What to do when a loved one dies in New Jersey

The first calls

• At home, under hospice care. Call the hospice nurse, not 911. The nurse comes to the home, confirms the death, and notifies the doctor. Then call the funeral home.
• At home, unexpectedly. Call 911. The police and sometimes the medical examiner must attend before your loved one can be moved. Call the funeral home once they have finished.
• In a hospital or nursing home. The staff confirm the death and will ask which funeral home to release your loved one to. You only need to give them our name and call us.

We answer the phone at any hour: (551) 997-8400. You do not need to have anything prepared or decided.

If your family is Buddhist

Many Buddhist families wish to chant beside their loved one for some hours before the body is moved. Tell the hospice nurse or hospital staff, and tell us when you call. At home this is usually possible. In a hospital or care facility it depends on their rules, and we will ask on your behalf and time our arrival around the chanting where the facility allows.

What happens when the funeral home arrives

We bring your loved one into our care and arrange a time to meet, in person or by phone, in English or Chinese. In New Jersey a licensed funeral director files the death certificate and obtains the permits for burial, cremation, or transport, so the family does not deal with a government office in the first days. The doctor or medical examiner completes the medical part of the certificate.

What to gather before we meet

For the death certificate and the arrangements, it helps to have:

• Full legal name as on the passport or ID, and the name in Chinese characters
• Date and place of birth, and Social Security number
• Parents’ names, including the mother’s name before marriage
• Marital status and the spouse’s name
• Occupation and highest level of education
• Military discharge papers, if a veteran
• Any pre-arrangement, cemetery deed, or columbarium paperwork
• A clear photograph for the portrait, and the clothing your loved one will wear

If something on this list cannot be found, come anyway. Most of it can follow.

The decisions, in order

You do not have to decide everything at once. The usual order is:

1. Burial or cremation. In New Jersey a cremation cannot take place until at least 24 hours after death, and it needs written authorization from the next of kin.
2. The rites. Buddhist, Taoist, Christian, or non-religious, and which temple, church, or clergy to contact.
3. The dates. If your family consults the almanac or an advisor, we arrange the chapel and the cemetery or crematory around the day chosen.
4. The place of rest. A cemetery, a columbarium, a temple, or a return to the hometown.
5. The details. The casket or urn, flowers, the obituary, and how many guests to expect.

We explain every option and its cost before you choose, and give you our written price list.

Death certificates

Certified copies of the death certificate are needed to close bank accounts, claim insurance and pensions, transfer property and vehicles, and settle the estate. We order them for you from the registrar of the town where the death occurred. Families commonly need between five and ten copies, and more if there are accounts or property overseas, where an authenticated copy and a translation are usually required.

People to tell in the first week

• Close relatives here and abroad, and the temple or church
• The employer, if your loved one was working
• The landlord, or the mortgage and home insurance companies
• Banks, pension providers, and life insurance companies
• Social Security. The funeral home reports the death, but benefits to a surviving spouse are claimed by the family.

Legal and financial questions, such as probate and taxes, belong with an attorney or accountant. We can tell you which documents they are likely to ask for.

Last reviewed October 2026 by Wah On Funeral Home.