UUCR Memorial Traditions Brochure
UUCR offers comfort and lasting remembrance to members and friends of the congregation whose loved ones have passed. Rev. Dr. Rebekah Savage, lay ministers, the pastoral care team, and others in the congregation offer pastoral support to those who are grieving, including memorial services to celebrate the lives of those who have died.
To provide for lasting memories, UUCR has created a Memorial Garden as a place where congregants may sit in contemplation, request Rev. Rebekah to place a loved one’s ashes, and return to remember them. Additionally, families may purchase nameplates to honor the deceased. The nameplates are placed on a Memory Board for permanent display.
Memorial Garden
The southeast corner of our property has long been a place where UUCR Ministers have placed the ashes of our loved ones. In 1998, the congregation formally designated this area as the Memorial Garden-- a meditation grove with winding wooded pathways and a bench for quiet reflection. It offers a peaceful contemplative spot for affirmation of our caring, not only for our people whose ashes have been strewn here, but for all loved ones who have died.
The Memory Board
UUCR also has established a Memory Board that enables members to install a bronze nameplate with the name and the years of birth and death as an ongoing memorial to loved ones who have been part of the UUCR community. The Memory Board is located on the wall of Building 4 directly facing the sanctuary. During our All Souls service in the fall and Legacy Sunday in the Spring,
the names of loved ones on the Memory Board are read during worship. Remembering the presence and legacy of our loved ones is a core value of our congregation.
Memorial Garden Use
Rev. Rebekah can place the ashes of congregation members and friends and their immediate families in the Memorial Garden. A small honorarium may be given for this service.
The Memorial Garden area has been designated a forest conservation easement by the City of Rockville and must be maintained with natural landscaping
and plantings. Thus no individual markers, containers, plants, or designated areas of any sort are permitted within the Memorial Garden. Donation of any memorial object, such as a bench or artwork, should be discussed with Rev. Savage and relevant committees, and can be accepted only if it meets with the landscape needs and plans of UUCR.
To Arrange for a Nameplate
Contributing members of UUCR may request bronze nameplates to be mounted on the Memory Board. Nameplates may be purchased by contacting the Congregational Administrator, requesting a form to provide the relevant information, and then returning the form with a payment of $500 for the nameplate. Congregants may also contact the Memorial Committee at memorial@uucr.org. Nameplate funds are deposited into a special Remembrance Fund which sustains UUCR memorial activities, including ensuring that the Memory Board and the Memorial Garden remain a lasting memorial for future generations. To reserve a spot on the Memory Board next to a loved one’s nameplate, the nameplate fee must be paid in advance. The Congregational Administrator will keep a record of the reserved spaces and an alphabetical listing of members with nameplates on the Memory Board and the name location.
Memorial Donations
Memorial donations are gratefully accepted from those wishing to honor the memory of a loved one.
Donations may be made to the Operating Fund and/or one of the congregation’s restricted funds as described below:
Endowment Fund.
The General Endowment Fund ensures
the vitality of UUCR for future generations. Allowable expenses include enhancing UUCR facilities, providing scholarships and grants, providing outreach into the local community, and providing for the wider mission of Unitarian Universalism at home and overseas. The fund may not be used to support the general operating budget of the church.
Other Restricted Funds. The donor may select among a number of permanent funds that might match the interests of the deceased or donor. Examples
of such funds include the Facilities Maintenance Fund, the Ethier (music) Fund, the Site Beautification Fund, the Remembrance Fund, the Ministry Enhancement Fund and the Board Initiatives Fund. Potential donors are advised to consult with Rev. Rebekah, the Treasurer, or the Board President for these giving opportunities.
Memorial donations that do not designate a recipient fund will be placed in the Endowment Fund. The words “Memorial Donation” should be noted on the check, along with the name of the person honored and a specific fund (if you choose to designate) to ensure that the donation is correctly deposited.
Other Information
To plan a memorial service at UUCR, please contact Rev. Rebekah or our Congregational Administrator. You may contact the Memorial Committee at memorial@uucr.org to learn more about UUCR’s memorial practices, including placing loved one’s ashes in the Memorial Garden or purchasing nameplates for the Memory Board. The Memorial Committee works closely with Rev. Rebekah. For those who wish more general information and options for planning funerals, memorial services and related matters, a good resource is The Funeral Consumers Alliance of Maryland and Environs (FCAME), the regional chapter of a national non-profit consumer education and advocacy organization, the Funeral Consumers Alliance. For members of UUCR, there are no fee for ministerial services.
Fees for Memorial Activities and Services
Memorial Service,
Honorarium for Rev. Rebekah
for non-congregants: $400
Fees for the pianist vary,
and are determined by the pianist
Name Plate Cost: $500
A donation to UUCR is encouraged for placement of ashes in the Memorial Garden. Rooms for memorial services and receptions are free for contributing members and friends. A reception for contributing members and friends may be provided by the Pastoral Care Team or catered. Room Rental rates for non-congregants can be provided by our Congregational Administrator. Fees for custodial services, for set-up/clean-up, vary depending upon needs. Rev. Rebekah may use discretion regarding payments.