End of Life
Memorial Meetings & Burials
Completing the Circle of Life
Though we wish a long, healthy, and happy life for everyone, those of us at Sandy Spring Meeting also know the realities of the circle of life require all of us to be thoughtful about the future. The Ministry and Council Committee is responsible for all memorial services held in the Meeting House (what we call Memorial Meeting for Worship).
The time of one’s death is a challenging time for many reasons, and Sandy Spring Meeting wants to be a spiritual and practical resource at those times. Additionally, there are numerous pieces of information that need to be gathered quickly and easily to inform the many important decisions that need to be made in that moment.
It is important to be preparing this final information now. Survivors will need some of this information as will the Meeting. For that purpose, we have prepared Completing the Circle of Life: Preparing for the End of One’s Life, a Practical Guide. We also have available forms with which you can convey your wishes to the Meeting and to your family. These are available in both a printable version and a version that can be filled in electronically by clicking on the links below:
Completing the Circle of Life: Preparing for the End of One’s Life, a Practical Guide (full guide)
Forms to print, complete by hand, and mail to the Sandy Spring Meeting office.
If you need to schedule a memorial service, please call the Meeting office at 301-774-9792 or email at office@sandyspring.org
The Sandy Spring Graveyard
For information on the historical burials in the Sandy Spring Graveyard, click here.
Post Death Options
Compiled by the Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting End of Life Planning Group
Sandy Spring Meeting
Options: Graveyard, Memorial Garden and/or Memorial Meeting
“Completing the Circle of Life: Preparing for the End of One’s Life” document (see above)– this document is in process of revision
o Application for the use of the graveyard or memorial garden at sandy spring monthly meeting
o Statement of information and final instructions for my wishes at the time of my death
o Personal information for death certificate and announcement
Cremation Resources (accurate prices as of 4/16/24)
Legacy/Maryland Cremation Services – 1-877-615-3030/Millersville
o Costs $895 – $1,395 include
§ Transportation of the deceased to the crematory
§ All release paperwork and dealings with the medical examiner
§ Obtaining certified copies of death certificates
§ Accompanying your loved one to the crematory and verifying all identification
§ Assistance will filing for Social Security and Veteran Benefits, plus insurance papers
§ The container the deceased is transferred in for the cremation process
§ A rigid container used for the return of your loved one’s ashes
Going Home Cremation and Funeral Care - 301-296-6864 & 410-442-3662/Rockville (limited services) & Woodbine
o Costs between $1,695-$4,495
Potomac Valley Cremation and Funeral Care - 1-301-739-5498/ Hagerstown
o Costs $2,295 and higher
Francis J. Collins Funeral Home and Cremation Services - 301-593-9500/Silver Spring
o Costs between $3,900-$4,200
Rapp Funeral & Cremation Services – 301-660-3881/Silver Spring
o Costs from $2,575-$4,280
Cremation Society of Maryland – 410-788-1800/Catonsville
Body/Organ/Tissue Donation Options – a sampling of options
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences - 301-295-3301
o For donation of bodies, organs, and tissues for transplantation or biomedical teaching and research
o Body can be donated without prior notice to USUHS
Maryland State Anatomy Board - 410-547-1222 or 800-879-2728
o State Anatomy Board Donors are individuals who, during their lifetime, requested a donor form, completed the donor form, and mailed the original signature copy of the donor form to the State Anatomy Board office.
o Only pre-registered donors are accepted and assigned donor status.
Georgetown University School of Medicine Anatomical Donor Program - 202-687-1219
o For donation of bodies
o Only pre-registered donors are accepted and assigned donor status.
o If an organ donation is completed (except for eye donation), they CANNOT accept the remains for medical education.
Infinite Legacy (also known as Donate Life Maryland, Donate Life Washington DC & Donate Life Virginia)
o A nonprofit organ procurement organization (OPO) that facilitates organ, eye and tissue donation through area hospitals and educates people about the critical importance of registering to be a donor
o You are identified by your choice on driver’s license or direct donation to one of these organizations. They maintain a national database.
o Being an organ or tissue donor does not preclude going ahead with funeral arrangements
The Organ Donor Program – Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA)
o Works with Infinite Legacy/Donate Life Maryland to share organs after death.
o Decisions about the suitability of donated organs are made at the time of death. The donation of the body for medical education is also possible with some organizations.
o May be revoked at any time by going to MVA and asking for a new license
National Anatomical Service Helpline – 1-800-727-0700
o If your local options are limited due to your residence or stringent eligibility criteria, the National Anatomical Service is a resource available for additional guidance, operating a 24-hour helpline at 800-727-0700.
Green Burial Sites
Serenity Ridge Natural Burial Cemetery & Arboretum Natural Burial Ground – 240-628-8725/Windsor Mill 21244
Garden of Remembrance/Gan Zikaron Memorial Park Hybrid Cemetery - 301-428-3000/Clarksburg
Reflection Park – 413-840-6775/Silver Spring (open by the end of 2024)