There are few things in life more traumatic than the death of a family member. Most people are not totally prepared to know exactly what should be done or the sequence to do them in. This section will offer some thoughts on what to do.

If a seizure or accident or foul play occurs…call 911 immediately! Give the address of the scene, telephone number you are at, name of the victim, your name and any other pertinent information. The 911 dispatcher will determine the appropriate steps to take, depending upon the situation.

If the victim had been under a physician's care the police will contact the physician for confirmation prior to the deceased being released to the funeral home. In the event that the deceased was not under the care of a physician, the police will notify the Medical Examiner for instructions prior to the remains being released. However, many times it only requires that the Medical Examiner check with a former physician and the family before a release is approved. We then can take charge of the deceased for transfer to the funeral home.

Regardless of when and where a death occurs, the family should call us as soon as possible. Our telephone is answered by a member of our full time staff at all times, 24 hours every day. Many times we can offer help, suggestions or answer questions to relieve anxiety. We will ask some specific questions, such as the name of the deceased, the place of death, the name of the person calling, their relation to the deceased, their phone number and any other information they would like to provide. If you want to tell us about any service that you desire or information that you need, we will help in any way possible. Finally, we will set up a convenient time for an appointment to complete all arrangements.

When a death occurs in a hospital or nursing home, there is little the family needs to do immediately, except to call us. The medical staff at the healthcare facility will pronounce the death. We will be in contact with the facility about releasing the deceased to us. Although some healthcare facilities will call the funeral home on behalf of the family, this is the exception rather than the rule. They may encounter another emergency or patient need that delays notification. To be safe, it is best that the family calls us directly.

Many people with a debilitating terminal illness want to die at home in more familiar surroundings with family close by. When a death occurs outside of a healthcare facility, the first step would be to call the attending physician who cared for the individual or the hospice or visiting registered nurse in charge. One of them must come to the home to pronounce the death. If neither of them can come, then the 911 dispatcher must be notified. The dispatcher will have the paramedics and police respond to the home. Once the pronouncement has been made, no matter what time of day, we will come to the home to take charge of the deceased. Once you have called the physician, your next call should be to us. Let us be of help.

Wherever the death occurs, call Hollomon-Brown immediately. There is no need to call an unknown funeral director in a place that you might be unfamiliar with. When you call us, we will ask a few questions necessary to take charge and then we will make the necessary arrangements, acting as your agent, to have the deceased returned to Hampton Roads. We are members of a network of independent funeral homes across the country. We will handle all of the details and arrange transportation. When we act as your agent, you only have to deal with someone you know. All costs are billed on one statement and the funeral home that we select will act as our agent in handling the preparation for shipment.

Only if you plan to have services or visitation in the town where the death occurred and you know a local funeral home, should you call them directly. We will certainly cooperate with them for transportation and services locally.

If a family member dies while traveling outside the United States, the U.S. Embassy will come to your assistance. You should call us as soon as possible, so that we can be of assistance. We will assist you and the Embassy for returning the deceased to the United States.

For people that travel frequently, we recommend that you enroll in the Fortis Family Travel Plan that is available through our funeral home. This plan would provide coverage for when the death occurs more than 100 miles or more away from your legal residence. For more information, please click on Travel Protection Plan.

Many times an elderly person will move out-of-town to be with a family member, but they still desire to be returned "home" for funeral services. We frequently meet with the family prior to the move to plan for an eventuality. We begin the process of gathering information and discussing services. In this way, the family is not overwhelmed or unprepared at the time of death. Everyone knows what to do and who will do it. To begin the process, simply give us a call. We will be glad to meet with you to record your requests and keep them on file.