The following template may be of value to express your end-of-life wishes. If you do not provide your wishes in written form, you may look down from Heaven to see that there is confusion and misunderstanding as to your after-death instructions. Take the time to clearly communicate your wishes so your grieving relatives will not be likely to make ill-informed decisions after your death.
After-Death Instructions For (Your Name)
I, (Your Name), being of sound mind, do hereby specify and declare my wishes regarding the end of my life.
Coordinators: (Names) will be in charge of my burial arrangements. The two will be authorized to make decisions in accord with these instructions.
Donor: Parts of my body may be harvested as may be needed to aid the lives of others. This bequest includes my eyes, skin, bone and organs.
Cremation: After donor harvesting, I desire that my body be cremated.
Interment: I desire that my cremains be interred in a memorial bench in the _____________ Family Plots at the __________________ Church Cemetery in ____________, ________.
I desire that my ashes be placed in a blue urn in my possession. The urn of my companion, ______________ is pink. Both urns will be interred together. It is my desire that the wooden urn for my beloved pet, ___________, be interred with us. When my pets, ___________and __________ die, I desire that they be cremated and that their cremains be interred with our cremains. At that time, the cremation bench should be permanently sealed for security.
Viewing: I oppose any type of public viewing of my body. My body should be available for private viewing by my immediate family, without makeup and in a natural state, for two hours at the place of my death. Thereafter, I request that my body not be available for viewing.
Embalming: I oppose any embalming of my remains.
Funeral &
Memorial
Service: I oppose and desire that there be no public funeral or memorial service. Should the family desire an interment ceremony at the graveside, then it is my desire that _________ be in charge of the service.
Obituary: I desire that the attached obituary and photograph be published in the following newspapers:
Names, addresses, phone and email for newspapers.
Online Obituary: I desire that I have a permanent online obituary.
I declare that these are my requests on the date indicated. All previous instructions are null and void.
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Date, Your Name and Signature
I declare that the above person personally appeared before me this date, executed this document, and asked that his wishes be performed in accord with these instructions.
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Date, Printed Name and Signature of Witnesses
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Date, Printed Name, Signature and Notarial Seal
