I had a very close family member that died a few weeks ago. We chose to have them embalmed instead of cremated. When we viewed the body they looked as if they were smiling. Do the funeral directors make the person look this way or what. Please give me some honest answers to set my mind at ease. Seeing that way made me feel alot better about the afterlife. But I just wonder do some people smile or not when they die......
2007-03-13 12:47:29 · 13 answers · asked by candikisses 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes, we try to do that to make the person look more like themselves and peaceful. We use something called feature builder to fix the mouth into a semi-smile (we don't want them to appear to be thrilled that they are dead!) but we do our best to make them look nice and peaceful. Sorry about your loss, take care.
2007-03-14 05:31:12 · answer #1 · answered by Reagan 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I have been present at 4 of my close family's deaths. Not once were they smiling. I believe it is something that the mortician may do. I say this because none of the deaths were the same, and in one particular instance, I knew that the person was happy and welcoming death. It didn't seem to matter the circumstance, they all seemed at peace. After living quite a few years on this earth myself, I can well understand this, as most of us, at some point grow tired.
2007-03-13 20:03:20 · answer #2 · answered by T.J. 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The morticians did it that way. They also made up the corpse to look more lifelike. Their job is to make the mourners more comfortable and they have any number of ways to do it.
Someone who died when they were hit by a car can look like they are just sleeping if the mortician is good.
I am reminded of an old Bill Cosby routine where the punch line was he rigged the corpse it so that when people walked by it would wave its hand and say "Hi, don't I look like myself?" That is the goal of the mortician - to make the corpse look like the person it used to be.
2007-03-13 19:52:17 · answer #3 · answered by Dave P 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately most people do not die smiling, even if they die of old age in their sleep.
Some funeral directors do that to make the families feel better.
2007-03-13 20:08:04 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
i think it depends on the way a person dies. i have seen many different expressions on a person at death. if it's a traumatic death and the muscles are tensed, etc, the undertakers do their best to get a natural expression. but, generally speaking, if a person dies in peace, and usually, it's a happy thing because they are experiencing peace, there may be a contentment on their face that shows. hope this helps! i pray that when it's your time, you have peace, and a smile!!!!!
2007-03-13 19:53:04 · answer #5 · answered by that girl! 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes we put the smile there........the most common way I do it is to use pins to push the corners of the mouth into a smiling position.
2007-03-14 15:24:24 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a bit difficult for a mortician to do embalming on a rigor-mortis affected body. That's what they look like when they died, it's just like that.
2007-03-13 19:50:46 · answer #7 · answered by Cold Fart 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Well I can't remember but when I visited my Grandma's corpse before it was cremated she had a straight look.
2007-03-13 19:51:03 · answer #8 · answered by Skeptic123 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course they made them look that way. The muscles all relax so you wouldn't smile on your own.
2007-03-13 19:51:51 · answer #9 · answered by Alex 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Maybe your family member is happy because they are at peace,finally.
2007-03-13 19:55:07 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