Foul Play?

No, without a family member, friend, or the executor of the estate making decisions, the body will be taken to the nearest morgue & left there for quite some time. The only exception to this would be if the deceased personally made these decisions prior to death so things would be in motion right away.

Do you suspect foul play?

No, it's not typical for a funeral director to come to a home. At least not in my experience.

The next of kin is usually the ones who handle the arrangements - if neighbors haven't seen the person - they may have called police. I know we hadn't seen our elderly neighbor 3 years ago - we knocked on the door and nothing...we called the daughter - she came over - she found her father - he had died in his sleep.

If you are a relative - you can ask police and the coroner the cause of death..

GOOD LUCK!

Well, having worked in the cemetery business, this could be taken care of in numerous ways.
If the elderly person had arrangements made at a funeral home prior to passing, which many, many people do, the funeral home will transport the deceadant upon notification of death. They take possession of the body and arrange for the death certificate, etc.
If someone passes away at a hospital, unless there is a coroner's inquiry for toxicology and things like that, a funeral home chosen by the family or predetermined in the person's will, etc will take the deceadant for burial and/or cremation.

Early 60's IS young. Autopsies aren't routinely performed.
My mother in law was 67 and dropped and died on her kitchen floor one morning. It was obviously a massive coronary. The doctor did not order an autopsy and we didn't request one. Her mother, strangely enough, had died the same way.

Have you asked any of these questions of the funeral home? If you have papers showing that you are the legal executor of the estate, it seems you have a right to know who notified them, who took care of the arrangements, etc.
I have a little aunt in Oregon and I am her only relative. If she passed away today, God forbid!....she has already made arrangements, years ago, as to her burial wishes. She has the entire thing paid for already. The casket, the plot next to her husband, the headstone is already in place. All they need to do is place her where she wants to be and add the date of her passing. Those arrangements were made and paid for well before my uncle passed away.
It's not unusual for a funeral home to go into the person's home. It's not unusual for you not to receive a bill. It's not unusual for there not to be an autopsy.

I'm truly sorry for your loss. I certainly hope there wasn't any foul play although if it didn't seem like a passing from natural causes, I'm fairly certain the funeral home would have reported that as they need a physician to sign off on the death certificate.
Start with the funeral home, but if you really feel something was suspicious with her actual manner of death, you will need to speak to the authorities.

Again, I'm sorry for your loss.

If she was under a doctor's care at the time, the doctor will likely sign the death certificate.
If the circumstances were suspicious or unexpected, they may do an autopsy.
As for the funeral expenses, the "family" (surviving spouse, children, relatives) make arrangements for the funeral & etc.
If no O. claims the body, likely they bury in a community "potter's field" type of place.

ETA: Was there a funeral home involved? Were her arrangements pre-paid? As the executor, you were responsible for the dispersement of her assets, as well as the paying of final bills (utilities, credit cards, etc), canceling credit cards, getting the insurance payments, etc.

Updated

If she was under a doctor's care at the time, the doctor will likely sign the death certificate.
If the circumstances were suspicious or unexpected, they may do an autopsy.
As for the funeral expenses, the "family" (surviving spouse, children, relatives) make arrangements for the funeral & etc.
If no O. claims the body, likely they bury in a community "potter's field" type of place.

Ahh, god I wish I had never married a funeral director.

Next of kin takes care of everything unless they can't be found. Then I believe it is the state. In that area I wouldn't know because they do not contract with funeral homes, too expensive.

Okay so she dies, someone finds out they call the police. The corner's office arranges pick up. If they cannot find a family member I am not sure what exactly they do and I hate my ex so I ain't calling him.

If a family member finds them they call the funeral home and the funeral home picks up. Yes funeral directors can and do come to the house. Who ever calls the funeral home is responsible for making and paying for the arrangements.

Who initiates really depends on who finds the body.

Oh someone brought up a good point if there was a prearrangement then that would set everything into motion after the police called around.

Get a copy of the death certificate. It will show who the funeral home was and have the doctor's signature. Using that you can find cause of death.

To add to what others have said, if hospice is involved they take care of having the funeral home come to pick up the body. The hospice nurse can call the time of death. Someone official has to do that. I don't think the funeral home can take the body until that is done.
If not prepaid, the next of kin has to. The funeral home will not do anything until they are paid in full.

When my grandmother passed away at her home my uncle called the funeral home and the funeral director came into the house with another asst. and moved her to the funeral home.

When my other grandmother and my grandpa passed at the hospital they waited until we all left. Closed the room up and moved them to the morgue of the hospitial and then they ( my family also made the call) to the funeral home and they came and moved them.

As for who pays for everything, the family does. My grandpa paid for my grandma's. My other set of grandparets had a fund set aside for this and that was used, the remainder that was in the fund went as a donation to the funeral home per thier request.

If the passing of her was an unexpected mystery then they will do an autopsy to determine the cause or more so rule out foul play and show natural causes. I believe ( could be wrong) the police don't get involed unless its obvious foul play or foul play is found.

Next of kin. Eveeything goess to the first next of kin rhat pops up. Any issues she had, bills not paid, ect go to that person. We were shocked when our mama died and people came out of the woodworks wanting something.

When my mom passed away, my dad was home and here are the steps that I remember. Just to preface the story - my mom died of cancer (so we knew it was coming etc.)

1. Dad called 911
2. Ambulance shows up and tries to resesitate until dad can find her will stating a DNR. They pronounce her dead.
3. The funeral home gets called (I think the ambulance did this)...within 20 minutes they are there taking the body.
4. When the ambulance is there they sternly ask for all of her medications etc and take with them.

Within a matter of an hour, she was gone. Then we the family begin preparations for her burial etc. Unless there is something VERY unusual I would doubt foul play. Autopsies I think are not too common due to cost. Death is such a nasty/crazy/scary thing in the moment and I am so sorry for your loss.

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