When someone you love passes away, there may be a moment when somebody asks:
“What kind of funeral would they have wanted?”
And sometimes nobody knows.
Perhaps you never talked about it.
Maybe you knew whether they preferred burial or cremation, but nothing beyond that.
Or perhaps different members of the family remember completely different conversations.
If that is where your family finds itself, please know this:
You do not need to arrive at the funeral home with the funeral already planned.
That is what we are here to help you work through.
At Fitzgerald’s Funerals, our role is to listen, explain the choices available and help your family create a farewell that feels appropriate for the person you knew and loved.
Start With the Person, Not the Funeral
Rather than beginning with:
“What are funerals supposed to include?”
try beginning somewhere more familiar.
Tell us about them.
Were they quiet and private, or somebody who knew half of Townsville?
Did they have a strong faith?
Would they have wanted something traditional?
Were they happiest outdoors?
What music did they love?
Did they enjoy being the centre of attention, or would the thought have horrified them?
These conversations help us understand the person behind the funeral.
And from there, the shape of the farewell can begin to emerge.
What Are Our Funeral Options?
Fitzgerald’s Funerals provides families with a number of different funeral choices, including full funeral services, graveside services, cremation-only arrangements, memorial services, celebrations of life and dual services.
Those names can sound like categories on a page.
But what matters is what each option could mean for your family.
A Full Funeral Service
A full funeral service allows family and friends to gather with the coffin present.
It might take place in a chapel, church or another meaningful venue.
There can be music, readings, photographs, a eulogy and contributions from family and friends.
But it doesn’t need to follow a rigid formula.
The service can be shaped around the person being remembered.
A Graveside Service
For some families, simplicity feels right.
A graveside funeral takes place at the cemetery and can provide a quieter, more intimate way to say goodbye.
It may suit someone who never wanted a large funeral, or a family that wants the farewell and burial to happen together in one place.
A Memorial Service
A memorial service is held without the coffin present and can take place before or after burial or cremation.
This can provide families with greater flexibility around timing and location, particularly when relatives need to travel to Townsville.
A Celebration of Life
Some families don’t imagine their loved one’s farewell feeling particularly formal.
They want stories.
Favourite songs.
Photographs.
Perhaps even plenty of laughter amongst the tears.
A celebration of life can provide a more personalised approach centred around storytelling, music and memories.
For the right person, that can feel much more like them.
Direct Cremation
Some people simply did not want a funeral service.
A cremation-only, or direct cremation, provides for a private cremation without a funeral ceremony.
Families may choose to remember their loved one privately or arrange a memorial gathering at another time.
What if Different Family Members Want Different Things?
This happens.
One person may want a traditional funeral.
Another may say:
“Mum would have hated all that fuss.”
Someone else may desperately want an opportunity to speak.
Instead of immediately debating the format, return to the person.
Ask:
What mattered to them?
What would feel respectful?
What does our family need in order to say goodbye?
Sometimes the answer sits somewhere between everyone’s first suggestion.
The funeral directors at Fitzgerald’s Funerals can help guide those conversations without telling your family what the funeral should be.
Personal Details Can Change Everything
Personalisation doesn’t necessarily mean doing something elaborate.
Sometimes the smallest details carry the most meaning.
The song Dad always played too loudly.
Mum’s favourite flowers.
Photographs from family holidays.
A reading from a grandchild.
A sporting jersey.
A story everybody in the family knows.
Fitzgerald’s Funerals can help families incorporate meaningful elements into the farewell so that the service reflects the individual being remembered.
Those details help transform a funeral from simply a ceremony into their farewell.
You Don’t Need All the Answers
Fitzgerald’s Funerals has supported Townsville families since 1997 and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week from 7 Yeatman Street, Hyde Park, Townsville.
If you don’t know what kind of funeral your loved one would have wanted, don’t feel that you have somehow missed something important.
Come and talk with us.
Tell us who they were.
Tell us what you know.
Tell us what you’re unsure about.
We can help you work out the rest together.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of funerals does Fitzgerald’s Funerals offer in Townsville?
Options include full funeral services, graveside services, direct cremation, memorial services, celebrations of life and dual services.
What if our loved one didn’t leave funeral instructions?
You can still create a meaningful farewell. A funeral director can help you consider their personality, beliefs, values and your family’s needs.
Can we personalise a funeral?
Yes. Music, readings, photographs, tributes and other meaningful details can be incorporated into a funeral.
Does a funeral have to be held in a chapel?
No. Depending on the type of service and arrangements required, there are different venue options that families can consider.
Can we have a funeral at the cemetery?
Yes. Fitzgerald’s Funerals offers graveside funeral services.
What is a memorial service?
A memorial service is a ceremony held without the coffin present and may take place separately from the burial or cremation.
Can relatives who live away participate?
Fitzgerald’s Funerals offers funeral livestreaming, helping family and friends who cannot attend in person remain connected with the farewell.
Where is Fitzgerald’s Funerals in Townsville?
Fitzgerald’s Funerals is located at 7 Yeatman Street, Hyde Park, Townsville QLD 4810.