When Someone Dies

FAQs

Nothing quite prepares us for the eventuality of a death in our family.We may find ourselves in a state of confusion, panic and utter helplessness.This page serves as a guide to standard procedures practices followed when a death occurs in Sri Lanka.

Helpful Links

  • Registration of Deaths (Government Information Centre)
  • Government Hospitals in Sri Lanka (Lanka Connections with phone numbers)
  • Sri Lanka Police
  • Nearest MOH and Grama Niladhari (Government Information Centre)
  • Death Certificates (Sri Lanka Medical Council )

Note: These links will be redirected to third party websites.

What should I do first when someone dies?

What you must do immediately and in the first few days after someone dies depends on where the death took place.

When death occurs at home

01. Contact your family doctor

[a] .Your doctor should be in a position to certify the death by issuing a Doctors certificate of death

[b] .If the doctor is not in a position to issue this certificate, he will have to say so. You will have to then contact your local police, who after taking down your statement will accompany the remains to the nearest hospital.

02. Register the death

Once the doctor has issued the doctors certificate of death you should take this to the REGISTRAR FOR DEATHS in your area. After taking down the relevant particulars (i.e. the deceased parents names place of burial or cremation etc.) he will issue you with a REGISTRAR'S CERTIFICATE OF DEATH also known as THE DEATH CERTIFICATE. This permits you to proceed with the Funeral arrangements.

03. Contact your funeral director

Once you have obtained the death certificate you could call your funeral director who would then remove the remains and proceed with making the arrangements for the funeral.

01. OBTAIN THE DOCTORS CERTIFICATE OF DEATH

[a]. This will be issued by the doctor in charge of the ward in which the death has taken place, and could be collected from ward or the Inquiry Office of the hospital.
Note : The deceased's name on the certificate will be as given at the point of admission to the hospital. The certificate will be handed over to the person who made the admission.

[b]. If the ward doctor is unable to give a cause of death i.e. if the patient died on admission, he will refer it to coroner, who, if unable to ascertain the cause of death will in turn refer it to the Judicial Medical Officer of the hospital for a post-mortem. Followed by an inquest after which the Coroner will issue an Inquirers Certificate of death form.

02. THE INQUIRERS CERTIFICATE OF DEATH FORM

[a]. This form is valid for funeral arrangements to proceed.

[b]. In an event of a cremation it is important to inform the coroner that cremation is intended as it would have to be stated in the Inquirers Certificate of Death.
Note : It is a CERTIFIED COPY of the REGISTRAR'S CERTIFICATE OF DEATH that will be needed for any Bank or Legal formalities. This certificate could be obtained from the Registrar's office after about one week.

01. If unable to obtain a Doctors Certificate of Death, inform the nearest Police station and have the remains removed to the nearest Government Hospital.

02. Formalities will follow as "WHEN DEATH OCCURS IN A GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL"

GENERAL NOTES -

[a] .When registering a death It is always advisable to apply for copies of Registrars Certificate of Death as this assists in all Bank and Legal Formalities.

[b]. What has been stated here are general rules and regulations that exist at the moment. They are correct for the majority of cases but may vary depending on the hospital, the cause and circumstance of death.

How can A.F. Raymond help?

We understand The loss of a loved one and the funeral that follows is one of the most personal occasions a family can experience. We at AF Raymond understand this, and believe it is our duty to advice and guide you through the many decisions you would have to make during this time.

Tailored funeral arrangements & additional services.

Nothing is either too big or too small for us in our endeavor to carry out your every wish with regards to the funeral service. Our reputation for being able to tailor the funeral ceremony to exact needs is one of the many reasons why families have chosen us over our competitors.

Available 24-7 365 days a year.

Please know that we are here to serve you at your time of need. We go beyond our call of duty to guide you on ANY matter you may require at this time of need. Whether it be information on locating your Registrar's office, or any procedures which need to be followed. If it is not an area within our expertise, we will do our best to refer you to relevant experts and points of information.

Contact us at any time

Death of foreign nationals

When a loved one passes away in Sri Lanka, the best place for their final goodbye could be here or in their country of birth. With our wealth of experience over 130 years, there is almost no country we haven't dealt with before. All it takes is a phone call to start the process.

Find out more

Obituary notices.

Register to receive obituary notices via email or SMS. You can also look up notices listed on our site.

Find out more

Watch funeral ceremony online.

if you are unable to attend the funeral ceremony as you are overseas or for any other reason, you can now view the funeral webcast through YouTube, if the family has requested this service.

Plan your funeral ahead of time.

It makes good practical and financial sense.

Find out more

Funeral Etiquette

Should I attend?

Only you know how much you cared for the diseased, and therefore a personal decision you should make. It could become a time for people to express their love and respect to the deceased and to get some personal closure and healing.

A bereaved family would rarely have time to invite you. In most instances, the funeral notice, or obituary, would be in the newspapers or in social media which would be your invitation to attend the funeral.

Simply offer your sympathy of condolences. In the instance of a close friends' or relatives' bereavement, sometimes words wouldn't even be needed.

