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endswell funeral home

What to Do When a Death Occurs

Endswell is available 24/7 to provide any assistance you need. Below is a guide on what to do depending on where the death occurs and the steps we take to ensure a smooth process for aquamation, cremation, or green burial.

If Death Occurs in a Hospital

  • Hospital staff will ask you to provide the name of the funeral home handling arrangements.
  • Endswell will coordinate with the hospital’s Decedent Care department.
  • We will arrange transportation to our facility in Hillsborough.

If Death Occurs at Home (Under Hospice Care)

  • Call the hospice provider.
  • A nurse will come to pronounce the death.
  • Hospice staff will then call Endswell.
  • Our transportation team will arrive within 1-2 hours to bring your loved one into our care.

If Death Occurs in a Hospice Facility

  • Hospice staff will contact the family first to see if they wish to spend time with their loved one before contacting us.
  • Once the family is ready, hospice staff will call us, and we will arrange transportation.

If Death Occurs at Home (Without Hospice Care) or in Another Location

  • Call 911.
  • Paramedics and sheriffs will arrive to pronounce the death.
  • They will contact the medical examiner to determine if an autopsy is required.
    • If the medical examiner accepts the case, transportation will be arranged to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Raleigh or a local morgue.
    • If the medical examiner declines the case, Endswell will be able to arrange transportation to our facility at that time.
  • Endswell will stay in contact with the medical examiner, provide updates to the family, and arrange transportation once the case is released.
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The Next Steps: Aquamation, Cremation, or Green Burial

1. Bringing Your Loved One into Our Care

  • Once your loved one is in our care, we begin processing the death certificate.
  • You may come to Endswell to complete paperwork in person or sign electronically.
  • If you wish to arrange a funeral or viewing service, we will coordinate a date and time that suits your family.

2. Death Certificate & Waiting Period

  • Before proceeding with aquamation, cremation, or burial:
    • We obtain medical certification of the death certificate.
    • We send a draft copy to you for approval.
    • We submit it for official filing with Vital Records.
  • There is a mandatory 24-hour waiting period before aquamation or cremation can take place.
  • We fulfill any family requests, such as a funeral, viewing service, locks of hair, or fingerprints, before proceeding.

3. Aquamation & Cremation Process

  • Once the waiting period has passed, all required documentation is complete, and any funeral or viewing service is held, we proceed with aquamation or cremation.
  • After the process is finished:
    • Ashes are placed in our eco-friendly bamboo urn, an artisan urn from our gallery, or a family-provided urn.
    • If desired, ashes can be divided into multiple urns.
  • Death certificates are retrieved from the Register of Deeds in the county where the death occurred.
  • We coordinate a time for delivery of the urn and death certificates to the family or arrange for pick-up at Endswell.

4. Green Burial Process

  • We coordinate with the family and the cemetery to schedule a burial date and time.
  • We shroud the body in cotton or silk and place into a casket, if a casket is purchased. The family is welcome to participate in the shrouding process. 
  • Endswell ensures all necessary preparations are made for a meaningful burial service. 

Additional Support

  • You may submit photos and text for an obituary at any time.
  • We are here to answer any questions about the next steps or practical matters before and after death occurs.
  • Please call us anytime at 919-907-9777 if you need guidance or assistance.
"I am very happy to hear that my father’s choice of aquamation led you on a new adventure and an offering of eco-friendly funeral services to your community. To be honest I had not heard of aquamation until daddy told us that was what he wanted for his funeral. He had long said he did not want to take precious land from the living and had decided on cremation. But when he heard about aquamation he was determined that this was the way to go.
Thank you for following your heart and your call. I know many in your community are blessed by the choice you have given them."
Blessings,
-Nontombi Naomi Tutu (The Reverend)
"Words seem inadequate to express our immense gratitude or describe the wonderful experience that Endswell provided as we navigated the traumatic and unexpected loss of my husband.  Thank you, thank you for your kindness, sincerity, and compassion.  Your genuine warmth, professionalism, patience, and flexibility made a very sad occasion much less so.
The Endswell facility was an intimate haven and a respite, and its tranquility was enhanced by a very discreet yet attentive, courteous, and conciliatory staff.  Endswell's peaceful atmosphere and the exceptional skill with which Aly prepared my husband's body for viewing gave us an opportunity for a level of closure that we had not believed possible under the circumstances.
I have already recommended Endswell to others who might require such services.
May God continue to bless and keep you all."
-Satrina Lord

