Can I have a viewing if I choose to be cremated?

By: William Spence
Friday, August 18, 2023

Absolutely! Cremation is only one of several forms of disposition of a body. Other forms of disposition are burial, body donation, aquamation, and composting. Not all these options are permitted in Pennsylvania but are in other states. Prior to cremation, it is no uncommon to have a public viewing and a funeral service with the body present. Instead of immediately processing to the cemetery for burial, the body returns to the funeral home and is cremated. The cremated remains may be interred in the ground in a cemetery, placed in a niche in a columbarium, scattered in an appropriate location, or kept by the family. Cremation is legally considered final disposition of a human body. What the family decides to do with the cremated remains is their choice.

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