Pre‑planning with Kevin Bradford
Write down your wishes now, so your family won't have to guess later.
I'm Kevin Bradford, a pre-planning advisor with Rector Funeral Home in Amarillo. I help Panhandle families put their funeral and cremation wishes in writing, at their own pace, with no pressure.
Prefer to talk? Call (806) 374-4089.
Planning ahead, one conversation at a time
Most families come to me after helping someone else through arrangements. They don't want their own children to face the same guessing. Here's where I can help.
- Put your wishes in writingBurial or cremation, the service, the music, the details.Why it matters
- Lock in today's pricesTrust-type agreement with affordable payments, no insurance, and no interest.See pricing
- Review a policy or plan you already haveBurial insurance or a plan from another funeral home.Common questions
"My job isn't to sell you anything you don't need. It's to make sure your wishes are clear, written down, and taken care of."Kevin Bradford, Pre-Planning Advisor, Rector Funeral Home
Why families plan ahead
When a loss happens, families are asked to make dozens of decisions in just a few days. A written plan lets them spend that time together instead.
Your family knows what you want
Without a plan, your loved ones are left to guess: burial or cremation, which church, which songs, who should speak. Writing it down now removes that weight.
It also prevents disagreements. When the wishes are yours, in writing, there's nothing to argue over.
Today's prices, flexible payments
Funding your plan ahead of time can lock in today's pricing, so future increases don't fall on your family.
Rector's trust-type pre-need agreements carry no hidden costs such as added insurance or interest, and payments can be spread out to fit your budget.
Use what you already have
Life insurance, burial insurance, or a pre-need plan from another funeral home can often be applied to your arrangements. I'll look it over with you and explain your options at no cost.
It's never a commitment to start
Recording your wishes is free. You can change them later, and you decide whether and when to fund anything.
How it works
Three simple steps, at whatever pace suits you. You can stop at any point.
Reach out
Request the free planning guide or call me. I'll send the guide and answer any first questions by phone.
Talk it through
We meet at the funeral home, at your kitchen table, or by phone. We cover burial or cremation, the kind of service you'd like, and anything else that matters to you.
Put it in writing
Your wishes are recorded with Rector Funeral Home. If you choose, you can fund the plan ahead of time. Your family gets a copy and real peace of mind.
Helpful to have on hand
None of this is required to get started, but it makes the conversation easier.
- Basic details: date of birth, parents' full names, marital status
- Any life insurance or burial insurance policies
- A plan from another funeral home, if you have one
- Military discharge papers (DD-214), if you served
- Cemetery plot paperwork, if you own one
Pricing information
Clear prices, explained in plain terms. Planning ahead lets you choose with time to think, and funding a plan can lock in today's prices.
The Federal Trade Commission regulates funeral homes through a set of rules called the Funeral Rule, which protects your right to buy funeral goods and services separately. Every funeral home must have a General Price List: a written, itemized list of everything it offers. It's your guide to comparing funeral costs in your area, and Kevin can give you a copy.
Expenses to consider
Families planning a burial typically have six main expenses:
- Funeral home services
- Casket
- Outer burial container, required by most cemeteries (some rural cemeteries may not require one)
- Cemetery plot
- Opening and closing of the grave, which includes digging the grave and setting up a tent or equipment
- Cash outlays: additional expenses such as minister or musician honorariums, floral arrangements, obituary notices, police escorts, and certified death certificates from the state
Traditional service
Funeral home services for a traditional funeral
- Professional services of our funeral directors and staff
- Transportation of your loved one to the funeral home
- Embalming (if selected), for longer-term preservation and possible viewing (not required by law)
- Cosmetics, dressing, and casketing
- Use of our facilities for visitation or viewing
- Use of our chapel, or coordination of a church service with hearse transportation
- Graveside or committal service, including delivery of flowers
Direct cremation
Basic cremation package, $1,205.00
- Transportation from the place of death
- Filing of all required city, county, and state paperwork
- Sheltering your loved one at our facility
- Coordination and transfer to our crematory
- Professional preparation and return of the ashes
- Cremation tray (required by the crematory): $95.00
- Crematory fee: $295.00
Pay ahead with a trust-type agreement
Pre-funding a plan through Rector's trust-type agreement locks in today's prices, with affordable payments that fit most budgets.
Ask Kevin about payment options- Affordable payments to fit most budgets
- No insurance
- No interest
- Today's prices, locked in
Caskets
A simple, dignified fiberboard casket is available for $1,395.00. It has a soft doeskin covering and meets nearly all weight standards.
Funeral costs can add up quickly, often close to $10,000 once every element is included. That's why there are more than 40 casket options, and families can take their time in the selection room and discuss options privately. No one stays in the room or applies pressure.
