By Milos Djordjevic, Funeral Director and Owner, Caring Cremations
Step 1: Make the right first call
If your loved one was on hospice, call the hospice agency, not 911. A hospice nurse will come, confirm the death and help you with next steps.
If the death was sudden or unexpected, call 911. Police and paramedics will respond, and the Cook County Medical Examiner may review the death. If the Medical Examiner takes your loved one into its care, its staff will contact you. You may then choose any licensed funeral director in Illinois to bring your loved one home from there.
If you are not sure which applies, call 911.
Step 2: Take the time you need
Once the death has been confirmed, there is usually no rush. Many families sit with their loved one, call relatives and say goodbye before the funeral home arrives. That is normal and allowed.
Step 3: Call your funeral home or cremation provider
When you are ready, call the funeral home or cremation provider you have chosen. At Caring Cremations we answer 24 hours a day at (773) 866-2273. We will come to your home, bring your loved one into our care and explain each step.
Step 4: Gather a few details
The death certificate asks for information you may need to look up:
- Full legal name, date and place of birth
- Social Security number
- Both parents' names, including mother's maiden name
- Marital status and spouse's name
- Highest education and usual occupation
- Military discharge papers (DD-214), if your loved one served
What happens next with cremation in Illinois
- Authorization. The legal next of kin signs a cremation authorization. Illinois law sets the order of who may sign, starting with anyone your loved one named in writing, then close family such as a spouse or adult children.
- A county permit. For deaths in Cook County, the Medical Examiner must issue a cremation permit before the death certificate is filed.
- A 24-hour minimum. Illinois law does not allow cremation within 24 hours of death, except in rare cases such as certain religious requirements.
- Timing. At Caring Cremations, most cremations are completed within 5 to 10 business days, depending on permits and the doctor's signature on the death certificate.
A few practical things
Lock the home if no one will be staying there. Find a safe place for medications. Make sure pets are cared for. Bank accounts, bills and mail can wait a few days.
When you are ready to talk, we are here, day or night. Call (773) 866-2273 or
start arrangements online.
Sources (checked Oct 26, 2026): Cook County Medical Examiner — Information for Funeral Directors; Illinois Crematory Regulation Act, Sec. 35 (as amended by P.A. 96-0338).