No. You could phone a close member of the famiy, or a close friend of the family, but the family would be under too much emotional stress to answer calls.

Yes, you may, but please don't expect an immediate reply or acknowledgement until the family has had time to recover from its loss.

This is an acceptable tradition, unless the family has specified that there would be no flowers. Some families choose this option and ask for donations to be made to the deceased favourite charity.

In general, white of pale coloured flowers are acceptable - but even red roses could be sent, to symbolise deep love for the deceased.

As a rule of thumb, no meats are served to the bereaved family. Some traditions approve the serving of dried fish, but again, this depends on the family of the deceased.

There is no reason why a child could not attend a funeral. Toddlers could not be able to grasp the concept of bereavement, and should not be expected to.

This is upto the family; If the deceased is a parent or grand parent, the answer woud be no. Funerals offer a sence of closure which is very important to everyone, no matter what their age is.

Cemetery Etiquette

01. Ensure children are in their best behaviour

02. Do your best to not walk over the graves

03. Follow cemetery rules.

04. Don't litter.

05. Don't drive on the grass.

06. Speak softly and don't use offensive language.

07. Don't be overly friendly when talking to strangers as they may want to be alone.

08. Don't touch any monuments or gravestones.

09. Don't take photos of other people or other funerals.

Religious Customs at Funerals

Buddhism

What to wear

White or pastel colours. Black is also accepted, though red and other bright colours are not acceptable.

Cremation / Burial

Usually cremation. Four nephews of the deceased set fire to cremate the remains.

Gender specifics

None

Gathering after funeral

Family and friends gather to share condolences and reflect on the deceased’s life.

How to assist the bereaved

Offer practical and emotional support to the grieving family. Assist with funeral arrangements or provide meals.

How to pay respects to deceased

Guests are expected to view the casket and bow slightly toward it.

Timeline

Funeral usually takes place within a week after death. Usually not held on Tuesdays or Full moon Poya days.

Handling & displaying remains

A lamp is usually constantly lit throughout the funeral. Windows & doors are kept open throughout, and the body is never left unattended.

Special rituals prior to cremation/ burial

On the 7th day after the death, a Buddhist sermon is conducted at the home of the deceased, followed by dinner for all those attending.On the following an alms giving is held at the same premises or at a designated temple.Attendance at these events is usually by invitation only.

Other

None

What to wear

White or Black or pastel colours are perfectly acceptable.

Cremation / Burial

Burials are more common for Christian funerals than cremations and there are no gender specific rituals to be followed. All Catholic or Christian funerals will feature a prayer service that should be followed as a mark of respect to the deceased and the bereaved family.

Gender specifics

None

Gathering after funeral

Catholics and Christians gather after the funeral to have a "wake", which celebrates the life of the deceased. The food and drink served are completely upto the family and their preferances.

How to assist the bereaved

None

How to pay respects to deceased

Guests are expected to view the casket and bow slightly toward it, offering a prayer if you are a Catholic or Christian.

Timeline

Funeral usually takes place within a week after death. Usually funerals are not held on Fridays, Tuesdays or Full Moon Poya days.

Handling & displaying remains

A lamp is usually constantly lit throughout the funeral and infront of a picture of the deceased for a week after the burial or cremation. Windows and doors are kept open throughout the period if the body is taken home and the body is never left unattended.

Special rituals prior to cremation/ burial

On the 7th day after the death, service is conducted at the home of the deceased, followed by a meal for all those attending. An alms giving is held generally at a home for the aged, of home for incurables, or any other charity decided by the family. This is generally a private ceremony.

Other

None

What to wear

White is the prefered colour is is to be worn my the family and close relatives. Pastel colours are perfectly acceptable to be worn by other participants.

Cremation / Burial

Cremations are all but compulsary for Hindu Funerals. The pyre has to be lit by the eldest male relative of the deceased, who has to transverse the pure seven times clockwise seven times, with the sacred flame held overhead. These rituals will be overseen by the Ayaar (a priest from the Hindu temple).

Gender specifics

None

Gathering after funeral

Traditionally, Hindu ceremonies end at the cremation, but these days, family and friends gather to share condolences and reflect on the deceased’s life.

How to assist the bereaved

Offer practical and emotional support to the grieving family. Assist with funeral arrangements or provide meals.

How to pay respects to deceased

Guests are expected to view the casket and bow slightly toward it, offering a prayer if you are a Catholic or Christian.

Timeline

Funeral usually takes place within a week after death. Usually funerals are not held on Thursdays and Tuesdays.

Handling & displaying remains

A lamp is usually constantly lit throughout the funeral and infront of a picture of the deceased for a week after the burial or cremation. Windows and doors are kept open throughout the period if the body is taken home and the body is never left unattended.

Special rituals prior to cremation/ burial

On the 7th day after the death, a Buddhist sermon is conducted at the home of the deceased, followed by dinner for all those attending.On the following an alms giving is held at the same premises or at a designated temple.Attendance at these events is usually by invitation only.

Other

None