Body Preparation

Preparing the body of someone who has passed away is one of the most important steps of a respectful and honourable send-off. The ideal end result is for your loved one to be presented in the most natural way to how you remember them.

From the moment anyone passes away, the process of decomposition will begin. Hospital staff, nursing home staff, carers and even family members can aid in the long-term presentation of the deceased by ensuring the head is kept in an upright position (not leaning to one side) and by contacting us as early as possible so that we can uplift the body and bring them into our care and begin the embalming process if required.

Here at Heaven Funerals, your loved one will be kept in a safe, homely and peaceful space.
Body preparation also includes hygienic cleaning, dressing, hair and makeup.

Available 24 Hours

We’re available 24 hours a day, to bring your loved one into care.

Affordable Options

Affordable funeral plan options and finance options available

Servicing South East Queensland

We understand your need to let you grieve the way you see fit.

Embalming

Embalming is a process involving medical procedures where the body is preserved and the natural decay process is slowed. This process usually takes between three and six hours but is necessary when an open casket home viewing is planned as part of the funeral. Many cultural rituals require the deceased to lay in state, unrefrigerated with the family for a few days prior to the final funeral service. This is only made possible through embalming.
Embalming is also required by law when international repatriations (flying a loved one to their homeland) take place.

We are qualified embalmers and take care of the entire process from start to finish. This gives families confidence that their loved one is being taken care of with respect and dignity by trained professionals.

The three key objectives of embalming are to:

Sanitise the body, making it safe for the living to interact with.
Preserve the body and delay the natural process of decomposition.
Ensure the body is presentable for the family, which helps provide a peaceful and pleasant final memory picture. Sometimes this requires extensive restorative work, which may take some time.

Feature Set

Feature setting is the process of sanitising the body and setting the facial features to ensure that your loved one is presented in the best possible way. This may include grooming, hair and makeup options.It does not include embalming but does require refrigeration and only allows for short-term viewings just prior to the funeral service.

No Viewing

In some circumstances, the family may request that the coffin/casket remain closed, meaning there may not be a viewing at all. In other instances, the body not being found for some time, may require the coffin to be hermetically sealed.

Share the Post:

Heaven Funerals

The Importance of a Samoan Funeral

Heaven Funerals: Providing Compassionate End-of-Life Services

Testimonials

Michelle Larkin

2 years ago

This is the third time our family has dealt with Heaven Funerals, following the loss of a loved one, and we keep returning to Ross Pokere and his team because they do such a wonderful job. Ross treats us like family – with kindness and sympathy – whilst removing any stress felt about the funeral and burial arrangements a funeral home takes care of. Thank you so much Heaven Funerals; we are truly grateful.

Helen Beaman

2 years ago

I recently lost my mother suddenly. I rang Ross to organise somebody to collect and organise her funeral for me from the Nursing home. The service and compassion i received from Ross and other members from Heaven Funerals was so heart warming. I would highly recommend Ross and his team for their understanding, compassion and above all the amazing Funeral service they did for my late mother.

Steve Stevenson

2 years ago

I cannot speak highly enough of the exceptional service provided by Ross Pokere and his team at Heaven Funerals. They took care of my sister, with the utmost professionalism, compassion, and respect. From transportation to every aspect of the arrangements, they handled everything seamlessly, easing the burden on my family during such a difficult time. Ross and his team were not only highly professional but also incredibly down-to-earth, showing genuine compassion and care that brought us comfort and peace of mind. Their attention to detail and heartfelt approach ensured my sister received the beautiful send-off she deserved. I wholeheartedly recommend Heaven Funerals to anyone seeking a trusted and caring funeral service provider. Ross and his team go above and beyond to make an incredibly challenging time feel more manageable, providing both practical support and emotional reassurance. Thank you, Heaven Funerals, for your kindness and dedication.

Kalavite Kaloni

2 years ago

Heaven Funerals: A Truly Exceptional Service I cannot recommend Heaven Funerals highly enough. This family owned business exceeded all our expectations with their prompt, professional, and reliable service. From the very beginning, Ross Snr and Ross Jnr were incredibly helpful and maintained excellent communication throughout the entire process. Not only were they more affordable than George Hartnett, but they also demonstrated a deep cultural awareness and respect for our Tongan funeral traditions. Moreover, their availability 24 hours a day provided us with much needed support whenever we needed it. Their sensitivity and understanding made a difficult time much easier for our family. They made the funeral arrangement process smooth and seamless, providing a dignified send-off for our beloved father. Heaven Funerals truly went above and beyond, and we are immensely grateful for their outstanding service. Ofa atu Pokere whanau

Steven Pook

2 years ago

Ross and everyone else at Heaven Funerals did a wonderful job looking after my wife and making the arrangements for the funeral. Many attendees also spoke very highly of Ross in his role of Funeral Celebrant and I agree with them also.

Anau Maki

2 years ago

I would like to thank Ross and the team for their service and dedication to our sister. Your professionalism and patience, made this process easy. Our mother and I traveled from New Zealand, and to witness your professionalism and assistance for getting our sister's body from Darwin down to Brisbane made the process stress free for us. You did everything perfect! Thank you for everything, God bless you all. Highly recommend 👌

Patty Elisaia

4 years ago

I live in Bundaberg, and I had both my parents come stay with me. My mum passed away and I was heart-broken. I knew I had to get mum back to Brisbane, but didn't know how. I jumped on google and went with the first funeral director that came up. Worst decision I ever made. Luckily, a family friend recommended Heaven funerals. And my entire family felt at ease. As soon as we explained our situation to Ross, he took care of everything. Not only were they very professional, but they were very compassionate and understanding towards our cultural needs. I'm so glad that we switched to Heaven Funerals, in doing so, we were able to send mum off in such an amazing way. I've never experienced anything like this before, so I was absolutely clueless, But Heaven Funerals brought us comfort, guidance and catered to us and what we wanted for mum. So grateful, blessed and I highly recommend them. Thank you so much Ross and everyone at Heaven funerals..

Contact Us
24/7 on (07) 3152 8363

We’re here any time of the day or night. You call us and we’ll pull out all the stops to be where you need us to be. If you have a general enquiry you can also fill out the form below, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.