When a loved one dies and you can't be there in person, the next best thing you can do is to be there in spirit.
Chris Hill knows. He lost his mother last Thanksgiving Day.
"You know there's some people who you know won't make it because they're sick or elderly or simply can't afford to come based on the economy," said Hill, the founder of FuneralResources.com in Reston, Va.
One of those people was his aunt, who still struggles with grief. He learned much later that there are companies who work with funeral homes to webcast ceremonies live on the Internet. So he started FuneralResources.com to connect everyone.
The service allows people to come together for the actual memorial service -- whether you're there in person, or via the web.
If you can't make the live webcast, the company also has an on-demand option that lets you can watch the service online for up to 90 days. And soon, Hill says you'll be able to see ceremonies on your cell phone.
FuneralRecording.com, based in Utah, handles the technology, camera equipment and in some cases, finding the videographers.
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It's almost like when Michael Jackson died, except not everyone can watch.
"It's not as if there's a security issue, where anybody can go in and watch any service," Hill said. "It's very secure, very personalized and then you get to choose as a family who gets to watch it and when."
There are fees for the Internet funeral services, but even if you're not rich and famous, you won't need rock star money to bring everyone together.
