What to Do When a Death Occurs

If someone has died and you do not know what to do next, the answer is: call us. (575) 342-1005, any hour of the day or night.

Nothing else on this page has to be done tonight. It is here for the moments when you are awake at three in the morning and want to know what is coming.

What happens first depends on where the death occurred.

• At home, under hospice care. Call the hospice first. A nurse will come, make the pronouncement, and notify us. You do not need to call 911.
• At home, unexpectedly. Call 911. Emergency responders will follow their procedure, and in New Mexico the Office of the Medical Investigator may become involved.
• In a hospital or care facility. The staff handles the pronouncement. Tell them your family has chosen Peace of Heaven Funeral Chapel and they will contact us.
• Away from home. Call us anyway. We will coordinate with the funeral home or the authorities where the death occurred and bring your loved one home.

There is no hurry to make decisions in that first hour. Sit with your family. Call the people who need to hear it from you rather than from someone else. We will take it from there when you are ready.

When we sit down together, the information below is what goes into the death certificate and the obituary. Bring what you can find. Nobody expects you to have all of it.

• Full legal name, and any other names they were known by
• Date and place of birth
• Social Security number
• Parents’ names, including mother’s maiden name
• Marital status and spouse’s name
• Occupation, type of business, and highest level of education completed
• Military discharge papers, DD Form 214, if they served
• Cemetery deed or plot information, if your family already owns one
• Any written funeral or pre-arrangement instructions
• Recent photographs, for the obituary and for the service

Under New Mexico law the death certificate is filed within five days of the death, and before burial or cremation. We prepare and file it. Think about how many certified copies your family will need — banks, insurers, the Social Security Administration, the Motor Vehicle Division, and title companies each generally want one of their own.

Once the service is behind you, the administrative part begins, and it takes longer than people expect. There is no prize for finishing it quickly.

• Social Security. We report the death; survivor benefits are claimed by the family
• Life insurance, pensions, annuities, and any employer benefits
• The VA, if your loved one was a veteran
• Banks, credit unions, and credit card companies
• Vehicle titles, property deeds, and utility accounts
• Probate, if there is an estate, and the attorney handling it

The Social Security Administration pays a one-time lump-sum death payment of $255 to an eligible surviving spouse or child. Call us if you get stuck on something. We may not be able to file it for you, but we can usually tell you who to call.