Funeral & Cremation Options

A funeral is an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of a life that has been lived. It is a time to consider the impact of that meaning for the family and friends. A funeral is a time for people to share, in the deepest sense of the word. You and the ones you love are at the very center of the process, and the choices you make will determine its significance for you. Your personal values, beliefs and cultural influences should determine how it is conducted. It may be formal, simple, spiritual or modern.

 As you participate in the planning of the funeral service, you help create a meaningful experience for everyone. Our staff have many options to help you. We also wish to give you several gifts to help make this funeral more special.

Traditionally, the funeral will be a Complete Funeral Service. This includes a family or public viewing of the deceased. Following this will be a service, typically in the funeral home or church. This would be followed by burial of the casket in the earth, or interment of the casket in a mausoleum. A reception may follow at the funeral home, someone’s home, or perhaps a restaurant or park.

A graveside service typically follows a “visitation” at the funeral home. Usually the loved one’s casketed body is present in the room during the visitation. Sometimes there is a public funeral service at the funeral home. Then the loved one is transferred to the cemetery for the public or private graveside ceremony followed by burial.

The Complete Cremation Service is just like a Complete Funeral Service except cremation follows the service instead of a burial. This can be accommodated by the use of a cremation casket (casket that is designed to be cremated). Following the viewing, service or ceremony, and eventual cremation, the cremated remains can be scattered, buried or kept at home. Cunningham Turch Funeral Home owns its own private crematory, so your loved one never leaves our care.

The Immediate Cremation Service can be arranged as an immediate disposition of the body, but is most times followed by a memorial service at the church, funeral home or other location. (View local immediate cremation price comparison for Northern Virginia)

A Memorial Service is one where the loved one’s body is not present. If you select an immediate cremation, you may wish to take time as a family to privately view the body of your loved one before the cremation. If the viewing can be done in a matter of a few hours after the death then embalming will not be necessary. If there is to be a long delay (more than 8-12 hours) then embalming is encouraged. Viewing of the deceased has traditionally be considered a very important step in acknowledging that the death has occurred, which is important to the healing process. Having some type of service or ceremony is also a key ingredient to a healthy recovery and adjustment after the loss of a loved one.

We do not send your loved one to another facility to be handled by unknown contracted workers. You can rest at ease knowing that our family’s certified cremation technicians are present during the entire cremation process.