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 Natural Awakenings Lancaster-Berks

Generations of the Charles F. Snyder Family Comfort Grieving Families

Dec 01, 2015 07:17AM ● By Gisele Siebold

Charles F. (Chad) Snyder III & Charles F. (Chip) Snyder Jr.

Charles F. (Chad) Snyder III is following in the footsteps of his father, Charles F. (Chip) Snyder, Jr., and grandfather, Charles F. Snyder, Sr., founder, who provide care to families in their time of need with the passing of a loved one. “We welcome everyone into our home,” shares Snyder, who is honored to continue his family’s tradition of serving the community.

Skilled at celebrating the life of loved ones and creating customized services that are reflective of the individuals who have passed, Charles F. Snyder Funeral Homes & Crematory provides extensive choices, a passionate staff, flexibility and a “whatever-it-takes” approach to create the most appropriate memorial tribute possible. They are proud that their local funeral homes have been able to serve their neighbors, regardless of culture or religious faith, for nearly 70 years.

The extraordinary staff lives by a commitment to serve. Old-school mannerisms, application of the Golden Rule and respect for individuals personify their intent of caring for people. The staff pays attention to details, and the execution of those details, and adds personal touches—such as meeting families in the lobby and conversing with them upon arrival. Light a Candle of Love is Snyder’s annual event to celebrate the life of loved ones.

The funeral directors assist families of veterans with planning services that are fitting for their beloved family member. Understanding the sacrifice every person makes by serving in the military, they work hard to honor that sacrifice by creating exceptional funerals for veterans. By sitting down with family and loved ones, the funeral directors try to understand the significance of the military in the life of the deceased, allowing them to incorporate their experiences, medals and honors awarded, service uniform and memorabilia into a military tribute fitting for each man or woman’s service to the country.

Moreover, Charles F. Snyder Funeral Homes & Crematory provides a range of eco-friendly funeral services that follow the standards of the Green Burial Council (GBC). They are the only funeral service provider in Lancaster County to be certified by the GBC, which outlines that a burial is considered green when it supports environmental goals, such as conserving natural resources, reducing carbon emissions, preserving natural habitats and protecting worker health. A wide selection of green burial products that are bio-degradable, non-toxic and made from environmentally friendly materials that are harvested and manufactured in sustainable ways are available.

While cremation does consume fossil fuels, modern facilities, like their on-site crematory on Lititz Pike, actually have a smaller carbon footprint than most traditional funerals. While the GBC does not certify cremation disposition programs, Charles F. Snyder can conduct a green burial involving cremation by carefully controlling the funeral services and properly selecting eco-friendly cremation receptacles.

The on-site crematory ensures that loved ones never leave the care of the Snyder staff. The comfort room, in a home-like setting, is provided for private family viewings prior to public viewing or the cremation process. The witness room chapel offers families the extra amount of peace of mind allowing observation of the cremation process. “This has been a very popular choice, because families can have the visitation, ceremony and cremation at one location,” says Snyder.

Facility accommodations include chapels of various sizes, handicap-accessibility, arrangements for vision- and hearing-impaired guests and even a children’s lounge.

Pre-planning arrangement staff members are dedicated to meeting with individuals and families to discuss available options and help decide which choices feel most comfortable. Pre-funded plans and payment programs are available.

In addition, the funeral directors realize pets are as much a part of the family as humans. They extend care to people’s pets and offer pet cremation and burial.

“We are caregivers, providing care for the living, with the ultimate objective of caring for their deceased family member,” notes Snyder.

Charles F. Snyder Funeral Homes & Crematory, Inc. serves all of Lancaster County and downtown Lititz with four locations: 3110 Lititz Pk., Lititz; 414 E. King St., Lancaster; 441 N. George St., Millersville; and Spacht-Snyder Family Funeral Home, 127 S. Broad St., Lititz. For more information, call 717-560-5100, email [email protected] or visit SnyderFuneralHome.com.

Gisele Siebold is a contributing writer to Natural Awakenings Lancaster-Berks edition. Connect with her at [email protected].