Cremation at Rector
Rector Funeral Home owns and operates its own crematory, so your loved one stays in Rector's care through every step. When someone passes away, staff typically arrive at the hospital, hospice, or home within 30 to 45 minutes, and your loved one remains safely at the funeral home until the cremation is complete.
| Additional cremation options | Price |
|---|---|
| Cremation with a memorial service, organized or hosted by our team | $3,790.00 plus cash outlays |
| Cremation with a viewing in a rental casket and memorial service | $5,630.00 plus cash outlays |
Other services
Help is also available with obituary placement, certified death certificates, and any other arrangements your family may need.
Questions about any of these costs? Call Kevin at (806) 374-4089 or email kevin@rectorfuneralhome.com.
Prices are from Rector Funeral Home's published price information and are subject to change. Ask Kevin for the current General Price List before making any decision.
Traditional funerals
A traditional funeral brings family and friends together to remember a life, find comfort in each other, and say goodbye. Every part of it can be shaped around the person you're honoring.
Visitation
A time set aside for family and friends to gather for comfort and support, usually the day or evening before the funeral.
Funeral service
Held in Rector's Pioneer Chapel, at your church, or at another place that meant something to your family.
Graveside service
A graveside service can follow the funeral, or stand on its own as a smaller, more intimate goodbye when that's what your loved one or your family prefers.
Making it personal
Stories, music, photos, and scripture can all be woven into the service. Rector's staff work with your family to shape each detail.
Choosing a casket
There are more than 40 casket options, including a simple fiberboard casket with a soft doeskin covering for $1,395.00. Families can take their time in the selection room and talk privately. No one stays in the room or applies pressure.
Funeral home services for a traditional funeral total $5,330.00, before the casket, cemetery, and cash outlays. The Pricing page lists everything that's included.
Cremation
Rector Funeral Home owns and operates its own crematory, so your loved one stays in Rector's care through every step, never handed off to an outside company.
Funeral service, then cremation
A traditional service with your loved one present, followed by cremation. A viewing in a rental casket with a memorial service is $5,630.00 plus cash outlays.
Memorial service
A service without a viewing, held in the Pioneer Chapel, a church, or another place you choose. Cremation with a memorial service organized or hosted by Rector's team is $3,790.00 plus cash outlays.
Direct cremation
A simple, affordable, and respectful option without a funeral service or visitation. The total is $1,595.00, including the cremation tray and crematory fee.
What happens to the ashes
Your family decides, and the choice can be written into a pre-plan ahead of time:
- Kept at homeIn an urn chosen by your family
- Placed in a columbariumA dedicated place for urns at a cemetery
- BuriedIn a cemetery plot, including a family plot
- ScatteredIn a place that held meaning for your loved one
When someone passes away, Rector's staff typically arrive at the hospital, hospice, or home within 30 to 45 minutes. Your loved one stays at the funeral home until the cremation is complete.
Moving a plan to Rector
Already have a plan with another funeral home, or a burial insurance policy? You don't have to start over. Kevin can review what you have and explain your options, with no obligation.
- Plans from another funeral homeIf you'd like to move your plan to Rector, Kevin will help you do it. Rector can often honor another funeral home's pre-need contract.
- Life insurance and burial insuranceA policy can often be applied to a written plan, so your wishes and the money to cover them are in one place.
- If you move awayPlans with Rector can be transferred to another funeral home, and Rector will help with that too.
How it works
Find your paperwork
Your current contract or policy, plus any notes about your wishes.
Call or meet with Kevin
He'll review what you have, at the funeral home, at your home, or by phone.
Decide at your own pace
Kevin explains your options in writing. Nothing changes unless you decide it should.
Honoring those who served
A veteran's service to our country deserves to be part of how they're remembered. Rector Funeral Home helps Panhandle families plan funerals that honor that service, and Kevin can help you plan ahead so your family knows exactly which benefits to expect.
A service that reflects the whole person
Whether your loved one served for decades or a few years long ago, their service can be woven into a funeral that also reflects their faith, family, and traditions. Burial or cremation, readings, music, and speakers are all yours to choose, alongside the military honors they've earned.
Planning ahead as a veteran
The Department of Veterans Affairs offers a pre-need eligibility decision for burial in a VA national cemetery, so you can know before it's needed whether you qualify. Kevin can help you gather your discharge papers (DD-214), understand the benefits that may apply, and record your wishes so your family isn't left sorting through paperwork later.
Military funeral honors
Every eligible veteran can receive a military funeral honors ceremony at the family's request. Funeral directors typically request honors on the family's behalf, ideally 48 to 72 hours before the service. By law, the ceremony includes at least:
- An honor guard detailAt least two members of the armed forces, one from your loved one's branch of service
- The playing of TapsBy a bugler or on a ceremonial bugle
- Folding and presentation of the American flagPresented to the next of kin
Veterans service organizations may add elements such as a rifle detail, color guard, pallbearers, or escorts where available.
