It is unfortunate that life insurance companies air television commercials that talk about high funeral costs to try to frighten people into purchasing their policies. The cost of dying doesn’t have to be high — especially for families in New Jersey and New York who choose cremation. That’s because CMS Mid-Atlantic, Inc. offers the cremation process at no charge in its crematories to families who own cemetery spaces for the placement of their cremated remains in its affiliated cemeteries or memorial parks. “Like many other regions of the country, we are experiencing an increase in the number of families who are selecting cremation,” says Bill Passodelis, vice president of CMS Mid-Atlantic. “We want to make the process as convenient and economical as possible for the families we serve. We are honored that annually more than 10 percent of the families choosing burial in New Jersey non-sectarian cemeteries choose our cemeteries.” Mr. Passodelis emphasizes that the professional family service counselors at CMS-affiliated cemeteries and memorial parks educate families that cremation is preparation of the body for final memorialization. “Some people think that once the cremation is complete that the process is over and they never retrieve their loved ones’ cremated remains from crematories. Still, there are others who take the remains home and place them on shelves in the garage or attic and later regret that they did not have a permanent resting place. It is important that the cremated remains have a permanent, final resting place where loved ones can visit to find comfort and inspiration,” says Mr. Passodelis. He continued, “At CMS, we believe that everyone deserves a dignified final resting place. When families place the cremated remains of their loved ones in cemetery spaces, they create a lasting eternal memorial and have a permanent place to visit and find solace.” It is important to note that in New Jersey only licensed funeral directors can arrange for cremations. But when a family owns a space for cremated remains at a CMS-affiliated cemetery, the cremation is provided by CMS at no charge. The family is still responsible for any fees charged by the funeral director. CMS-affiliated cemeteries in New Jersey include: Alpine Cemetery in Perth Amboy; Greenwood in Hamilton, Hollywood Memorial Park in Union, Laurel Grove Cemetery in Totowa and Restland Memorial Park in East Hanover. In New York, the CMS-affiliated cemetery is Vestal Hills in Vestal. To learn about cremation options, contact Blythe Stoecklein at 1-800-CMS-1981. | 
