When a death occurs

Call us. We will take it from there.

Someone answers at any hour, including nights and weekends. You do not need to have decided anything before you ring, and there is no cost to ask.

Call (403) 382-3601 Contact us

A Generations funeral director waiting at the limousine door

What to do first

Who to call depends on where it happened.

Whichever applies, the call to us can wait until the step before it is done — and it can come at any hour.

If the death was expected, at home

Call the home care or palliative nurse first — they will attend and complete what they need to. Then call us and we will come, whatever the time. There is no rush to move your loved one; families often want to sit with them a while first, and that is entirely all right.

If the death was sudden or unexpected

Call 911 first. Emergency services and, where required, the Medical Examiner will take it from there. Once they have finished, call us and we will take over from that point.

If it happened in hospital or a care home

Tell the nursing staff that Generations is looking after the arrangements. They will contact us directly. You do not need to arrange transport yourself.

If it happened away from Lethbridge

Call us before arranging anything locally, wherever it happened — another province or another country. We will coordinate bringing your loved one home and handle the paperwork that involves.

The first call

Three things, and that is all.

Your loved one’s name
Where they are now
A number to reach you on

That is enough to bring them into our care. Everything else — the service, the casket or urn, the dates — waits until you have slept and your family is together. We will ask whether there are existing pre-arrangements, but nothing needs deciding on that call.

Our first meeting

What we go through together.

When we meet, the aim is to move from logistics to the person. Bring someone with you if that helps — most families do.

01
Costs, up front
You see every option and what it costs, in writing, before you decide anything. Nothing is added afterwards.
02
Burial or cremation
We will go through burial and cremation, and where the service is held — our chapel, a graveside, or somewhere that meant something to them.
03
The practical details
We will start drafting the obituary and coordinate the details — transportation, pallbearers, timings — so they are settled before the day.
04
What to bring
Bring photographs, keepsakes, or just the stories you find yourself telling. Small, ordinary details are usually what make a service feel like the person rather than a ceremony.

From the first phone call through to the weeks after the service, our job is to make sure your loved one’s story is told properly — and that your family is not left to work things out alone.