Obituaries

Phyllis Harrison
B: 1953-05-22
D: 2024-03-14
View Details
Harrison, Phyllis
Erika Lee Painter
B: 1987-02-10
D: 2024-03-06
View Details
Lee Painter, Erika
Tony Clifton
B: 1968-07-08
D: 2024-03-12
View Details
Clifton, Tony
Beverly Mitchell
B: 1959-04-04
D: 2024-03-08
View Details
Mitchell, Beverly
Hilda McNeely
B: 1938-04-29
D: 2024-03-02
View Details
McNeely, Hilda
Edward Kerbo
B: 1959-09-01
D: 2024-02-24
View Details
Kerbo, Edward
Marcus Fauntleroy
B: 1986-11-21
D: 2024-02-15
View Details
Fauntleroy, Marcus
Theron Bumpers
B: 1942-01-22
D: 2024-02-28
View Details
Bumpers, Theron
Robert Sessoms
B: 1951-01-26
D: 2024-03-01
View Details
Sessoms, Robert
Dorothy Butler
B: 1925-06-21
D: 2024-02-22
View Details
Butler, Dorothy
Jonathan Willis
B: 1962-08-31
D: 2024-01-30
View Details
Willis, Jonathan
Arthella DeBerry
B: 1929-11-29
D: 2024-02-17
View Details
DeBerry, Arthella
Ernest Marshall
B: 1951-03-14
D: 2024-02-21
View Details
Marshall, Ernest
Flora Hyman
B: 1932-03-30
D: 2024-02-19
View Details
Hyman, Flora
Stanley Hester
B: 1942-01-30
D: 2024-02-15
View Details
Hester, Stanley
Dorothy Davis
B: 1947-07-08
D: 2024-02-12
View Details
Davis, Dorothy
Alphonso Thompson
B: 1951-11-22
D: 2024-02-16
View Details
Thompson, Alphonso
Clarence Gray
B: 1954-08-22
D: 2024-02-08
View Details
Gray, Clarence
McKinley Mitchell
B: 1944-10-14
D: 2024-02-05
View Details
Mitchell, McKinley
Phenix Sumner
B: 1962-04-23
D: 2024-02-04
View Details
Sumner, Phenix
Nannie Watson
B: 1930-11-09
D: 2024-02-10
View Details
Watson, Nannie

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
1631 Church Street
NORFOLK, VA 23504
Phone: 757-622-1085
Fax: 757-624-1508

What is a Funeral?

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. 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?" Should you have questions about what you read here, we encourage you to call us at 757-622-1085. One of our funeral professionals will be delighted to explore the commonalities behind the wide spectrum of funeral ceremonies seen around the world.

What Makes a Funeral?

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, and provide mourners with a collective grieving experience. It's a socially-acceptable way for members of a community to re-affirm and express their social attachments.

Anthropologists label 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 that "traditional" format, 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 757-622-1085 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.


 

365 Days of Healing

Grieving doesn't always end with the funeral: subscribe to our free daily grief support email program, designed to help you a little bit every day, by filling out the form below.

52 Weeks of Support

It's hard to know what to say when someone experiences loss. Our free weekly newsletter provides insights, quotes and messages on how to help during the first year.