Frequent Questions

A funeral or memorial service provides an opportunity for the living to show respect for the deceased and pay tribute to their life. It provides a framework to freely and openly express our beliefs, feelings, and thoughts about the death of our loved one. It gives us permission to grieve our loss, share in solidarity, and gain strength from others who are experiencing the same loss.

Yes, cremation or burial is merely the disposition of the body. Funeral services are to honor and remember your loved one, regardless of disposition.

Pre-arranging funeral services can be done regardless of the final disposition. Pre-arranging is simply recording your wishes with the funeral home and prefunding if you choose to do so.

Yes – While there are no federal or state laws that require a burial vault or outer burial container in a cemetery. However, the Virginia Code does permit cemeteries to require them as a part of their rules or policies (not law). Forest Hills and all other area Perpetual Care cemeteries in the area do require burial vaults. Why?  It protects the casket from the weight of the earth and heavy maintenance equipment that will pass over the grave. It also helps preserve the beauty of the cemetery or memorial park by preventing the ground from settling.

No – you are only purchasing the interment right to the grave or space you select. All cemeteries retain all legal ownership of the real property.

Bronze, a semi-precious metal, is made up of 87% Copper, 10% Tin, and trace elements of lead, zinc, and other elements that provide a permanent way to customize and memorialize a life lived.

Bronze memorials are still cast individually, based on the design of each family. Once completed, each memorial is finished with a background color and has a protective coating. The entire process once a design is approved takes from 8-12 weeks. There are about 27 individuals that touch each bronze memorial until its completion.

This coating is guaranteed to last for about 10 years, but depending on weather and the environment could last even longer with proper care and maintenance.

Although many families love the newly finished memorial, the protective coating is not permanent. It is not meant to be so. Unlike other metals, the color of bronze most highly prized is not its original color, but the rich, natural patina that only weathering and age can bring. * Think of the Statue of Liberty. It is made from bronze, and it too has aged and turned green (patina)

The natural finish, or patina, of course, is a protective coating formed by nature when the manufacturer’s coating weathers away. It is not a film of color on the bronze, but part of the bronze Itself.

Bronze memorials can be refinished (restored) but at the owner’s expense. The process takes about 2-3 months and unfortunately, the same patina process will start all over again.

Call our office for details and let us answer your questions.

No – please see our Flower Decoration policy on this website. Contact the office if you have any questions.