How to Plan a Funeral – What Do I Do Now?

After being married for nearly 35 years, my husband and soul mate died very suddenly. Instead of more plans and dreams in our future together, I was thrown into planning a funeral for 500+ people in less than 5 days. My mind, body, and spirit were in shock; yet there were so many decisions to make. My mind didn’t want to function, but funeral planning required thought and concentration.I needed guidance and help from friends and family, but I didn’t know how to ask. In hindsight, I went on autopilot and my organizational skills kicked in during that time. It was the only way I was able to focus on the steps we took. 


Through that experience, I realized how important it was to help others in this situation. The funeral planner was created for you. I hope it will serve as a useful and thorough guide through your difficult decisions. It is designed to help you plan a meaningful and memorable funeral for your loved one.

One of my strongest skills is organization. I spent my career as a teacher, and have a Master’s Degree in Special Education. For many years I taught in public schools and did private academic tutoring. Writing this guide was something I was fully skilled to do, though it wasn’t something I could have anticipated doing.

What Do I Do Now? provides you with the tools to help you plan a funeral when your mind and body can hardly think or function due to grief. Examples of ways to utilize the help of family and friends are woven into the funeral planner so you won’t feel overwhelmed and alone. I designed the funeral planner to guide you each step of the way from the most complex to the simplest funeral. At such a tragic time, you can rely on this planner. It provides a step-by-step guide to plan a funeral and accomplish the difficult decisions and tasks at hand.

I eventually left teaching to pursue a career in art, another love of mine. As an artist I have spent years learning to perfect my talent as a watercolorist and printmaker. My artwork is on the front cover and throughout the funeral planner. If you would like to see more of my artwork it can be found at: www.pamsmythstudio.com.

My best regards to you and your family,

Pam Smyth, Author & Artist