Taking Care
of the First Steps
With Park Memorial
Preparing for your arrangement meeting.
1: What we will help you with:
Your funeral director will walk you through each of these items /decisions together, at your pace:
- Registering your loved one's passing with
Vital Statistics
(please reference/fill out this form to see all of the information that we will need in order to register your loved one’s passing). - Choosing burial, green burial, or cremation
- Selecting a service date and location
- Choosing an officiant for the service
- Writing an obituary for the newspaper and our website
- Choosing a casket or urn, keepsakes, or other related merchandise
- Arranging cemetery details, if applicable
- Creating a memorial card and video tribute, choosing a guest book
- Ordering flowers
- Arranging to use our Reception Centre for a luncheon
- Discussing ways to personalize the service
2: What to bring (if available):
To help us complete the required registration, it is helpful to bring:
Please don't worry if you don't have everything listed below. It is completely normal not to have all of this information readily available, and together we can gather anything that's missing over the coming days.
• All information needed to register your loved one’s passing with Vital Statistics as outlined above
• Government-issued identification or birth certificate for your loved one
• Alberta Health Care number
• Driver's licence and any other government-issued identification
Please note: while government-issued photo identification can assist us in confirming information, Vital Statistics may require additional supporting documentation if information on a Vital Statistics record later needs to be amended.
• Social Insurance Number
• Residential address
• Occupation
• Marital status
• A copy of the Will that identifies the executor (if applicable)
• Contact information for the executor or next of kin
You may also wish to bring:
• A recent photograph for the obituary and memorial materials
• Notes or ideas for the obituary
• Clothing for your loved one (Clothing should have long sleeves and a high neckline. Please include undergarments. Shoes are optional)
• A recent photograph to assist with hairstyling and cosmetics (if applicable)
• Names of pallbearers (if known)
• Contact information for your preferred clergy or celebrant (if applicable)
• Pre-arrangement documents, if your loved one had prearranged funeral services with Park Memorial
3: Helpful resources:
To help you prepare, here are a few resources that many families find helpful:
A few things to know:
If your loved one left a Will, the executor is the legally authorized person to make funeral arrangements and we must take instruction from them.
If there is no executor, Alberta legislation outlines who may act on behalf of the deceased. If you have any questions about who may authorize arrangements, please visit the link above under the subject ‘Helpful Resources’.
Most importantly...
There is no expectation that you'll have all the answers when you arrive.
This is likely unfamiliar territory for you, but it is something our team has the privilege of helping families through every day. We'll explain each step and all your options, answer every question, and help you make the decisions that feel right for your family.
If you have any questions before your appointment, or if your circumstances change and you need to reschedule, please don't hesitate to contact us.
For over 85 years, our Park Memorial family has been honoured
to serve families like yours with compassion and care.
Park Memorial has supported families across Edmonton and Northern Alberta with compassion, guidance, and community care.
We're Here to Help
If you would like to speak with someone from our team or learn more about our services and programs, we are here for you.
