Indiana has recently adopted a statute (Ind. Code 29-2-19-1 et. seq) that allows for a funeral planning declaration to be made, with similar formalities as a living will, that sets forth arrangements for a funeral.  It also provides for the appointment of a designated representative to handle these matters, again similar to a living will. 

Since these things are most effective the more people likely to survive me know what's in them, I am putting the operative provisions of mine on public display. 

I, being at least eighteen (18) years of age and of sound mind, willfully and voluntarily make known my instructions concerning funeral services, ceremonies, and the disposition of my remains after my death.

...

I hereby declare and direct that after my death the following actions be taken

(1) My body shall be:

Donated to medical or forensic science. I have made the necessary arrangements with Indiana University School of Medicine. If that is logistically impossible any local institution with a use for it may have it.

I have made an organ donation. If as a result of the harvest of organs my body is unsuited for these purposes I direct that my remains be cremated and my ashes scattered.

(2) My arrangements shall be made as follows:

(A) I direct that no funeral service be conducted.

(B) I direct that the following ceremonial arrangements be made:

None whatsoever.

Please do not make my final act a violation of the Golden Rule. It is my specific wish that my death not intrude on the lives of the living in any way. I do not want anyone to imagine that they have an even informal duty to visit or view my corpse, attend a gathering in my memory, or imagine that they are somehow disrespectful to my memory by not being there. In life, I disliked the obligation and intrusion of such things, so let my death be the occasion for no such thing.

(C) I direct the selection of a grave memorial that:

None whatsoever.

No one need ever visit my grave. To that end, I wish no monument at all.
My estate will not be liable for the purchase of any such thing.

(D) I direct that the following merchandise and other property be selected for the disposition of my remains, my funeral or other ceremonial arrangements:

None whatsoever, except as may be required by law.

I direct and charge my survivors that no clothing shall be wasted on my corpse, and no cosmetics applied to it.

My corpse shall not be put on display, except for the educational and scientific purposes set out above. My estate will not be liable for payment for any such treatment, goods, or services.
No one need purchase flowers or make charitable donations in my memory.

(3) In addition to the instructions listed above, I request the following:

I ask that no notice of my death be published in a newspaper until after my corpse has been disposed of in accordance with these instructions.

No additional text for an obituary shall be purchased on my behalf. My estate will not be liable for any such purchase.

Comments

Search

laika   |2009-11-20 18:33:10 hmmmm, interesting and practical. "lives of the living" struck me as an odd phrase, though. open source, by any chance? i certainly hope you don't have any pressing need of this declaration?

SteveGus   |2009-11-21 01:03:09 Feel free to reuse it as you will. "Lives of the living" is perhaps an odd phrase. I think the meaning carries: I don't want anyone to have to change their plans or imagine that they have to put on fancy duds to attend some kind of ceremony paying homage to my tarted-up stiff. I want to remove the burden of any thought that they have been less than dutiful to my memory by being where they'd rather be and doing what they'd rather do. For me to do otherwise would be to break the Golden Rule.

holmegm  - re:   |2009-11-21 14:38:19 SteveGus wrote: Feel free to reuse it as you will. "Lives of the living" is perhaps an odd phrase. I think the meaning carries: I don't want anyone to have to change their plans or imagine that they have to put on fancy duds to attend some kind of ceremony paying homage to my tarted-up stiff. I want to remove the burden of any thought that they have been less than dutiful to my memory by being where they'd rather be and doing what they'd rather do. For me to do otherwise would be to break the Golden Rule. Just to be contrarian, what if what they want to do is to gather and honor your memory? :)

SteveGus  - re: re:   |2009-11-22 02:29:12 holmegm wrote: Just to be contrarian, what if what they want to do is to gather and honor your memory? :) I probably won't be in much of a position to stop them. :)

holmegm  - re: re: re:   |2009-11-22 06:27:01 SteveGus wrote: I probably won't be in much of a position to stop them. :) :) good point

PerpetualAgnostic  - Not for you?   |2009-11-27 16:35:33 What if the funeral ceremony isn't for the benefit of the deceased's ego, but instead to give emotional closure to those who loved you?

SteveGus   |2009-11-29 01:27:40 My concern is instead for what's likely to be the majority of my survivors, whom I would prefer not to inconvenience by the likely unpredictable event of my death. If someone wants a ceremony, like I said, there isn't a whole lot I can do to stop them. I will go out of my way to say that no one has to be there, that no one should imagine that they're slighting my memory by being someplace they'd rather be.

Only registered users can write comments!

Powered by !JoomlaComment 3.20

3.20 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."