Obituaries

Veronica London
B: 1953-05-11
D: 2025-07-09
View Details
London, Veronica
Lonnie Wright
B: 1936-03-29
D: 2025-07-08
View Details
Wright, Lonnie
Charles Lane
B: 1945-10-09
D: 2025-07-08
View Details
Lane, Charles
Charles Jones
B: 1960-01-20
D: 2025-06-26
View Details
Jones, Charles
James Postell
B: 1933-09-20
D: 2025-06-25
View Details
Postell, James
Johnnie Mae Thompson
B: 1937-10-07
D: 2025-06-24
View Details
Thompson, Johnnie Mae
Walter Robinson
B: 1952-03-08
D: 2025-06-24
View Details
Robinson, Walter
Erma Gilliam
B: 1977-11-18
D: 2025-06-24
View Details
Gilliam, Erma
Charles Thompson Jr.
B: 1940-04-27
D: 2025-06-22
View Details
Thompson Jr., Charles
Jaedon Griffin
B: 2006-09-19
D: 2025-06-22
View Details
Griffin, Jaedon
Gregory Kellam
B: 1960-08-23
D: 2025-06-22
View Details
Kellam, Gregory
Alonzo Williams
B: 1940-11-11
D: 2025-06-21
View Details
Williams, Alonzo
Oliver Johnson
B: 1928-03-03
D: 2025-06-21
View Details
Johnson, Oliver
Janice (Wright) Odom
B: 1963-09-21
D: 2025-06-20
View Details
(Wright) Odom, Janice
Harold Coleman
B: 1928-12-15
D: 2025-06-15
View Details
Coleman, Harold
Rodney Shine
B: 1975-02-21
D: 2025-06-15
View Details
Shine, Rodney
Ola Fields
B: 1934-05-06
D: 2025-06-13
View Details
Fields, Ola
Gerald Joins
B: 1951-12-30
D: 2025-06-11
View Details
Joins, Gerald
Anthony Hickson
B: 1944-11-27
D: 2025-06-08
View Details
Hickson, Anthony
John Mason
B: 1946-06-13
D: 2025-06-03
View Details
Mason, John
Chauncey Barney
B: 1987-11-30
D: 2025-06-02
View Details
Barney, Chauncey

Search

Use the form above to find your loved one. You can search using the name of your loved one, or any family name for current or past services entrusted to our firm.

Click here to view all obituaries
Search Obituaries
4315 N. Main Street
Jacksonville, FL 32206
Phone: 904-765-1234
Fax: 904-765-1549

Obituaries & Tributes

It is not always possible to pay respects in person, so we hope that this small token will help.

Order Flowers

Offer a gift of comfort and beauty to a family suffering from loss.

What Is A Funeral? What Are Funeral Rites?

What is a funeral? What are funeral rites?All we need to do is say the word "funeral" and within microseconds, you have an image in your mind of what a funeral looks like. For many people, this image can be different! So what is a funeral exactly? What is the most common image that comes to mind? This mental image comes from many sources: the geographical place, culture and society in which we live; our faith; our life experience. Obviously then, a funeral service in Borneo would look very different from one held in Tanzania; there are even significant differences between the funerals held in ethnically and/or geographically diverse regions of North America.

Yet, despite the differences, these funeral services have much in common. We invite you to read further to learn the really simple answer to the question "what is a funeral?" We also answer "What is a cremation" as well. Should you have questions about what you read here, we encourage you to call us at 904-765-1234. One of our funeral professionals will be delighted to explore the commonalities behind the wide spectrum of funeral ceremonies seen around the world.

What is a Funeral? What are Funeral Rites?

No matter where it's held, a funeral is a structured ceremony, with a beginning, middle and end. Each is intended to engage the living participants in activities which will transform their status within the community, provide mourners with a collective grieving experience, and celebrate a life lived. It's a socially-acceptable way for members of a community to re-affirm and express their social attachments.

What are funeral rites? Anthropologists label funeral rites and a funeral as a rite of passage, which affects everyone involved–including the deceased. His or her social status changes dramatically, from a living contributing member of the community to one whose contributions are in the past, and relegated to memory. But the status of each of the survivors– the immediate family most especially– has also changed. In fact, the funeral service can be the start of a defined period of mourning for bereaved family members, marking this transition in a uniquely identifiable way. 

It could be said then, the focus of a funeral - no matter where, no matter when - lies in acknowledging change. And without doubt, human beings (as individuals and as a community) have trouble dealing with profound changes like the death of an integral member of the group. When you take this perspective, it becomes easier to understand the importance of ceremonially acknowledging the tear in the social fabric and the symbolic restoration of its integrity.

Funeral Services in Our Area

For families and individuals living in this region (as elsewhere in the nation), a funeral service can mean many things. Some fall back on what is commonly called a "traditional funeral"; others see that same traditional service as an emotionally unfulfilling event. Fortunately, thanks to a number of unique social forces, there are alternatives. Today, end-of-life commemorative services range from the traditional funeral, to a memorial service and the increasingly popular celebrations-of-life. If you have yet to realize the immense value of such a collective acknowledgement of loss, reach out to us. Call 904-765-1234 to speak with one of our experienced funeral service professionals.


Sources:  
Huntington, Richard and Peter Metcalf, Celebrations of Death: The Anthropology of Mortuary Ritual, Cambridge University Press, 1979.