7 News Belize

Funerals, From Cultural Anchor, To A Passing Event
posted (May 21, 2020)

In recent days you've heard constant talk of the new normal affecting every facet of daily life from dining out to taking a walk, but COVID-19 has had more profound effects, even altering customs and traditions from cradle to grave. Today, Cherisse Halsall looked at how COVID has turned the funeral, a cultural anchor, into a small event in passing:

When a loved one dies, it's natural to want to honor that person's life with a gathering of friends and family. But what does a funeral look like mid-Pandemic?

It's smaller, much smaller.

Stanley Lizama - Undertaker/Mortician, Lizama Funeral Service
"Our funeral are only allowed to have 10 people going to Lord Ridge or the other Cemetery but right now the law is you have to stay six feet away and right now the church is open up now so you can take your loved one to the church but you can only have ten people in the church. It's really kind of hard going through these times because you really want you're loved one to go the right way and they can't go the right way, my sis, you have to follow the government rules and to be safe, it's better all of us be safe and live for a long time."

David Coye is the third in a line of undertakers that have been responsible for the dignified and lovingly held burials of Belizeans since the year 1900. And while his grandfather may have worked through the last pandemic a century ago, David, like many others was thrown for a loop on this one.

David Coye - Owner, Coye Funeral Home
"It's strange times we're living under right now with this Coronavirus. If anyone has passed that has tested positive for the virus you know that's something that must be dealt with as soon as possible and we've been working along with the health department to make sure that the necessary steps are in place and to make sure that we don't expose anyone to any unnecessary risk. Once the body is in a body bag the body bag is sealed and everything is disinfected, and once it's in the machine then you don't have any issues after that because the temperature that this machine can get to will destroy everything."

And Belize's darkest hour Coye's Funeral home was tasked with the burials Belize's COVID-19 Patient 4 and Paitient 10, both of whom succumbed to the virus.

Cherisse Halsall
"Did you guys handle any of the COVID burials?"

David Coye
"Both. We did Mr. Pipersburgh which he was cremated here and we did Mr. Conrad Everett which he was buried at 13 miles cemetery. We provided the casket and transportation from the morgue to the burial site. City council had the grave space ready and they also had their workers ready as well geared down with the proper gears that they needed."

Cherisse Halsall
"And in those instances no one was allowed to attend those funerals?"

David Coye
"Mr. Pipersburg because he was cremated in the night if I remember correct he passed in the late evening and the family gave the okay to do the cremation and we did it that very night and with Mr. Conrad the family was there but the family was only allowed to view the funeral in their cars because they were under quarantine as well because how it went, they didn't think that it was the virus that he had and he was around his family members and stuff like that so they were allowed to come view the funeral but they had to stay in their cars and they we're only allowed to come out until everyone had finished what they needed to do and left."

Learning that you're unable to have the type of gathering you would like to have because of the COVID-19 pandemic can be disappointing and even devastating news.

And over at Paulino's funeral home technology is being employed to overcome those limitations.

Milton Paulino - Owner, Paulino's Funeral Home
"Covid has definitely taken a toll on the culture of what we're used to as funerals. At one time people could have travelled from Europe and the United States to sympathize with their loved ones and it's the very last thing that you can do to say goodbye to your loved one. So what we do at Paulino's funeral services we go live so that people from all over the world can view the funeral minute to minute as it's happening. Also, we do lots of memorabilia like booklet we do fans we do pins all of that whereby they'll be able to send back to their loved ones wherever it is that they are. We've also invested in some equipment so our live is much clearer, the audio is better, the visibility is much better. People could see people can also interact, they can send their comments, they can send their condolences to the family, sometimes the family wants them to change their view on the camera so they would suggest that in the comments section. It's very interactive. That's the only means people have to share so they really appreciate it."

And in the midst of the pandemic when most Belizeans have fallen on hard times a funeral can be an impossible expense. All three funeral homes have responded, Coye's and Paulino's by lowering and subsidizing the price of services and Mr. Lizama by working at reduced costs and even for free, in laying to rest young children. Â 

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize