Tag: funeral planning

IT ALL STARTS WITH LISTENING

Eileen O’Grady Newell describes a feeling everyone has when it comes to planning funeral arrangements; “We’re all so stressed out.”

The Gibbons Family understands “stressed out.” Whether they see it, hear it or sense it, they know that feeling is an overwhelming one that every family feels when they have a very short time to do something very important. And do it right. What’s right? Whatever the family needs are what is right if you ask Michael Gibbons. “The most important thing we can do is observe and listen closely to our families to know what is important beyond the usual details of helping them cope with a loss and receive their friends and families in a comfortable and loving environment”, is how Michael describes it.

Eileen shared, “I feel like they knew what we wanted before we said it.” And the Gibbons Family does know. Mostly because they listen. Something that is “important” and something “that would be nice” are things they pay close attention to so they can make sure those things are taken care of. During the procession to the cemetery, Eileen’s father observed how comforting and meaningful it was driving past the family home. He then thought and whispered it would be nice for them to pass his daughter’s resting place on the way to his wife’s cemetery service at her resting place. A great listener made the decision in the blink of an eye for the procession to pass the children’s section where his daughter was at rest on the way. It was a little thing that meant so much because a family listened to a family they were serving. But it actually wasn’t a little thing at all. It meant the world to a grieving husband and father to check in on everyone he loved. That’s what a family-owned business does. Because the family has a larger meaning in these times of need.

For any information on at-need or pre-planning services, feel free to contact us at 773-777-3944 or www.gffh.com 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, our family is here to serve yours.

 

 

To Connect with Gibbons Family Funeral Home:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gibbonsfamilyfuneralhome/

Twitter: @gibbonsffh

Blog: https://gibbonsffh.wordpress.com/

Website: http://www.gffh.com/

 

 

 

 

An inviting and warmhearted place. Like home.

 

For Michael Gibbons, having families invite people to a place very much like home was natural. For the Gibbons Family, their buildings were their home. They lived upstairs, answered the phone at whatever time it rang, because it was their mission and privilege to be there for families. Michael’s father Thomas Gibbons understood clearly how important it was for families to be able to come into a comfortable and inviting place to receive their extended families and friends in respect of their loved ones. No detail was ever left to chance. The surroundings needed to provide beauty, peace of mind, and more than anything else; comfort.

Katie Sweeney’s family understood this too. “When my grandma passed away, my mother told me we need to contact the Gibbons Family. We know them. We trust them. When we came in, we knew we were home. It was comfortable,” said Katie, adding, “It was so inviting at that difficult time and it made things easier because we were here”.

“The Sweeney’s are special to us, as are all the families who place their trust in our family at their most difficult moments” is how Michael Gibbons sums up the closeness of the Gibbons Family to the neighborhood and the communities, parishes and organizations they work closely with and serve. The Gibbon’s want every family to feel at home for the time our home becomes their home. It’s meaningful and it’s purposeful to us to continue to ensure that is always how people feel here. It matters more than anything else.

To discuss at-need or pre-planning or any questions you may have, contact Gibbons Family Funeral Home at 773-777-3944 or gffh.com We’re here 24 hours a day, every day of the year for our families.

To Connect with Gibbons Family Funeral Home:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gibbonsfamilyfuneralhome/

Twitter: @gibbonsffh

Blog: https://gibbonsffh.wordpress.com/

Website: http://www.gffh.com/

We had no idea these Veteran’s Services were available to us.

 

 

“If it weren’t for the Gibbons Family we would not have known that such meaningful and important services were available to my dad and our family”, states Barbara Murphy, adding “my dad passed away at 74 years old and it had been 50 years since he served. Other than to say how proud he was of his service to our country, he really didn’t talk about his service so much”.

 

The first question Michael Gibbons asked was if Barbara’s father was a Veteran. He was.  From there, the Gibbons took care of everything to ensure the military honors were bestowed upon Mr. Murphy. Barbara remembers a moment during the service where the American Flag was being folded. From her vantage point, the flag was hovering above her father. Her description was “it took our breath away”.

 

A United States Marine will often repeat the credo that “Once a Marine, you are always a Marine”. The ceremony was moving to every person there. Barbara shares that had it not been for the Gibbons Family, they would never have known that her father was entitled to these services that were earned by his service.

Veterans are entitled to many services including burial at no charge at a National Cemetery like the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, Illinois. For additional information about Military benefits and honors, Pre-planning, At need planning or any questions you may have, contact us, 24 hours a day at Gibbons Family Funeral Home 773-777-3944 or visit www.gffh.com

To Connect with Gibbons Family Funeral Home:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gibbonsfamilyfuneralhome/

Twitter: @gibbonsffh

Blog: https://gibbonsffh.wordpress.com/

Website: http://www.gffh.com/

 

The Gibbons Family Just Knew What We Wanted Without Our Having To Ask

Being a good listener is important in Funeral Services. Within the grief and confusion that loss creates, families bring up memories and important details of life that matter to them. It’s in listening to those phrases and thoughts where greater intuitive service is born.

Eileen O’Grady Newell experienced it herself. She describes the myriad of events surrounding services for her mom. In her words, “If you’re planning a wedding, you have six months to a year. In a case like this, you only have a few days. And the mindset is a lot different”. So true.

She relates that the Gibbons knew what to do, took care of all the details, and reminded them of things they needed to do. And then they did the extra things because they listened so carefully. When Eileen’s father said how nice it was to bring the procession past his house, it reminded him of their visits to the Children’s section where his daughter was laid to rest. An alert and conscientious Michael Gibbons rerouted the procession to pass the Children’s Section for Eileen’s dad. It was a little thing that meant so much because a family listened to a family they were serving. That’s what a family does. Gibbons Family Funeral Home treats you like family. Because you are.

For any information on at-need or pre-planning services, feel free to contact us at 773-777-3944 or www.gffh.com 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, our family is here to serve yours.

 

To Connect with Gibbons Family Funeral Home:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gibbonsfamilyfuneralhome/
Twitter: @gibbonsffh
Blog: https://gibbonsffh.wordpress.com/
Website: http://www.gffh.com

The Gibbons Family helped us bring Maureen home to Ireland

Michael Gibbons and his family have been long time volunteers of the Irish American Heritage Center. When Maureen, a senior member and founder of the IAHC passed away, it was imperative that her final resting place be in the town she was raised in Ireland. “This can really be a complicated situation, but Michael Gibbons made all of the calls and coordinated the transportation. If it wasn’t for Michael, it wouldn’t have happened” says John Gorski. Adding “My wife and I were able to get on the plane and take Maureen back home. He made it seem simple when it wasn’t”. Mr. & Mrs. Gorski did accompany Maureen to her final resting place. Together, her friends honored her wishes.

Families have many circumstances they need to cope with when a loved one passes away. The Gibbons Family has been helping families cope with loss for 3 generations and consider it their honor to do so. “No matter what we need to do to help people, we will,” says Michael Gibbons. Amid all the arrangements that need to be made and coordination of family and friends, the most important thing every family needs to be able to do is celebrate the life of someone they loved and not worry about anything else during that time. The Gibbons Family knows and understands this.

To discuss at-need or pre-planning or any questions you may have, contact Gibbons Family Funeral Home at 773-777-3944 or gffh.com We’re here 24 hours a day, every day of the year for our families.

To Connect with Gibbons Family Funeral Home:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gibbonsfamilyfuneralhome/

Twitter: @gibbonsffh

Blog: https://gibbonsffh.wordpress.com/

Website: http://www.gffh.com/

Funeral Services that Proudly Serve the Families of Chicago

 

“You come home to us, we’ll take good care of you”.

That’s the promise Rita Gibbons makes today. The same one her Father and Mother in Law, and her husband made for 2 generations, and the one the 3rd Generation continues to make to every family we have the honor of serving.

Chicago is important and always was to our family, since 1935. Gibbons Family Funeral Home is the Chicago presence of our funeral homes. Grandpa Gibbons and my husband went to all the churches and clubs here; it was their life. Both are very proud that their children and grandchildren followed in their footsteps to serve the families of Chicago who meant so much to them.

For at-need, pre-planning or any questions you may have, contact Gibbons Family Funeral Home at 773-777-3944 or gffh.com We’re here 24 hours a day, every day of the year for our families.

 

To Connect with Gibbons Family Funeral Home:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gibbonsfamilyfuneralhome/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gibbonsffh

Blog: https://gibbonsffh.wordpress.com/

Website: http://www.gffh.com/

 

Home. That’s what our family thought it should feel like.

“My father, Thomas Gibbons thought families needed a home to welcome their families and friends into when a loved one passed. They needed to feel comfortable. They needed a warm environment that lent itself completely to comforting”, states Michael Gibbons, who learned this lesson early and regularly from his father. His family lived there too. Being that this was their home, extending their home to families was a completely natural experience for the Gibbons.

 

Katie Sweeney’s family understood this too. “When my grandma passed away, my mother told me we need to contact the Gibbons Family. We know them. We trust them. When we came in, we knew we were home. It was comfortable”, according to Katie, adding, “It was so inviting at that difficult time and it made things easier because we were here”.

 

At Gibbons Family Funeral Home, we look for every way we can make the process of celebrating the life of your loved one an experience that families can share in an environment that makes it accommodating to your family, your friends and neighbors. It’s among the most meaningful and purposeful thing we do to continue serving generations of families who entrust us with their loved ones when it matters most.

 

To discuss at-need or pre-planning or any questions you may have, contact Gibbons Family Funeral Home at 773-777-3944 or gffh.com We’re here 24 hours a day, every day of the year for our families.

 

To Connect with Gibbons Family Funeral Home:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gibbonsfamilyfuneralhome/

Twitter: @gibbonsffh

Blog: https://gibbonsffh.wordpress.com/

Website: http://www.gffh.com/

When a First Responder passes away, it’s a special homecoming

John Leonard’s dad passed away in North Carolina. Bringing him back to Chicago was a process directed and taken care of by the Gibbons Family. As a Lieutenant of the Chicago Fire Department, Mr. Leonard was transported by plane back to Chicago. Upon arriving at the airport to pick up Mr. Leonard, Michael Gibbons was directed with his hearse to the tarmac where Firetrucks with crossed ladders along with dozens of Fire Department personnel in dress uniforms standing at attention were already honoring their brother Fireman and Officer. Then, with their lights at full brightness and movement, the motorcade of fire equipment and the Gibbon’s hearse with Lt. Leonard on board were escorted to the funeral home. As John remembers it, “it was quite something”.

 

First Responders have a special place at Gibbons Family Funeral Home and always have. “We have a history and a tradition of taking care of the families of the men and women who serve our citizens in Chicago” says Michael Gibbons. Both the Chicago Fire Department and Chicago Police Department consider their members to be family, and that tradition and camaraderie extends through to the moment when they say good bye to a fallen officer and send them home.

 

For the Gibbons Family, it is an honor and a privilege to be among the people who Chicago’s families choose for this responsibility. There’s no effort too great to take special care of the people who protect us every day.

 

To discuss at-need or pre-planning or any questions you may have, contact Gibbons Family Funeral Home at 773-777-3944 or gffh.com We’re here 24 hours a day, every day of the year for our families.

To Connect with Gibbons Family Funeral Home:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gibbonsfamilyfuneralhome/

Twitter: @gibbonsffh

Blog: https://gibbonsffh.wordpress.com/

Website: http://www.gffh.com/

Technology Can Be So Helpful in the Grieving Process.

Gibbons Family Funeral Home has added an electronic guestbook for families we serve. By recording information electronically, it eliminates issues reading handwriting or accidentally missing a guest on a page. After the funeral services are complete, we provide pre-addressed envelopes for each person or family who registered for our families to make the process of sending acknowledgement cards easier and much faster for them. People have become easily accustomed to using the Guestbook and the records are very easy for our families to access afterward.

Joe Wright, the developer of the software for our electronic registry book had the opportunity to see his work first hand with a beloved member of his own family. “When my own grandmother passed away and her services were held at Gibbons, I had an opportunity to see how well our system worked. It was a relief to see that it did make things much easier for guests and especially families after the visitation” according to Joe. The Gibbons Family is always working to find ways to make the very difficult time of loss a little bit easier. And in this case, technology has been added to help. “Michael Gibbons is always open to expanding and adding services to the families he serves” says Joe. Adding, “this really is a big help”.

For additional information about Pre-planning, At need planning or any questions you may have, contact us, 24 hours a day at Gibbons Family Funeral Home 773-777-3944 or visit www.gffh.com

To Connect with Gibbons Family Funeral Home:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gibbonsfamilyfuneralhome/
Twitter: @gibbonsffh
Blog: https://gibbonsffh.wordpress.com/
Website: http://www.gffh.com/

The Gibbons Family supported us when we suffered our losses.

 

Laurie Beckman has had very difficult experiences with loss in her life. So difficult that it is very hard to talk about, but important to her to share.

 

Laurie lost a very new baby boy who was born very premature at 21 weeks, weighing 8 oz. He passed very shortly after his birth. Her family had the opportunity to celebrate his very brief love-filled life and know that he was being cared for with great love and compassion by the Gibbons Family.  Laurie lost her mom to pancreatic cancer. She passed away 8 months after the diagnosis. Laurie’s mom was remarkably special to her; an amazing and supportive woman. Losing her was very difficult. Laurie entrusted her arrangements to the family she knew would take care of every detail. Laurie then lost another son who had become ill at 1 year of age. As overwhelming as this much loss was in a relatively short period of time, Laurie feels that the Gibbons Family shared in all of her difficulty and loss and were there for her in a way she could hardly explain.

 

“I trusted this family. Anything we needed, they were there. They are extremely caring; wonderful. They knew what we needed”, is how Laurie explains it.

 

As difficult as it is to discuss, the grieving of losses, especially profound losses, is important to Laurie. She counts her blessings dearly and among them are a family who knew what to do, when and how and take care of every detail that required attention. All the while, they grieved too. “Our families are bonded and there for one another. When Laurie says we were like her family, we’re humbled and grateful to know that. She’s very much a part of the Gibbons Family”, says Michael Gibbons. Adding, “we’re honored”.

 

For additional information about Pre-planning, At need planning or any questions you may have, contact us, 24 hours a day at Gibbons Family Funeral Home 773-777-3944 or visit www.gffh.com

 

To Connect with Gibbons Family Funeral Home:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gibbonsfamilyfuneralhome/

Twitter: @gibbonsffh

Blog: https://gibbonsffh.wordpress.com/

Website: http://www.gffh.com/