BUSINESS NOT AS
USUAL
If you happen to harbor some
reservations about crossing the threshold… of a funeral home, that is, try
following in the footsteps of two funeral directors who took the road less
traveled – to an office park.
Perhaps the Corporate Square, Suite 1 address of Legacy Options LLC
hints at their unconventional undertaking, which was launched in April 2013.
A vision for an alternative
approach to funeral care materialized when Michael Whyte and Glenn Witzenburg
partnered to operate a “funeral home without a funeral home.” That is, fundamental operations are
streamlined in the compact quarters of a basic office building. It encompasses crematory,
refrigeration, preparation, and identification viewing rooms, as well as a
reception area and arrangement room where
merchandise is on display.
Items on two categorized
price lists vary according to preferences for either cremation or funeral
activities. A number of casket
selections are available and can be seen at: http://www.legacyoptionsllc.com/Caskets_Photos_997389.html
Without function rooms for
visitations and funeral or memorial services, this is not a typical funeral
home. Instead, for such gatherings
clients are encouraged to choose facilities in the community, faith-based or
otherwise, that either have had significance during the life of the decedent or
ones that are simply tranquil or beautiful places for a life celebration.
Picture a wedding ceremony at a botanical garden or zoo and then imagine a
memorial service in the same setting. Butterfly and dove releases enhance the effects.
The premise of the business
model for this “Remembrance of Life” enterprise is that lower overhead
purportedly enables more affordable pricing, while allowing families to
experience more memorable and personalized commemorations outside the confines
and constraints of traditional funerary settings.
Those who adopt this
approach are expected to comply with a commitment to make monetary
contributions to the non-profit facilities where their events are held. This “Care Sharing” strategy bespeaks
the owners’ mantra of giving back to the community. The arrangement, dubbed "cashiering," can be a convenient substitute in lieu of floral gifts to the family.
So if you seek distinctive
or unconventional surroundings for a memorial tribute, you may be able to ride a wave of deviations from the norm.
Legacy Options WEBSITE
