Over the past two years many users of the Departing Details Workbook have asked if we are aware of alternatives other than a very expensive, traditional funeral. As our culture is becoming more open to talking about wishes and planning ahead it seems that more options are emerging. Of course, traditional services are available from the established funeral providers for those who want that option.

We heard about the services of Choice Memorial in Calgary, Canada from two users of Departing Details Workbook who were very pleased with having a more cost effective option without compromising quality. A quick google search indicated that very similar models are starting to appear throughout the United States and Canada and we wanted to take this opportunity to introduce our readers to an option they might not be aware of.  

We asked Teresa Jones, the owner of Choice Memorial, to provide the following information to assist you in finding similar, alternate providers in your community if you are interested:     

After spending many years as a licensed funeral service professional, I began to see that funeral homes on the whole were old-fashioned and not changing with the times. Funeral trends have been changing, with an emphasis on keeping things simple, and hand in hand more affordable. It became my goal to find a way of providing cremation and burial options as well as memorial and funeral services at a fair, realistic and reasonable price. Based on these goals, Choice Memorial Cremation & Funeral Services opened in September of 2014 with the following guidelines and philosophies:

• We are open and transparent about our pricing. Prices for services and products (caskets and urns) are listed online for potential clients to compare. We encourage people to shop around and find the best fit for their emotional and financial needs.

• We are a full service provider- offering the full range from simple cremations with no service to full traditional burial services.

• We offer a no pressure environment, the important thing is to honor the deceased with choices that are right for the loved one and their budget. 

• We operate with as little overhead as possible in order to keep prices as low as possible while still offering the highest quality of service. For example, we have a facility to hold smaller services, and work closely with various public venues, churches, and auditoriums in order to meet our client’s needs. Often, there is only a modest fee or even no fee for the facility.

Similar to traditional providers, we offer services in times of crisis and unexpected death and also offer our services for those who wish to pre-plan. Pre-planning provides peace of mind and locks in the prices and protects from inflation.

We put families before profits.

At Choice Memorial, we strongly believe that funerals are a place to pay your respects, not your life savings. Although our services are provided in the Calgary area, we know that similar providers are emerging all over North America. The Choice Team encourages you to find the option in your community that best meets your needs whether it be in a time of crisis or as part of pre-planning. www.choicememorial.com