At a funeral service, pallbearers are the people that carry or escort the casket. Sometimes they can be between 6 and 8 pallbearers, and the number would depend on how many handles are on the casket. In some cases, the casket may have three handles on either side while at others it may have four. In the case of the latter, eight people can serve as pallbearers.

Some Facts About Pallbearers

Here is some relevant information from Charles J. O’Shea Funeral Home that can help:

• It is an honor to be a pallbearer at a funeral service of someone close to you. Whenever people preplan a funeral, many also mention who would serve as pallbearers after their death. If you are planning this aspect of the service, think about who you would want to handle the casket.
   
• Family members and close friends are common choices.
   
• Either men or women can be pallbearers as long as they are physically capable of doing so. Sometimes, honorary pallbearers can stand in place of individuals that are incapable of physically lifting the casket. In this case, the pallbearer would only walk alongside the people that are carrying the casket.
   
• Any number of people can be honorary pallbearers.
   
• In most funerals, there are some common choices while selecting pallbearers. Siblings, adult children, grown-up grandchildren or close friends, colleagues or nephews and nieces are frequently selected as pallbearers. There is no written rule as to who can handle this task.

If a person has opted for cremation, there would be no casket. In this case, no pallbearers would be needed. If you want to know more about who can serve as pallbearers or want more details about how to plan a funeral service, don’t hesitate to contact us at Charles J. O’Shea Funeral Home. We’ll be happy to answer your questions.