It’s a chance for people to plan ahead, as the second annual Death and Dying pop-up is taking place this weekend.
Stuart Lender is the manager of Rutherford Cremation & Funeral Services, and will be providing the sessions that take place November 9.
“When I initially started the sessions, I debated a lot about whether I should bring the information into the public realm,” said Lender. “There are a lot of good funeral homes but I have always felt that they do not do their service I believe they should. Funeral homes should be a hub of information for people about everything related to end-of-life care.”
The sessions are not presentations, but rather a walk-in opportunity for people to grab some information materials, and ask questions if they wish.
“People don’t really want to come into a funeral home, unless something has happened,” said Lender. “So I thought I would bring the information to them.”
Another reason for the pop-up sessions is to dispel some common myths about funerals, and let people know that they are the ones in control of the funeral service.
“It’s important that people have all the options so that they can make the proper decisions,” said Lender. “It’s not just enough to have an ideal of what you’d like to do, but it's also important to look at things from a financial perspective.”
All funeral homes, including Rutherford Cremation & Funeral Services, serve people with all different types of financial situations, but Lender stresses that you can still have a meaningful funeral without breaking the bank.
“I like to go through all the options that people have, and discuss what is essential and what is not essential,” said Lender. “I had a family who was in a tight financial situation so instead of a floral arrangement on top of the casket I suggested a long steam red rose on top instead.”
Besides traditional burials there are other funeral options including cremation, and then there is also the environmentally friendly option called aquamation.
“Aquamation is the exact same as cremation except instead of utilizing fire, we utilize water,” said Lender. “What happens is the person is placed in kind of a sensory deprivation tank with water that is warmed with alkali which helps break down organic matter. No mercury is released so there is no damage to the environment.”
The Death & Dying pop-up takes place from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at 125 Downie Street in Stratford.
