When you're deciding who will serve as pallbearers at your funeral, you'll want to give careful consideration to key members of your immediate and extended family, as well as close friends and even business associates to whom you may wish to extend this offer. You should also give some thought to naming an honorary pallbearer. Doing so isn't absolutely necessary, but it can be nice because you get to select an additional pallbearer — and that can be handy if you're having trouble narrowing down your choices. An honorary pallbearer walks behind the casket, rather than beside it with the other pallbearers. Here are three people you might wish to name for this honor.

A Young Family Member

Depending on your age, there may be a young family member whom you'd like to give the honor of being an honorary pallbearer. This could be a grandchild or even your own child. Younger children don't commonly serve as pallbearers, but you'll sometimes see adolescents as honorary pallbearers. This person won't need to worry about hanging onto one of the handles of your casket and walking in time with the other pallbearers; he or she will simply need to follow behind, and that can be suitable for someone who is young.

A Business Partner

Some people feel strongly about having family members serve as pallbearers. In other cases, you might wish to have someone outside the family in this role, but you could be concerned that leaving a family member feeling left out will create bad feelings. If you have someone from your career with whom you were very close — perhaps a business partner, for example — having him or her act as an honorary pallbearer can be ideal. Your actual pallbearers will all be family, but everyone will understand the important role that your business partner played in your life by seeing him or her walking behind the casket.

Someone Who Is Elderly

It's also fairly common to see elderly people playing the role of honorary pallbearers. Such an individual might not be physically able to walk steadily while hanging onto the casket handle, for example. Perhaps the person walks with a cane, a walker, or even needs a wheelchair to get around. If such an individual is important in your life and you wish to recognize him or her, the honorary pallbearer position is perfect. Even if someone uses a wheelchair, another family member can push this person along behind the casket.

For more information, contact establishments like Thomas Funeral Chapels Inc.