The chronicle., 1963-11-06
Morticiuns Criticize
New Funeral Societies

new and growing concept of
grief therapy' in the funeral
industry. That concept holds
that the elaborate modern flu
neral service - including t e
viewing of the embalmed and
restored body of the deceased
provides the greatest posi-
Bile comfort for the survivors.
Shrek takes emphatic excep-
ton to the grief therapy con-
cept.
This is a pitch that they (the
funeral directors) have devel-
oped to sell their merchandise, f"
Shrek said. Il don't think you
will find that ostentation and
public display will bring COM
fort. We believe the simplest flu
neral provides solace."
Funeral societies generally
favor quick disposition of the
unembalmed body through bur-
ial or cremation, followed later
by a religious or memorial serv-
ice for the deceased. The soci-
cites oppose public viewing Of
the body. The result is to de.
emphasize the physical remains.
Critics of the funeral indus.
try contend the service availa.
BILE at the typical funeral home
is a concoction of the funeral
directors.
Commenting on the practice
of viewing the body in an open
casket, Shrek said: Funeral
directors want to display their
handiwork in restoring the
bdoy." He said no church per-
mits an open casket during a
funeral service.
Viewing Responsible
The custom of viewing the
body, critics say, is largely re-
sponsible for high funeral costs.
1t provides the naturalization
for buying an expensive casket
and for using the elaborate sur
r~oundingS Of the modern funer-
al home. 1t also had led to de-
velopment of such funeral wares
as perfect posture" casketS
and burial negligees.
To funeral directors, the open
caSket is the foundation of grief
therapy. 1t gives the survivors
they Say,"a beautiful memory
picture" of the deceased.
Some guidelines drawn by flu
neral societies for their mem.
bers can be of value to individ-
ualS who wish to avoid funer.
al expenses they do not want
and cannot afford.
One guideline is to study ex.
listing laws concerning the dis.
position of human remains. Most
perSons,f for example, would be
surprised to learn that no state
requires embalming, a temper
airy preServative at best, unless
the body is to be shipped by
common carrier.
A second suggestion is that
individuals re-examine in their
own minds the meaning OF
death and the role that the flu
neral service should play in the
disposition of human remains.
Finally, funeral societies rec
ommend that the individual
make some arrangements for
his burial while he is alive and
healthy and before his survivors
are forced to negotiate for a flu
neral under emotional stress.
Until very recently, this con-
cept Of pre-arrangement found
few supporters among morti-
clans. BASTARD explained why
with this candid comment Of
fered in another context: sit is
easy to be very logical (about
DEATH In the abstract. 1t is
much more difficult when faced
with the emotional realities OF
death"
Encourage Planning
But there are a growing NUM-
Der of morticians who, in coop
Grafton with funeral societies or
on their own, are encouraging
pre-need planning by families.
Lets face it," Frederick
Llewellyn of Forest Lawn Me.
mortal Park in Los Angeles com.
mented recently. "We fear
death; we run from it
everything but face it and make
simple decisions about it. There
isn't anything wrong with the
funeral industry that wouldn't
be solved If Americans would
face the subject squarely, shop
and compare, and make deci-
sions and arrangements in ad-
vance of need.
eff every undertaken In
America would adopt the self
selection plan used by Forest