Cli - Wedmesday, May 4, 1983 - North Shore News SEVERAL YEARS ago I wrote ae column entitled “But If Death Should Occur...” By request it is being reprinted but com- pletely updated. I went through the original, shredding and re- organizing. For any readers who have kept the old one for reference, here ts the new version: One of the last things we want to think about when planning a holiday is death. We are all sure that this is something that happens to someone else but certainly not to you or me. Or does it? Jim Darby is the Vice- President of First Memorial Services of British Columbia. He has the added advantage of being a friend, a neighbor and a busy figure in our local Little League Baseball. We got down to business late one evening at my kitchen table and explored the sensible approach to a sensitive problem. Let's say you are enjoying a holiday in Bongo-Bongo with a friend (spouse, relative or —). Without warming your companion falls dead. What do you do? First, a death certificate must be obtained from the local authorities. For most purposes, this must be issued by a doctor. Perhaps not as easy as it sounds! Often, doctors don’t want to be called odd hours in cases where there is nothing they can do. If possible, avoid making any final diagnosis yourself. Call a doctor, but don't bother to tell him your companion 1s, you think, dead Next, and ths is probably the most important move for you to make, call home Not just to relatives but to a local mortuary that you know and (rust Gneving people are fair game for unscrupulous operators anywhere = and there is a large profit to be made in this business. Your local funeral home will be able to advise you on foreign regulations. alternate procedures and, with a calm helping of good sense, keep you out of the clutches of soundecets Your allernalives are RENO BUSES Special fr > 109 abl DISNEYLAND BUS dep May 20 tr $279 12 & under RENO AIR 3or 4 nites LAS VEGAS AIR Travel - wise Ss b y Barba ra McCreadie simple: 1.You can arrange for local burial immediately. In some places this is a_ legal necessity. A director of the B.C. Memorial Services died in the Cook islands. By local law his widow was forced to have him buried within 24 hours. 2.You can arange for local cremation and dispose of the ashes at the site or brng them home. 3.You may choose to bong the body home. In any case, a memonal service can be conducted when you return home. If you are bringing the body home a traditional funeral can be performed. Ashes are easily tran- sported in your hand baggage or im a= proper container in a baggage compartment of an airliner. This alternative is recom- mended in view of cost. Shipping a body home 1s expensive The arrangements at the point of death include a= mortuary where you will be charged for documentation, em balming, use of the facilities and transportation to the air- port You will also be charged for a casket or ‘and container for shipping the remains. Next comes the airfare. To be blunt, the airlines charge by the pound. An average sized man, in a moderate coffin, will cost about $1040 to ship from Heathrow airport in London to Van- couver by Air Canada. CPAir will return your friend for approximately $340 from Hawaii. Some airlines, including Wardair, will ship the remains home free if you’ve purchased your ticket from them. Local regulations govern the style of container that ts suitable for shipping remains. Jim advises the purchase should be made in terms of weight. Overrule the insistant salesman in the foreign mortuary and be fi about the lightest possible container. Those beautiful oak coffins weigh over 200 pounds, require a_ larger outer cover and will probably cost you a darn sight more in Las Vegas than they will at home. This ts where confirming’ the regulations here can save you money. Don't accept any stones about lead-lined coffins or other expensive luxunes until you check. Nearly all countries insist that the remains be either embalmed OR shipped in a sealed coffin. Embalming an inexpensive con- tainer may be the most financially sound move. Some of your best advice may come from the Canadian Consulate in the country where the death occurred. Remember, if there 1s no Canadian Con- sulate, the British will lend a hand. Often people with ex- tended insurance think that death benefit payments must be applied to the arrangements for the vicam Wrong. Resort operators are “FExpenenced in the way of making money when people dic says Darby If they know that a big sum of money ts available, they'll gladly help you spend the Elegance For Your Purse The unique poertume atomizer Compact soll pore Makes an ox otent gift Wide vanoty An update on death lot. I checked out the cheapest coffin offered by the Memorial Society, an inexpensive cloth casket at $210, and felt that I'd be cheating if I bought 11. “Nonsense. You're per- fectly normal. We all feel tht way but it’s perfectly ac- ceptable. Lf it happens, keep your Common sense.” Jim went on to tell me that several times a year he receives a call from a foreign mortuary to meet a flight and take charge of the remains. No other in- formation. When the casket arrives, he knows that the family has been manouvered into buying something far outside their means. He addd_ that bereaved arrive many on the ty LY 2,249 LIMIT 2 CITNS PER CUSTOMER Mine. b 9:30to 11:00 DOOR CRASHER CANVAS TENSION CHAIR Floral Patterns > reg $7 97 LIMIT 4 PER CUSTOMER 7 Plece Cook Ware Set Ever Heat Alum Cast 97 reg $26 00 1 set UMIT 2 PER CUSTOMER 4’’ Pot Flowering Plants Geraniums. Mums $ 4 49 ea Begonias Special Buy Horizontal 9:30 to 11:00 DOOR CRASHER | ‘CANADIAN BRAND CIGARETTES Regular & King Size $597 premises zonked on tranquilizers or liquor. You may think that you need a “crutch” but the worst time to take it is when you're about to be hit with a $5000 bill in some remote place. Whenever possible, your local operator deal directly with the foreign firm. 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