CHAPEL OF REST

The Searson Family Funeral Services have 3 funeral homes located in Copnor, Southsea and Havant. Each funeral home has its own Chapel of Rest, where families can sit and reflect, view their loved ones in peace and thought. Should you decide to visit your loved one before the funeral, you will be seeing them in our ‘Memorial Chapel of Rest’.

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Our beautiful Chapels have been dedicated to the memories of those we have lost. This gesture openly reflects our own experience of bereavement, which we feel enables us to provide genuine sympathy towards you and the loss of your loved one. These rooms are available to you and your family to visit your loved ones in quiet and comfortable surroundings. The decoration of our Chapels is suitable for any denomination.

During the initial funeral arrangements, you will be invited to visit your loved one. Your decision is personal, and we cannot encourage you to do so or offer any persuasion. You should feel comfortable visiting, and only you can decide if this is something you wish to do. However, many people visit, either on their own, with a friend, or bring them together.

Our Memorial Chapels are available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by appointment. Once the arrangements have been made and the necessary preparations are completed, you will receive a call from our family letting you know that visiting can now occur. You can have photographs, flowers, personal or sentimental items brought in, and these can be kept on display when you visit. In addition, you can select some favourite music to be played in the Chapel: Religious, Pop, Classical, it is your choice. We can even provide you with a photograph of your loved one at rest, which may benefit if certain family members cannot visit the Chapel or have a copy to keep.

All we ask is that, before you visit, call and make an appointment. We are available all day, every day, and the only reason we ask for you to ring is so we can be more prepared for your arrival. Alternatively, you may wish to have your loved one taken home before the funeral, and this is something that is easily organised, and you can speak with us about this.

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Visiting the Chapel of Rest is so much more than just taking in the facial appearance of the deceased. We recognise that the individual and unique character of the life lost accounts for a substantial proportion of the personality. As personality and character can no longer be expressed, a large part of what you see in life is missing.

We try and achieve a positive viewing experience for all our families. The image you see in the Chapel will remain with you always. As such, we need to create an ‘experience’ that considers several factors in providing a familiar appearance of how you and your family remember the lost life. Clothing is an important component in making someone look at how they would have in life. It is more important to reflect a usual appearance when selecting clothes, rather than choosing something the deceased would not normally wear. Items of relevance to place in the coffin can also create a familiar image of the life lost. If the person was a constant knitter, then place knitting needles and wool in the coffin. You can place any items associated with the deceased in the coffin or around it during the visiting period.

Photographs can also be placed in the coffin, pictures of the deceased during much happier times. These can be a positive point of focus and a reminder of how you remember them. Even the music being played during your visit can create the overall experience. If the deceased enjoyed a particular band or singer, then have this music played in the Chapel. Also, one can be familiar with a person by their smell. Fragrances: perfume or Aftershave all help build up the pieces that provide you with a visit that can be more comforting and reassuring.

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