Funeral Directing Vocab 2

Question 1

A person publicly unassailable outside the private office of the boss, this person is frequently nepotic.

Answer 1

Assistant To (Or in many cases, the Executive Secretary)

Question 2

A term for the person in the firm who eats people and ideas that threatens or come from the wrong person, even when the idea is superior. Insatiable appetite.

Answer 2

Barracuda

Question 3

An arrangement of flowers either in metal, plastic, or wicker baskets.

Answer 3

Basket

Question 4

A platform that the casket is placed on for display during visitation and funeral services.

Answer 4

Bier

Question 5

When they appear, they are treated as EXALTED. Exception: when the employee is a member of the board. Function is to try, with a pile of papers issued at the tie of the meeting, to act as though they know what is going on and how to vote in any way not indicated by the presenter, usually the general manager, who has done his homework (self-preservation). Occasionally gets hold of a thread the GM did not anticipate and takes a great deal of time and glee in riding that horse, only to back off after he has shown his teeth. Never one to rock the boat in a final way. Exception: where the above is not true and where the Board is not on the ball and kept up to date by the GM.

Answer 5

Board of Directors (Trustees)

Question 6

Financial planning vehicles. What will happen, based on what has happened. Adjusted by changes in the firm’s accept and direction.

Answer 6

Budgets

Question 7

A concrete, metal or fiber glass container into which a casket is placed for burial. The purpose is to protect the casket from the weight of the earth.

Answer 7

Burial Vault

Question 8

A cloth that drapes the casket during visitation or the funeral. Used by some religious faiths, or can be an American flag.

Answer 8

Casket Pall

Question 9

The person who oversees all divisions except one. This is always true. If there are four divisions, he/she will be up on three and the other runs itself. Since this person is good at what he/she does, the division he/she ignores is easy to see (smell, etc).

Answer 9

CEO

Question 10

A copy of a death certificate that s certified to be a true copy of the original. Identified by the seal of the Health Department and signature of an employee of the Health Department.

Answer 10

Certified Copy of Death Certificate

Question 11

An area in a mausoleum or other structure containing recesses (Niches) used to contain and sometimes display urns or cremated remains.

Answer 11

Columbarium

Question 12

Crypts side by side for companion burial. Caskets will be placed lengthwise (feet first) in a companion and sideways for companion couch.

Answer 12

Companion/Companion Couch

Question 13

A concrete container for the casket that is designed to protect the casket from the weight of the earth, but offers no protection against the entrance of moisture.

Answer 13

Concrete Box

Question 14

In charge of day-to-day operations. Cannot afford to ignore any division. Generally is the organization’s glue.

Answer 14

COO

Question 15

The reduction of human remain to bone fragments by intense heat.

Answer 15

Cremation

Question 16

The concrete space for casket placement.

Answer 16

Crypt

Question 17

A legal document listing statistical information about a deceased person and stipulating the cause of death as certified by a physician. It is the funeral home’s responsibility to file this document with the local Department of Health.

Answer 17

Death Certificate

Question 18

A certificate issued to all new property owners after the contract has been paid in full. This certificate gives the owner right of interment only. The property is not owned outright. The certificate is issued on lots and mausoleum showing the exact location of the property. The certificate does not include the purchase of merchandise or services.

Answer 18

Deed (Certificate of Ownership)

Question 19

The ability to. One who does this has confidence. One who does not has much to do. This is the breeding grounds for procrastinators.

Answer 19

Delegate

Question 20

Letting others perform tasks that should not occupy the top manager. In small firms, this is entirely academic. In larger firms, this is usually under done,if not over done. This is very hard to do correctly.

Answer 20

Delegation of Authority

Question 21

Non-existent in smaller (one man gang) firms. Otherwise, these are the operating bosses of the separate divisions.

Answer 21

Department Heads

Question 22

For salespeople, a place to look busy, and hone the art of prospect card solitaire. For the secretary, a place to leave for a break. For the boss, a barrier that protects and, when large enough, intimidates. For the grounds superintendent, a surface to not clean or have seen. For him it must be covered, totally.

Answer 22

Desks

Question 23

Cremation without viewing the remains or having any memorial service.

Answer 23

Direct Cremation

Question 24

Refers to two persons interred in one space.

