will be directed to the hospital's bereavement officer. It will be your responsibility to contact us.

Death in a Care Home

In the event that the death occurs in a care home, the nursing staff will call a doctor who will come to certify the death. If they already have our name as your nominated funeral director, they will then contact us to take your loved one into our care.

When might a coroner be involved?

If the death is sudden or unexpected, the coroner will be involved and the attending police officer will arrange for the deceased to be transported to the Medico Legal Centre in Sheffield or Rotherham District General Hospital in Rotherham. You will then need to call H Keeton and we will be able to help you with all the documentation and decisions from that point.

Making Arrangements

In order to commence making funeral arrangements, we will need to meet you and your family members to make all the detailed decisions regarding the funeral service itself. This can be done at our office or we are happy to visit you in your own home should that feel more comfortable for you.

We will talk about all or some of the following:

• Is it to be a burial or cremation?
• Is a religious or non-religious service required?
• The date and venue for the service
• Alternative coffin options such as a willow casket
• Viewing of the deceased and if you would like to provide specific clothing from their own wardrobe
• Would you prefer floral tributes or donations in lieu of flowers?
• Newspaper notices
• Where the cortege is to start and finish and if limousines are required

Registering a Death:

In order to register a death you need to be a close relative, a relative in attendance during last illness, a person present at the death or a person arranging the funeral (not the funeral director).

You Will Need to Take With You:

• The death certificate (from the GP or hospital)
• Medical card (if available)
• Birth certificate or information regarding the date of birth

You Will Need to Know:

• The deceased's date and place of birth
• Full name of deceased, including any maiden name
• Date and place of death
• Occupation and home address
• If married, full name and occupation of spouse

Please note that local registrars operate an appointment system and they can be contacted on:

Sheffield - 0114 2039427

Rotherham – 01709 823542

If you need the assistance of compassionate family funeral directors who can guide you through the process of arranging a funeral for a relative or friend, please do not hesitate to contact H Keeton Funeral Directors, we’re here twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.