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Coronavirus Latest: Funeral Homes Adapting To New Normal As Pandemic Forcing Families To Hold Drive-Thru Funeral Services

DELAWARE COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) - A funeral home in Delaware County is turning to alternative measures to help families say goodbye to loved ones during this pandemic. In what really is a first of its kind, a local funeral home is offering drive-thru services, where family members can exchange condolences from 12 feet away.

Loved ones rolled through, never leaving their cars, paying their respects to the late Herbert Michael Nathan.

"He probably would've thought it was a little comical and he probably would've been OK with it," stepdaughter Karen Hierman said.

Funeral director Peter Pagano of Garnet Valley says it's been challenging in trying to honor families' wishes to keep with tradition while being mindful of social distancing and stay-at-home orders.

"This COVID-19 is robbing families of closure," Pagano said. "Me having an onsite crematory, able to do cremations, do memorial services, funerals. I'm giving closure back to families which has been taken away from them."

Herbert Nathan or "Mike" as he was was known, was 85. He passed away peacefully on Friday, according to his obituary. He did not have the coronavirus.

Following the drive-thru wake, services were live-streamed on the funeral home website.

"He was a really great guy," said Hierman. "He probably would have been a little upset that people weren't able to really come and pay their full respects but he would have been appreciative that we did something."

Funeral directors in Pennsylvania say with increased regulations of their industry during this pandemic, cremations are up. For the time being, families of those who have died from the virus are not permitted to have an open-casket viewing.

"I never ever would have believed that the country would shut down. I never would have believed that you can take funerals from families, the way it was done. I never would have bet everything I have on something like that," Pagano said.

Saying goodbye in usual times, life goes on with industries adjusting, as safely as they can.

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