Connection During Devastating Disconnect

On March 12, 2020, as the world went sideways with the start of the pandemic, our profession and the families that we serve were about to face massive changes and restrictions. Over the next two years, in-person attendance at funerals would rise and fall without warning, meaning that most families who experienced the loss of a loved one during the pandemic were required to maneuver through their loss and their loved one’s funeral service without the traditional support of unlimited friends and family. 

 “…Finally, and most simply, funerals serve as the central gathering place for mourners. When we care about someone who died or his family members, we attend the funeral if at all possible. Our physical presence is our most important show of support for the living. By attending the funeral we let everyone else there know that they are not alone in their grief.” - Dr. Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D. 

The importance of gathering to mourn was definitely front of mind as our team discussed how we were going to pivot our service model to include virtual funeral attendance within the continual landscape of change. As you may be able to appreciate, ours is not a profession that pivots frequently nor quickly. But pivot we did. 

In the two years since the pandemic began, over 1000 families served by Park Memorial have opted to offer their friends and family an opportunity to attend their loved one’s funeral ceremony in the virtual space. Since this was a service that was provided on a complimentary basis by Park Memorial during the pandemic, there was no barrier for any family wishing to welcome friends and family virtually. 

The measurable impact is actually quite staggering: 

• We have livestreamed over 1000 funeral services since March 12, 2020 
• There have been 255 491 views of these services to date 
• There have been 41 800 hours of viewing time, with viewership coming from 41 countries 

If we are to look for silver linings against the backdrop of the pandemic, the fact that some guests were able to attend a loved one’s farewell service that – even without the pandemic – they would have been unable to attend due to distance, time, and cost is a beautiful reality. Families were able to feel a little less alone and more connected with one another due to the gift of technology. And future generations will now be able to hear the stories of their loved ones, preserved and recorded because of our team’s desire to bring connection during devastating disconnect. 

We continue to hear from our families that the value of this service is incredibly important to them. It is for this reason that we are proud to be keeping funeral ceremony livestreaming as part of our menu of services, even now that the pandemic is no longer restricting attendance. We believe in the power of connection that we can offer bereaved families through the gift of technology. 

To read more about our livestream tips and tools, please click here.