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Cremation Services

Cremation Services

Why choose cremation? For many, the ceremony options are desirable. For some, it is a religious or family tradition. For others, cremation seems more practical. At A.J. Desmond & Sons, we offer you affordable and distinctive choices. We always welcome the opportunity to listen to your ideas and assist you to plan what works best for you.

What is Cremation

First, what cremation is not. Cremation is not a type of ceremony nor a replacement for burial. Many families have a funeral service that is followed by cremation. Others have the cremation occur first and then the memorial service. And many families bury cremated remains.

Cremation is one way in which the body is handled after death in preparation for permanent memorialization. The cremation process uses intense heat to reduce the body eventually into a fine powder that is then placed in a container. The family then decides where to place the cremated remains.



Cremation at A.J Desmond & Sons

Most importantly, we offer you peace of mind. We always care for the deceased with the utmost dignity and respect. We attend to all the details surrounding a death and cremation in the timeliest manner. We also take care of you and your family, as you choose. Also importantly, we believe in saying good-bye. After working with families for generations, we believe strongly that ceremony and memorialization are vital to grief recovery. We offer numerous ceremony options, so that each family does what is meaningful and beneficial to them.



Standard Services

A caring staff is always ready to work with you. Our standard cremation services include the local transfer to the funeral home, shelter of the deceased for up to 48 hours, basic preparation of the deceased for cremation, a private and limited family farewell, basic professional services of staff, timely completion and filing of paperwork, and local transfer to the crematory.



Remembrance Service Options

Cremation remembrance services are flexible to address particular family preferences.

At a funeral service the deceased is present in a casket. After the funeral service, the deceased is taken to the crematory.

A memorial service is like a funeral service, except that the deceased is not present in a casket. Typically, a cremation has already taken place and the urn is present at the service.

For those wanting no ceremony, we offer a limited private time. Many families have a private family farewell. Some also choose to accompany the deceased to the crematory.

Military honors are available for qualified veterans and are often part of the remembrance services. If interested and qualified, we will arrange these for you. Find more information at Veterans Services & Benefits. For more information, visit The Importance of Ceremony.







What Happens to the Cremated Remains

After the cremation, the family may choose to place the cremated remains in a columbarium, bury them in a cemetery, or scatter or set them in a meaningful place. Some families place an urn in a garden. Some return cremated remains to their home country for burial or scattering. Others place a small amount of cremated remains in special jewelry as personal keepsakes. The options are many, just let us know what you are thinking.



Cremation in Michigan

In Michigan a funeral director must sign a death certificate and complete the cremation permit, but a funeral home cannot own or operate a crematory. Thus, at a minimum the funeral home makes the initial transfer of the deceased from the place of death to the funeral home, completes and files the death certificate and cremation permit, and then transfers the deceased to the crematory.

To ensure the highest quality of service to the families we serve, we use only two area crematories. Each has a highly professional staff and the finest facilities, and operates with rigorous procedures and the highest ethical standards. We always accompany the deceased to the crematory and, if you wish, you may also.



Peace of Mind Cremation
Questions to Ask Cremation Providers

2600 Crooks Rd.
Troy, MI 48084
248-362-2500
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32515 Woodward Ave.
Royal Oak, MI 48073
248-549-0500
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3725 Rochester Rd.
Troy, MI 48083
248-689-0700
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