Answer 24

Double Depth Burial

Question 25

Small bronze plaques placed on markers, monuments or crypt fronts. Examples: club or lodge emblems, or religious emblems such as a cross or open Bible.

Answer 25

Emblems

Question 26

The act of burying a deceased in a crypt.

Answer 26

Entombment

Question 27

Incorrect moves performed by subordinates. Attention is called to these. All shall know.

Answer 27

Errors

Question 28

The dumping ground for any issue that needs attention but is perplexing management. Use is, “Our executive committee is discussing this at the present time and will handle this matter.” Actually, otherwise, a potentially very useful group.

Answer 28

Executive Committee

Question 29

The same as a mausoleum with the only difference being that the crypts are outside.

Answer 29

Garden Mausoleum

Question 30

Funeral service that is held at the grave site rather than in the funeral home or church.

Answer 30

Gravesite Service

Question 31

This is the name and date of birth and death of the deceased, placed on the front of the crypt, marker or monument.

Answer 31

Inscription

Question 32

The act of burying a person in the ground. We charge a fee for this service, separate from the burial space.

Answer 32

Interment or Opening and Closing

Question 33

A term applied to spaces designed in which the casket is placed at the time of interment. Usually double depth. These are below ground, pre-installed concrete containers for the interment of human remains.

Answer 33

Lawn Crypts

Question 34

The above ground structure; the burial is made inside the building.

Answer 34

Mausoleum

Question 35

A coined expression meaning “family member.”

Answer 35

Nepotic

Question 36

The act of being nepotic. To employ the kin in the business. Non-relatives tend to not rise above the family members. Another form is to employ a married couple, not in the family of the owners. This is thought to be a bad form of this, while the family variety is accepted. Where the total number of employees equals the total number of family members, we have no problem, only a concept to discuss.

Answer 36

Nepotism

Question 37

The space which holds cremated remains. This can be glass front or wood front, marble or granite. Glass front contain urns which are engraved; wood front will have inscriptions on the front, similar to the crypt fronts.

Answer 37

Niche

Question 38

A charge to all new property owners for the recording, processing, and deeding or property. This is also charged to funeral families for administrative functions.

Answer 38

Organization Fee

Question 39

Fear. “Wonder what he meant by that?” is an example. Price changers, direction changes. This person may well be pure in operations and wonder what he did or said that has been misinterpreted.

Answer 39

Paranoia

Question 40

The time set as the starting point of a funeral home visitation.

Answer 40

Placement Time

Question 41

A term used when property and other cemetery or funeral home merchandise has been purchased before a death.

Answer 41

Pre-Need

Question 42

The rooms in the funeral home used for embalming and preparing the remains for visitation and funeral.

Answer 42

Preparation Room

Question 43

The term used by the Sales Department to provide the family with facts about the advantages of purchasing.

Answer 43

Presentation

Question 44

Frequently thought of as the dart board. In actual fact, they are so easy to do, they are usually done correctly. But like computers, garbage in, garbage out. One of the major reasons consultants lose their clients.

Answer 44

Pro Forma

Question 45

Call your office and see how yours is handled. Ask a fairly off the wall question, such as “How much does the funeral cost?” I hate to tell you what you will find out, but there will usually be a meeting, and soon.

Answer 45

Public Relations

Question 46

Identification for groups of employees helping to identify and solve problems.

Answer 46

Quality Circles

Question 47

Any casket container.

Answer 47

Receptacle

Question 48

Incorrect moves performed by the boss. It’s between him and his maker. The exception is the boss’s home. There he makes errors.

Answer 48

Secrets

Question 49

Rooms in the funeral home used specifically for visitation.

Answer 49

State Room (Reposing Room)

Question 50

Work at the direction of the department heads. Line people, get the job done.

Answer 50

Supervisors

Question 51

Crypts placed end to end. The first burial is placed in the back and the second entombed directly in front.

Answer 51

Tandem

Question 52

A form which must be completed and notarized to transfer property from one person to another. These forms are needed even to transfer from husband to wife or mother or daughter. An affidavit is often required.

Answer 52

Transfer

Question 53

A receptacle for holding cremated remains which can be made of various materials: bronze, copper, wood, marble, or cardboard.

Answer 53

Urn

Question 54

This refers to the outer receptacle in which the casket is placed at the time of interment.

Answer 54

Vault