E186 Who Will Bury Me If I Have No Family?

<div class="avia_textblock"> <p>This is an important question for Solo Agers, or for anyone without family nearby.</p> <h2>Friends, Neighbors, Community</h2> <h3>Pros</h3> <p>Your close friends, neighbors, etc. probably know your wishes best. And they also most want to honor you, have a nice remembrance.</p> <h3>Cons</h3> <p>It’s a big ask, even for close friends. Tending to final remains, and organizing a funeral service is a big and emotional job. Your friends may prefer to <em>attend</em> your funeral, not <em>run</em> it.</p> <h2>Distant Family</h2> <h3>Pros</h3> <p>Blood is thicker than water, right? You may feel than any relative, even estranged, is most appropriate.</p> <h3>Cons</h3> <p>Just like with close friends, it’s a big ask. And distant relatives won’t know much about you or your final wishes.</p> <p><img class="aligncenter wp-image-8584 size-entry_with_sidebar" src= "https://anthonyspark.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/mayron-oliveira-mibn6LLm9kA-unsplash-956x538.jpg" alt="funeral flowers" width="956" height="538" /></p> <h2>Hired Professional</h2> <h3>Pros</h3> <p>Want something done as you like? What better way then to hire someone? With friends and family, it’s either an honor or an obligation. Hire a pro, and it’s their <em>job</em>. A professional with a reputation to protect will reliably carry out your final wishes.</p> <h3>Cons</h3> <p>A professional may not have the same warmth as a friend or family. But remember, someone like a <a href= "https://anthonyspark.com/professional-executor/">professional executor</a> is just organizing burial and the funeral. Your friends are still in attendance, and free to focus on remembering you.</p> <h2>The Public Option: Pauper’s Funeral</h2> <h3>Pros</h3> <p>Well, it’s free. Yes, <a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hart_Island_(Bronx)" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the state has a burial option of last resort</a> for anyone with no family or no money.</p> <h3>Cons</h3> <p>It’s in the name: this is a pauper’s funeral. Typically for the home