SPONSORED NOVEMBER 2019 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 43
JOURNEY TO LIFE EVER AFTER
PREPLANNING FOR PEACE
Many people find planning
for after they’re gone, such
as making a will, to be too
uncomfortable to discuss, but
experts say that preplanning
a funeral is a gift that avoids
stressing out loved ones. John
Golden, owner and chief
executive officer of Martin
A. Gleason Funeral Homes
in Whitestone, Bayside, and
Flushing, shared with us what
a preplanned funeral can do
for you.
What is a preplanned
funeral? There are two kinds of
funerals: Preplanned and atneed
funerals. Preplanned, also known
as preneed funerals, are funeral
plans that are made for people
who are still alive. Funeral homes,
cemeteries, and other such
companies offer preplanning
services for individuals, their
spouses, or parents. There are
also online options to make it
even easier. In atneed funerals,
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the deceased’s family members
make the final arrangements
immediately following the
person’s time of death.
How does a preplanned
funeral help a family?
Preplanning is a thoughtful
decision that helps reduce the
stress when we lose a loved
one. A carefully preplanned
service can give your family and
friends lasting peace of mind,
knowing that they respected
and followed your wishes. By
contrast, planning a funeral at
the last second, while grieving,
forces surviving loved ones
to make difficult financial
decisions at an emotionally
charged time.
Why plan ahead? A few
reasons. One: Security. New
York State law requires that
100 percent of your prepaid
funeral money be deposited in
a special trust fund. All accounts
are fully insured by the FDIC.
Two: Comfort. You can make
your prearrangements at the
funeral home or at your house
or apartment. Yes, we do make
home calls! You can make your
decisions calmly and with no
rush to decide. Three: Flexibility.
If you move to another state and
you don’t want to come back to
New York, you can receive your
money back, plus accumulated
interest. If you are in another
state or country and pass away
and wish to come back to New
York, call Gleason’s first and we
can arrange everything for you.
Four: Consistency. Our funeral
directors that make funeral
prearrangements at Gleason’s
are the same funeral directors
who will be there when the
death occurs.
What do families value
most about the services you
provide? It is very important
for a family to have someone
on hand who would be there
at the time of need. All our
directors at Gleason Funeral
Home have years of experience
and training and are available
seven days a week.
Does preplanning cost
extra? There is no charge to
make prearrangements. And,
of course, saving your loved
ones from the difficult process
of planning a funeral on short
notice is invaluable.
Is there anything else you
want to add? Save your family
from these difficult decisions
by prearranging the funeral.
As I have been told many
times by numerous families,
having prearrangements has
made a difficult time a little
easier. Giving advanced notice
ensures that your final wishes
will be followed; it also allows
for a meaningful ceremony that
provides the proper closure.
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