DFW Start-up Brings Efficiency and Innovation to Funeral Planning Industry

DALLAS, Feb. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Texas-based company plans to shake up the dreary and dreaded business of funeral planning by giving people the ability to make their end-of-life arrangements online. Departing LLC will be the first company to offer an online portal that gives people an unprecedented level of convenience, control and privacy in planning for their death.

Departing's clients also will be able to pre-pay funeral expenses in today's dollars instead of paying higher costs that will be charged in the future.

Departing is the brainchild of successful Dallas entrepreneur Arlo Gilbert and funeral industry veteran Kim Cleaver. Both say the funeral industry is in need of innovations that make end-of-life planning easier and more accessible. The company, which received a seven-figure injection of start-up capital from the investment firm JFO Group late last year, is ramping up operations at a time when millions of Baby Boomers are facing the realities of aging and need funeral planning services.

Departing plans to launch its service in partnership with independent funeral homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth region in the second quarter of this year and then expand to other major Texas and national markets. When fully operational, Departing expects to employ about 100 people in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

"No one wants to talk about dying, let alone plan for it because it's awkward and complicated," said Gilbert, Departing's CEO. "But Departing is streamlining the whole process to make it easier, more private and more personal. You're able to make all the decisions now on how your death should be handled so your family and friends are not burdened at the time of your death."

Added Cleaver, Departing's President: "Our goal is to allow you to leave your life just as you lived it – on your own terms. You're able to maintain the dignity and control you deserve at the end of your life."

When launched, Departing clients will be able to go on the company's secure website and use the tools provided to complete a full end-of-life plan to detail everything from memorial service specifics to choosing a funeral home. Departing will maintain the client plans and information – which can be modified at anytime. Initially, the service will be free as Departing adjusts the site's capabilities and features to user needs.

Death care costs are financed through the purchase of pre-need funeral insurance policies. In most cases, the entire cost of death care is paid for in three to five years, giving clients peace of mind that all the necessary expenses have been covered. Upon a client's death, family members are instructed to contact Departing to receive the client's end-of-life plan and are told which funeral home the loved one selected and paid to handle the funeral and service. 

"We call it a last act of love," said Cleaver. "Our clients make their death a little easier for their family because all of the preparations have been made and paid for in advance."

About Departing LLC
Based in Irving, Texas, Departing is an independent sales organization (ISO) in the death care industry and is the first company to give consumers the ability to plan for their death care online. Departing's approach streamlines the dreaded end-of-life planning process by making it more private and convenient. Clients also can pre-pay for funeral expenses to protect themselves from the rising cost of death care. With Departing, clients maintain the control and dignity they deserve at the end of their lives while saving their loved ones the burden of making death care decisions in a time of grief. For more information on Departing, visit www.departing.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
James Florez – [email protected]
214.769.4258

SOURCE Departing LLC