1. Contact the funeral home as soon as a death has occurred. A time will be set up with the funeral director to come in and make all of the necessary arrangements, including coordinating with the cemetery, church and clergy. You will need to be able to provide the following information to complete the death certificate according to the State of New Jersey vital statistic requirements:

o Birth Date
o Birthplace - City and County
o Father's Name
o Mother's Name (including maiden)
o Social Security Number
o Veteran's Discharge Papers
o Education Level
o Marital Status
o Employment

*The funeral home will assist you in determining the number of copies of the death certificate you will need and we will get these for you.

2.  Gather additional information for the obituary including memberships held, outstanding work, a list of survivors in the immediate family, and an appropriate organization to which donations can be made (church, hospice, charity or school) if desired.

3.  Prepare a list of insurance companies, to include the name of the company and the policy number.  The LeRoy P. Wooster Funeral Home will notify the insurance company of the death and gather the necessary forms for you and prepare them for your signature.  The proceeds will be sent directly to you, unless you wish to do an insurance assignment for the funeral charges in which the proceeds will be sent directly to the funeral home, and the balance to the beneficiary.  We will also assist you in this if it is what you would like to do.

4. The LeRoy P. Wooster Funeral Home will notify Social Security of a death for you. In a week or so, check with Social Security to see that the number has been retired.  The $255 dollar death benefit is payable ONLY if there is a surviving spouse, a child under 18 or a disabled child.  If Social Security checks are on an automatic deposit basis, you will need to notify the bank of the death as soon as possible.

5.  You may need to check carefully for all life and casualty insurance policies and/or death benefits from sources such as Social Security, credit unions, trade unions, fraternal organizations, and military.  Also check on income that any survivors may be receiving from these sources.

6.  Check promptly on all debts and installment payments, including credit cards.  Some companies may carry insurance clauses that will cancel them.  If there is to be a delay in meeting payments, consult with creditors and arrange for more time before the payments are due.

7.  If the deceased was living alone, you will need to notify the utility companies of the death, and a landlord, if necessary.  You will also need to notify the post office and arrange for mail to be forwarded to an appropriate address.

8.  Before coming to the funeral home to make funeral arrangements, you and your family may want to take into consideration a few things such as flowers, a luncheon or home gathering, or pallbearers (if necessary) to name a few.