Benefits that may be available
Eligibility is set by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Depending on your loved one's service, benefits may include:
- Burial in a VA national cemeteryFor eligible veterans, and in some cases spouses and dependents
- A government headstone, marker, or medallionAvailable for national, state, and private cemeteries
- A United States burial flagRequested with VA Form 27-2008, which a funeral director can help with
- A Presidential Memorial CertificateAn engraved certificate honoring the veteran's service
- A burial allowanceMay help with funeral, burial, and transportation costs for qualifying veterans
Explore VA Memorial Benefits, from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Watch on YouTube.
Helpful to have ready
- Discharge papers (DD-214) or other proof of service
- Branch of service and dates of service
- Any VA pre-need eligibility letter
- Cemetery preference: national, state, or a family plot
Questions about veteran benefits or planning a service that honors military service? Call Kevin at (806) 374-4089 or email kevin@rectorfuneralhome.com.
Benefit details come from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: burials and memorials, military funeral honors, and burial flags. The VA makes all eligibility decisions.
Obituaries
Rector Funeral Home posts obituaries, service times, and condolences on its obituary listings. The listings are updated by the funeral home's staff as arrangements are made.
Get notified on your phone
The Obituary App lets you browse obituaries, share them with family and friends, and send condolences. It's a free download.
Need service details?
For service details or help after a loss, please contact Rector Funeral Home directly.
Send flowers
Flowers for services at Rector Funeral Home are ordered through Condolences.com, Rector's flower partner. Each obituary has its own flower shop link, so your order is matched to the right service.
Find your loved one
Open Rector's obituary listings and search by name.
Choose "Send flowers"
Each obituary has a Send flowers button that opens its flower shop.
Pick an arrangement
Choose from bouquets, plants, wreaths, and standing sprays, then check out.
Need help with an order?
Orders are handled by Condolences.com. Call their support team at (888) 219-0721.
Common questions
Don't see yours? Use the question bubble in the corner, or call me at (806) 374-4089.
What is pre-planning?
Pre-planning means making your funeral, cremation, or memorial wishes known ahead of time. You can take your time, ask questions, and create a plan that reflects your values, so your family isn't left to decide under stress.
Am I too young to think about this?
No. Adults of all ages plan ahead, often right after helping a parent through a funeral. Planning early gives you the most time and the most choices.
Do I have to pay anything up front?
Not necessarily. You can simply record your wishes. Many families choose to fund their plan ahead of time to lock in today's prices, and payment options are available.
How much does it cost?
It depends on the choices you make, such as burial or cremation and the type of service. For example, direct cremation at Rector totals $1,595.00. See the Pricing page for the full breakdown, and I'll give you exact figures in writing before you decide anything.
I already have burial insurance. Do I still need this?
Insurance pays money, but it doesn't tell your family what you want. I'll review your policy with you and show how it can be applied to a written plan.
Can I move a plan from another funeral home?
Yes. If you have plans at another funeral home and would like to move them to Rector, I'll help you do that. Rector can often honor another funeral home's pre-need policy.
What if I move away or change my mind?
Plans can be updated. If you move from the area, Rector will help transfer your arrangements to another funeral home.
Can I plan for my parents?
Yes. Many families I work with are adult children helping Mom or Dad get their wishes in writing. I'm happy to meet with everyone together.
Is a prepaid plan protected?
Prepaid funeral contracts in Texas are regulated by the state, and complaints can be directed to the Texas Department of Banking. You can read about the trust and insurance funding options under state law at prepaidfunerals.texas.gov.
About Kevin
I'm Kevin Bradford, a pre-planning advisor with Rector Funeral Home here in Amarillo.
For 15 years, I've helped families pre-arrange their funeral and cremation wishes. I know it's not a conversation most people look forward to, so I keep it relaxed, unhurried, and free of pressure.
"Thank you for making something so unpleasant feel easy."What families most often tell me afterward
I work with families across Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle to put their wishes in writing before they're needed. My job isn't to sell you anything you don't need. It's to make sure your wishes are clear, written down, and taken care of.
Rector Funeral Home is a family-owned Amarillo funeral home that has served Panhandle families since 1996.
- Experience
- 15 years helping families pre-arrange
- Funeral home
- Rector Funeral Home, Amarillo, Texas
- Serving families since
- 1996
- Ways to meet
- At the funeral home, at your home, or by phone
- Call Kevin
- (806) 374-4089
Get the free planning guide
Tell me how to reach you and I'll follow up personally, usually within one business day.
Rather talk it through?
(806) 374-4089Call Kevin directly. If he's with a family, leave a message and he'll call you back.
Email: kevin@rectorfuneralhome.com