Troy's White Chapel Offers 'Celebration Of Life'

TROY, MI — Funerals and viewings of of loved ones are generally somber events where tears flow freely. But a Troy cemetery is offering new services that are designed more as celebrations, “to honor the departed while inspiring the living.” White Chapel Memorial Park is the first cemetery in Michigan to open a Celebration of Life Center.

"We came up with our Celebration of Life Center to be able to help our families celebrate the lives of their loved ones in their own special way,” White Chapel Vice President David Krall recently told the Detroit News.

The center opened Monday. It includes a full-service banquet facility and a host of choices to memorialize the recently passed loved one. “Families can come in and have their thumb or fingerprints turned into wonderful remembrance jewelry,” Krall told the newspaper. “For our cremation families, we now offer the ability to create beautiful glass art with a small portion of the cremated remains of their loved one.”

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White Chapel’s new offerings are a reflection of changing trends in the industry. Celebrations and offering so-called “green burials” are becoming more common around the country. The Green Burial Council, an organization that advocates natural funeral and burial practices, has certified three cemeteries and 19 funeral homes in Michigan, the Detroit News reported.

“We’ve tried to take some of the best ideas and put them together," Krall told the newspaper. “Many families today are looking for something less formal or traditional, but still want to celebrate the life of their loved one.”

The banquet facility can accommodate up to 180 guests. Krall said the idea is for families and out-of-town guests to focus on more important things than logistics.

White Chapel is holding an open house for its celebration center this week, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. today through Friday. For information, call 248-362-7670 or visit the White Chapel’s website.

Photo courtesy of White Chapel Memorial Park