Colonial Chapel Funeral Home & Crematory has a skilled and experienced staff of funeral directors and supporting personnel. We are available to provide the people of Oak Lawn, IL with assistance, guidance, support and vital information as they go through the process of making final arrangements for a loved one in urgent need circumstances or for themselves via funeral pre planning. We have numerous tribute formats for you to choose from, such as traditional funerals, memorial services and celebrations-of-life. We provide conscientious attention to every detail in designing and executing commemorative services for the deceased.
Funerals hold tremendous significance because they lay the foundation for healing after loss. Funerals assist people with accepting that death is final and a natural part of life. They are an official recognition of a passing, showing love and respect for the departed. They also provide comfort to the bereaved in the form of social support. At a funeral service, mourners begin to process their grief, celebrating the relationships that they had with the loved one, sharing fond stories and memories and expressing their emotions about the deceased and about death. The achievements and intrinsic value of the loved one receive the honor that they deserve.
A memorial service lacks the presence of the casketed remains, yet it performs the same functions as a funeral. Often occurring after the direct burial or direct cremation of the deceased, a memorial gathering many times has the inurned cremains of the departed displayed alongside beautiful florals and a recent photograph of him or her. This event can be themed to represent a favorite hobby, sport, lifestyle or other aspect of the deceased. It can be held at any time after the physical remains of the loved one have been dealt with, and is often scheduled for the year’s anniversary of the passing. This gives families ample time to plan the memorial ceremony and they are better able to accommodate the various times that their guests are available.
A celebration-of-life is a highly personalized version of a memorial service. The unique character of the loved one is central, and can be manifested by having live music that they enjoyed, serving their favorite dishes and holding the assembly in their home. A celebration-of-life can be religious in nature or more secular, and be officiated by a clergy member, celebrant or someone who was close to the heart of the deceased.