Home funerals cheaper, more intimate for some

AP , HONOLULU
Tuesday, May 11, 2004,Page 6

Some want to be remembered with lavish services, others want their remains launched into space. Bob Prater envisioned his passing in simpler terms: A funeral at home.

Very few Americans opt for funerals in their homes -- there's no firm number of how many, exactly -- but interest is growing as consumers yearn for a more personal way to bid their loved ones adieu, and are frustrated by sometimes high-priced, identical services.

"The primary focus is bringing the family into the whole thing," said Jerri Lyons, who is considered one of the pioneers of the home funeral movement. "It's making death intimate again."

Lyons' business, Home and Family Funerals, helps families coordinate services for their deceased. Her nonprofit organization, Final Passages, uses workshops and other methods -- including a recent workshop in Honolulu -- to spread the word about what she calls "one of the best-kept secrets in our country."

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