Funeral FAQs

Harmony Funeral Home offers funeral services tailored to your needs. Your package is crafted to give you everything you need with the flexibility to match your preferences and values. Your package typically includes:

• Guidance from licensed funeral staff
• Transfer of the deceased into the care of the Brooklyn funeral parlor
• Careful preparation for viewing, burial or cremation, according to your wishes
• Use of our comforting facilities for your viewing or ceremony
• A casket or cremation container, depending on your choice
• Help arranging religious or non-religious services
• All required paperwork, such as permits and death certificates
• Optional touches like memorial programs, guest books or video tributes

If the deceased has been cremated, donated their body to science or is being buried elsewhere, you may still hold a meaningful funeral service at Harmony Funeral Home without the body present. You may prefer a family gathering, as opposed to a full mourning service. Meaningful ways to honor your loved one include:

• A memorial service with photographs, flowers and shared memories
• A celebration of life that reflects your loved one’s personality and values
• Spiritual or cultural elements that align with your family’s traditions
• Thoughtful details, such as video slideshows, favorite music or symbolic rituals

A repast is a gathering you hold after the funeral or memorial service. Whether you hold it at Harmony Funeral Home, a restaurant, a religious facility or a banquet hall, the repast gives you and your loved ones time to share a meal, reflect and support one another in a more relaxed setting. This time together often includes personal touches, such as:

• Sharing a meal that brings family and friends together
• Telling stories or offering tributes in a relaxed environment
• Honoring religious or cultural traditions, such as prayers or blessings
• Creating space for comfort and healing through conversation and togetherness

A viewing is an option, even if you’ve chosen cremation. At Harmony Funeral Home, you can create a meaningful goodbye before the cremation takes place. You may choose options that include:

• A traditional viewing with the body present before cremation
• An open or closed casket visitation
• A private family goodbye before the cremation takes place
• A memorial service with the urn after cremation

The actual cremation process typically takes two to three hours. But the timeline from when the deceased arrives into the care of Harmony Funeral Home  to when the ashes are ready for return usually takes seven to 10 days. The cremation process includes:

• Securing the required permits and paperwork
• Coordinating with the funeral parlor’s crematory facility
• Completing the cremation
• Preparing and placing the ashes in the selected urn or a temporary receptacle for scattering

A clergy member isn’t required for a funeral unless it aligns with your family’s traditions. At Harmony Funeral Home, your service is shaped around your preferences, whether that includes a religious leader or not. You have options, including:

• Working with your own clergy member or spiritual advisor
• Asking the funeral home in Brooklyn to refer a trusted religious leader of your faith
• Choosing a non-religious or secular officiant
• Leading the ceremony yourself or having a family member speak

Harmony Funeral Home supports you in honoring your religious and cultural traditions, no matter what faith you follow. The experienced staff helps you arrange respectful, authentic services for a wide range of religions, including:

• Judaism, including Orthodox, liberal and Russian traditions
• Christianity, including Catholic, Protestant, evangelical Haitian and Orthodox
• Islam
• Hinduism
• Buddhism
• Other faiths practiced throughout Brooklyn’s diverse communities

When you’re planning a funeral, having the right documents on hand helps make the process smoother. At Harmony Funeral Home, the staff guides you step-by-step, but you must prepare a few essential items, such as:

• A copy of the death certificate
• The deceased’s full legal name, date of birth and Social Security number
• Burial or cremation instructions
• Military discharge papers (DD-214) if requesting veteran honors
• Photo ID and contact information of the next of kin or legal representative
• Pre-arrangement paperwork, if your loved one pre-planned their funeral
• Clothing or personal items for the viewing or burial
• Obituary information, such as life details and names of family

Harmony Funeral Home provides both local body transfers within the U.S. and international funeral shipping to destinations around the world. You receive full support with arrangements, such as:

• Transporting the deceased from the place of death to the funeral home in Brooklyn
• Transfers between locations for viewings, services or burial
• Document preparation required for international transport
• Coordination with the consulate, airline and receiving funeral home

Your first steps when a death occurs depends on the circumstances of the death. After the authorities have been notified, contact Harmony Funeral Home at 718-469-6666. The staff is available 24/7 to guide you through each stage. Most often, you must:

• Call 911 if the passing happens at home unexpectedly
• Notify the nurse if the deceased was under care at a hospital or hospice
• Make arrangements to transport the deceased to Harmony Funeral Home
• Gather important details, such as legal documents or identification
• Locating any existing funeral or pre-planning information

Harmony Funeral Home offers funeral financing and flexible payment plans to help ease the financial burden during a difficult time. If you’re concerned about costs, choose from options like:

• Short-term payment plans with no interest
• Third-party funeral financing partners with extended terms
• Pre-payment plans if you’re planning in advance
• Custom packages that fit your needs and budget

Harmony Funeral Home offers affordable funeral services with pricing options designed to ease your burden, not add to it. You have access to cost-conscious choices, such as:

• Direct cremation and burial packages with essential services
• Customizable funeral plans, based on your faith, culture or preferences
• Pre-planning services that allow you to lock in today’s prices

Harmony Funeral Home serves many Brooklyn communities, including:

• Flatbush
• Canarsie
• East Flatbush
• Crown Heights
• Midwood
• Marine Park
• Prospect Lefferts Gardens
• Kensington
• East New York
• Brownsville
• Ditmas Park
• Bedford-Stuyvesant