THE HIGH COST OF DYING SMALL FIRM HELPS FAMILIES ARRANGE FUNERALS FOR LOVED ONES WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK.

Byline: Candice Choi Staff Writer

The sudden death of a loved one can blindside friends and family in more ways than one as funeral costs skyrocket.

Winnetka resident Mike Ghattas learned the lesson the hard way when a close friend died several years ago.

``I never expected how expensive it was going to be. It cost an arm and a leg,'' said Ghattas, who operates a cafeteria in a Westlake office building. The casket alone cost a stunning $4,500.

That's when Ghattas resolved to prepare for the future and stumbled upon Sensible Alternative Funeral Services, a small operation that provides affordable services and caskets.

The Van Nuys business recently conducted services for Ghattas' father- in-law at half the price he paid several years ago for his friend's funeral.

``People come in here shocked (at the costs of funeral services), and we try to make sure they leave with some sense of ease,'' said Linda McIlvain, funeral counselor at the Van Nuys company.

The average funeral, including the cost of a casket and plot, runs about $7,000 - triple the amount it was 15 years ago, according to FuneralPlan.com, an online consumer resource guide. At Forest Lawn Memorial, packages range between $7,000 and $22,000, depending on the type of casket selected.

A two-day service package at Sensible Alternatives, in contrast, costs around $1,950. That includes the transportation and embalming of the body, cosmetology, a visitation period, funeral services and the filing of all permits and paperwork.

A plot and casket are not included in the package, but the company runs another service that sells caskets for between $595 and $1,000.

If clients can't afford Sensible Alternative's standard package price, counselors will work with them to figure out a solution.

``We want to give them a meaningful service for what they can afford,'' McIlvain said.

To keep costs low, Sensible Alternatives does not operate a funeral home. The company instead performs services at the church and cemetery of the client's choice.

The business evolved three years ago from Direct Casket, the sister operation that was established in 1996 to provide low-cost caskets.

``We saw a lot of families who were in need and couldn't afford to pay for a fancy chapel for $5,000,'' McIlvain said.

When it was first established, Sensible Alternatives was performing about four funerals a month. Now it's averaging about 20 a month and has hired an additional funeral director and coach.

Keeping prices low allows people to bury their loved ones rather than choosing the more affordable option of cremation, McIlvain said.

``A lot of old-fashioned people want a burial even though they can't afford it,'' she said.

Unlike many mortuaries, Sensible Alternatives workers also make home visits and allow many arrangements to be made over the phone.

``They're always trying to accommodate you and find an economical way to make it work,'' Ghattas said.

It wasn't so much the price for San Gabriel resident Linda Rodriguez, but the staff's availability that made the services so useful when her father died last month. `People owe it to themselves to avoid the extra heartache.''

Candice Choi, [phone]

candice.choi(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

(color) Funeral counselor Linda McIlvain helps clients choose from a variety of discounted caskets at Direct Casket in Van Nuys.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer