Planning Ahead for Peace of Mind

Planning ahead with C.R. Lyons and Sons in Danvers, Massachusetts, lets you record your wishes and, if you choose, lock in today’s prices, sparing your family difficult decisions later. Preplanning consultations are free, and prearrangements are trust-funded through Cambridge Trust Company as trustee. The firm does not sell insurance, accepts transfers of existing and out-of-state prearrangements, and can make arrangements fully remotely with electronic signatures. To start, request free information or call 978.777.7900.

Preplanning for North Shore Families

C.R. Lyons and Sons helps families across Danvers, Beverly, Peabody, Salem, Middleton, Topsfield, Wenham, Hamilton, Lynnfield, Swampscott, Marblehead, Boxford, and Ipswich throughout Essex County plan ahead, in person at 28 Elm Street in Danvers or fully remotely.

What Preplanning Includes

A preplanning consultation lets you record the choices that matter to you: burial or cremation, the kind of service, music, readings, and personal touches. You can name the cemetery or the type of disposition, note any faith or cultural requirements, and decide whether to prepay. Recording these wishes now gives your family clear direction and removes guesswork during a painful time.

How Prepayment Is Protected

If you choose to prepay, your funds are placed in trust through Cambridge Trust Company as trustee, not used to buy an insurance policy. In Massachusetts, the pre-need payment is made by check to the trustee. This keeps your money protected and ensures it is there when it is needed.

Transferring an Existing Plan

If you already have a prearrangement at another funeral home, including one made out of state, C.R. Lyons and Sons can accept the transfer. A director will review what you have arranged and help move it without losing the value you have already set aside.

How C.R. Lyons and Sons Helps in the First Hours

  • Free consultations with a licensed director and no obligation to prepay.
  • Trust-funded prearrangements through Cambridge Trust Company; the firm does not sell insurance.
  • Transfers of existing and out-of-state prearrangements accepted.
  • Fully remote arrangements available with electronic signatures.
  • Four generations of independent, locally controlled care since 1925.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does preplanning work at C.R. Lyons and Sons?

You meet with a funeral director, free of charge, to record your wishes and, if you choose, lock in today’s prices. Prearrangements are trust-funded through Cambridge Trust Company as trustee. The firm does not sell insurance, and arrangements can be made fully remotely.
No. You can record your wishes without paying anything. If you choose to prepay to lock in prices, the payment is trust-funded through Cambridge Trust Company; in Massachusetts the pre-need payment is made by check to the trustee.
Yes. C.R. Lyons and Sons accepts the transfer of existing and out-of-state prearrangements. Contact the firm and a director will guide you through moving your plan with no loss of what you have already arranged.
In certain circumstances, yes. Speak with a director about your situation. Preplanning itself is trust-funded through Cambridge Trust Company, and the firm does not sell insurance or charge for a planning consultation.
Reviewed by C.R. Lyons III, CFSP, CCS, owner and licensed funeral director, Massachusetts. Past president of the Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association and one of the first Certified Cremation Specialists in the United States (CANA, 2022).

Member of the Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association, the National Funeral Directors Association, the Cremation Association of North America, and Selected Independent Funeral Homes. Recurring recipient of the NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Award. Four generations of family ownership since 1925.

Free preplanning consultation with a funeral director on the North Shore MA