“Hunter and the Endswell team made my mother’s passing so much less complicated and painful than I’d been led to believe it would be. Hunter communicated everything clearly and respectfully while being genuinely warm and kind. The whole process allowed me to be present with her during her last days knowing that she would be carefully and respectfully taken care of. Hunter brought me her ashes in person and I felt nothing but warmth and care.
Endswell made the transition as easy as possible. Thank you.”

– Evie Watts

“Hunter met my mom and I at the drop of a hat as we were facing end-of-life decision-making moments with my beloved father. He was kind, informative, tender and we felt in awe of his vision and this important venture of Endswell. When dad passed away, Hunter observed our desire to sit vigil with him over the evening, and arranged the family-owned transport folks to come right at 7 am upon our request. Everything and everyone was so gentle and so loving and we felt like we (and dad) had received the utmost care.”

– Christine Ashley

“I am thrilled with the exceptionally compassionate service provided by Endswell founder, Hunter Beatte, and I’m so thankful that he answered the call to open an aquamation facility here in the Triangle. Aquamation is gentler process, a more ecologically sustainable practice, and a more affordable option. The Endswell facility is a peaceful and beautiful, and Hunter’s kind nature brings a much-needed touch to all those who are navigating end of life transitioning.”

– Kim Jordan

“Compassion. Understanding. Kindness. Flexibility. Details matter to him. “Being here now” at its most present describes Hunter Beattie and Aquamation services. He is the most compassionate and professional of anyone I have met in the industry, and was of great assistance during an unexpected complication upon the passing of my 99 year old parent. What a blessing that he found this calling.”

– Tofu Dave

“I highly recommend Endswell Aquamation as an environmentally friendly alternative to burial or cremation. Hunter was extremely accommodating and patient in supporting me through all the details of final arrangements, documentation and memorial resources. He takes care of all the things I didn’t have the clarity to manage after my father’s death.”

– Jean Masse

“In the wake of the sudden and worst loss of my family’s lives, I will be forever grateful that we were referred to Endswell aquamation. Hunter with Endswell took such amazing care of Ian, and us. He was incredibly responsive, informative, communicative, and met all our requests as a family, even hand-delivering Ian’s urn to us with care on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. I cannot say enough about the service provided. When your world comes crashing down without warning, I cannot express what those services meant and alleviated for us. Thank you, Hunter, for your professionalism and compassion.”

– Kathleen Wilson

“Multiple friends recommended Endswell to us and it was clear from my first interaction with Hunter that he and Endswell were the perfect fit. He was calm, clear, compassionate and a great communicator. The services offered were just what we needed without any pressure. Endlessly grateful for Hunter and Endswell.”

– Ennis Baker

“We were so pleased with the services and support our family received from Endswell. Hunter is kind and compassionate and handled the remains of our father with great care. The urns curated in the gallery are beautiful works of art and the perfect vessels to hold the remains of a loved one. I would highly recommend Endswell.”

– Kari Fine

“I cannot express how grateful I am to Hunter and Endswell Aquamation for the patient, sympathetic, and graceful handling of my husband’s arrangements. Living out of state, there were some complications that had to be handled and Hunter took care of everything. It was a relief knowing my loved one was being cared for as he wished. In a time of stress and grief, Hunter was a constant calming presence that allowed me and my family to concentrate on each other.”

– Jodi Virgilio

“My husband decided on water cremation because it’s so much better for the environment than flame cremation or traditional burial. Just before he died, I contacted Endswell Water Cremation and met owner Hunter Beattie. Throughout the process, Hunter anticipated our needs and made the entire experience easier. He remained compassionate and kind, even as our family made changes. Not only was his service exceptional, but his urn gallery is something to behold. It’s filled with urns of pottery, glass, wood, wool and other materials, some of which can even decorate the wall, all made by local artisans. In short, I am very pleased with Endswell Water Cremation and recommend them without reservation.”

– Lee Pickett