Debaptiste Funeral Home In West Chester Pennsylvania (2025)

FAQs

Can you have food at a funeral home in PA? ›

A food may not be served to the public in any part of a funeral establishment. Nonalcoholic beverages may be served in an area approved by the Board. A funeral director or employe shall take the proper steps for personal sanitation before serving or dispensing a permitted beverage to the public.

Once a funeral home has picked up the body and brought it to their facility, they will then clean and dress and/or shroud the body. Afterward, the body will be placed in refrigeration to keep it cool until the day of burial, at which point the body will be transported to the burial site.

"The original Kirk & Nice funeral home opened in Philadelphia over 250 years ago, and is America's oldest funeral home. Relocating to the grounds of George Washington Memorial Park in 1999, Kirk & Nice Inc. continues providing quality service to Philadelphia and surrounding region."

--If there is not a surviving spouse, absent an allegation of enduring estrangement, incompetence, contrary intent or waiver and agreement which is proven by clear and convincing evidence, the next of kin shall have sole authority in all matters pertaining to the disposition of the remains of the decedent.

The cost of the repast is usually covered by the loved one's family, though a fraternity or sorority group, Sunday school class, trade union or other group your loved one belonged to might sponsor the repast as a gift to the family.

Leaving food at the wake helps the deceased stay well-fed in the afterlife. So, mourners who bring take-home food from the wake will either bring bad luck with them or be followed home by the dead.

What's the Average Time a Funeral Home Holds a Body? Between the time of death and the funeral service, most bodies remain in a funeral home between 3 and 7 days. However, there are a lot of tasks that need to be completed in this time frame, so it's easy for the service to get delayed by extenuating circumstances.

Though it's quite common, embalming is rarely necessary. It is not required when the body is cremated, though most funeral homes do require embalming for viewings or open casket funeral services.

If no plan exists to remove the deceased's body, you need to contact the funeral home directly to start arrangements. They will oversee all the steps, including permits and legal handling, to remove the deceased's body from the home.

Who owns most of the funeral homes? ›

Most funeral homes are privately owned, and increasingly, more funeral homes are owned by large corporations. Service Corporation International, the largest death-care corporation in the country, owns and operates more than 1,400 locations in North America and brought in more than $4 billion in revenue in 2023.

The term funeral parlor (or parlour) was often used in the name of funeral businesses, as it was already associated with end-of-life events. The first funeral parlor or funeral home, Kirk & Nice Funeral Home, actually opened in Philadelphia, Penn., in 1777, and is still in operation today.

There are no state laws in Pennsylvania prohibiting home burial, but local governments may have rules governing private burials. Before burying a body on private property or establishing a family cemetery, you should check with the county or town clerk for any zoning laws you must follow.

Legally, it is up to the deceased's executor or personal representative to make decisions about their funeral and burial, although executors often feel morally bound to follow the testator's wishes.

"Next of kin." The spouse and relatives by blood of the deceased in order that they be authorized to succeed to the deceased's estate under Chapter 21 (relating to intestate succession) as long as the person is an adult or an emancipated minor.