Mortuary Plans Final Curtain Drive-In Window for Mourners

Mourners pressed for time or reluctant to enter a funeral home will be able to stay in their cars and view the body through a drive-in window at a planned mortuary, a mortician said today.

“This isn’t just an idea of a window and the deceased on display for the public,” said James R. Sanders, who plans to build the Sanders Mortuary with a driveway leading to a window 7 feet wide and 6 1/2 feet high.

“You must maintain respect for the deceased and the family, the attitude of seriousness and the thought there has been a loss. If you keep those high standards, the window can’t be anything but a success,” he said.

Mobile mourners would approach the window on a specially designed driveway, using curved walls and a canopy to “comfort” and prepare passengers sealed off from distractions and bright light.

The weight of the car will trip an electric switch that will slowly raise the curtain in the window, bring up the lights inside and show the deceased in a full-sized casket.

The curtain will stay open for 20 seconds and then slowly descend as the lights dim. There will be a slot within reach of the driver’s door to insert a sympathy card or note, Sanders said.