The Cost of Dying: In Times of Grief, Financial Relief is Available

19 June

The Cost of Dying: In Times of Grief, Financial Relief is Available

When there is a death in the family, it is never a good time to be bargain hunting. But with the average cost of funerals approaching $15,000, many families find their grief compounded by the financial pressures that come with paying the funeral and burial bills.

ABC Caskets, based near downtown Los Angeles, caters to the needs of grieving families by lessening the costs they incur at a difficult time.

ABC Caskets is the only wood casket factory in the western United States that sells directly to the public. As a result, families who buy caskets directly from ABC Caskets typically pay less than half what a mortuary would charge for the same casket.

For example, a casket made of solid maple, hand polished to a high gloss and complete with a velvet interior, typically costs more than $4,000 if purchased at a funeral home. At ABC, the same casket costs less than $1,500.

“The mission of ABC is to help families through a difficult time,” said Joseph Conzevoy, president of the company. “When there is a loss of life, many times survivors don’t know that they have options that can ease their minds later on. By purchasing a casket from ABC Caskets, we can help families get on the road to healing because they won’t be coping with outrageous bills for months to come.”

All of the company’s caskets are handmade at the family-owned factory, which is also open to the public for tours.

The entertainment industry has long known the secret of ABC Caskets. Whenever set designers need a casket, they call ABC Caskets. The company’s caskets have been featured in films ranging from the action-packed thriller Daredevil to the light comedy Mr. Deeds. As a matter of fact, ABC Caskets is the exclusive supplier of caskets for the acclaimed HBO series Six Feet Under.

For Six Feet Under, ABC artisans have custom-made several caskets to fit into the show’s funeral scenes, including a flat-top casket for a dancing guitar player at one of the show’s wacky funerals. ABC also has provided coffins for the fantasy soap opera Passions, Gilmore Girls, Crossing Jordan and was recently featured on The New Tom Green Show.

The company can custom manufacture any kind of casket that clients need, even when the requests are unusual. For example, Daredevil set designers wanted their casket to match the silver paint of a Lexus, so they brought a paint sample with them. The company’s expert craftsmen matched the paint perfectly.

“We regularly fulfill special requests for a variety of religions,” Conzevoy said. “For Buddhist funerals, we often include a picture of Buddha that lights up on the inside panel of the casket lid. It looks like stained glass. We also have a variety of Catholic, Jewish and secular caskets.”

For more information on the company, please visit www.abettercasket.com