Memorial Service to Aid Grieving Process

A public memorial service for those who have lost a relative or friend in the past year will be held Sunday at Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park.

More than 100 participants are expected to attend the free service, which was created to assist family and friends struggling to “get through the first holiday season after a death,” said Ed Challinor, manager of the Pierce Brothers Valhalla Mortuary.

“We feel something of this nature brings closure to the family . . . This is a time when people are thinking of family reunions,” he said.

Religious leaders from various denominations will speak at the service, followed by a candlelight procession though the Little Country Chapel. Free information about how to deal with death during the holidays will also be available at a reception that follows the candlelight procession.

Translucent ornaments with a hollow center will be passed out to each person who attends the services, said Challinor. Participants are asked to bring photographs of their loved ones or slips of paper with poems or prayers of remembrance to insert inside the ornaments. These will be hung on the Christmas tree inside the chapel. The tree will remain up until Jan. 2.

“We’re hoping this will help someone leave the event with an uplifted feeling,” Challinor said.

The memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. inside the Pierce Brothers Little Country Chapel at 10621 Victory Blvd. For information, call (818) 763-9121.