It was comforting to me to have so many of my daughter’s colleagues and friends show up to honour her. I had not realized just how respected she was, and how many lives she had touched in her work.

During the first few days after a death, many demands may be placed on grieving family members or friends in preparation for a  service. For example,

• What kind of service should it be?

• Should the person’s body be buried or cremated? What do you need to buy or prepare before the service?

• Where do you arrange a grave marker, if you wish to have one?

People looking back on the period right after a death often wonder how they managed all the decision-making. Some friends and families discuss the dying person’s wishes for a service well in advance, but in many families, decisions are made after the death has occurred.