End-of-life planning can be a difficult discussion. Having a professional by your side can bring ease and grace to the process.

With Virtual Closure planning your loved one’s memorial service doesn’t have to be stressful or time-consuming.

About

We help family and friends have an opportunity to gather when they need each other most.

Our missioN

How we Serve

We help you navigate the journey of planning a celebration of life that reflects the wishes, beliefs, and cultural values of your loved one.

We provide support and a sacred space to acknowledge the grief, sadness, and anger that you may be feeling.

Service Coordination & Planning
Service Facilitation
Memorial and Tribute Website
Grief Resources
Mental Health Awareness Resources
Life Planning Resources
Funeral Home Resource List

we listen. we care. we are here.

our values

empathy

We are compassionate and with you through every step of this journey.

integrity

Our process is transparent and clear. No hidden costs or unwanted surprises.

service

We lift the burden of planning the memorial service of your loved one.

collaboration

We partner with you to create an experience that reflects the life of your loved one.

What Is a Funeral Celebrant?

Funeral Celebrants are trained in all the elements of ceremonies that help others navigate the journey of planning a memorial service that reflects the wishes, beliefs, cultural background, and values - religious or non-religious - of your loved one and your family.
Virtual Closure is certified through the Celebrant Foundation Institute.

I am Erica Brown Gayles, the Owner and Funeral Celebrant for Virtual Closure Memorial Services.
In November of 2020, my sister-in-law passed very unexpectedly from heart failure in Houston, Texas. Her daughter lives in California and her brother (my husband), and I live in Illinois, there was no family local at the time of her death.

I was inspired to try and find a virtual memorial service so that all of my sister-in-law's loved ones could get the closure we all needed after her sudden death. While a few options were available, such as drive-through funerals, there was a lack of opportunities for a truly personalized memorial service at an affordable price.

While her daughter and her brother attended the funeral service in Houston Texas, only a maximum of 55 people could attend, but there were only 20 people in attendance in person due to concerns about covid-19. The desire to gather, share stories, and bring about the closure that we each sought during times like these was not available.

Founder & Certified Funeral Celebrant

Erica Brown Gayles

While my story is not unique. We’ve all either experienced this or know someone who has. The need for support is great, and I felt a calling to provide a service that allows families to gather and pay honor to their loved one. I became a certified Funeral Celebrant and decided to develop a new kind of way for the MO/IL Metro-East area and beyond to virtually celebrate the lives of their loved ones. I am honored to impact lives for the better through Virtual Closure Memorial Services.

We know what it’s like to experience loss.
You don’t have to do this alone.
We can help.

We know what it’s like to experience loss. You don’t have to do this alone. We can help.

Meet the team

Moses A. Gayles III

Moses enjoys writing about various topics and will be a regular contributor to Virtual Closure blogs. Stay tuned to read his future blog post.

Joan Bogwill

Joan uses compassionate communication skills to gather information, stories, and special memories about your loved one. Then, with heartfelt passion, she can design a ceremony using selected readings, music, rituals, symbolism, and engaging storytelling to tell their life story.

MIN. Teresa Johnson

Minister Teresa Johnson has a compassion for ministering to those in need. She’s available to assist with eulogies if needed.

Angela Sweetland

Angela is a compassionate and caring person and has a deep understanding of assisting clients with the loss of a loved one. She will be assisting with service coordination and planning and memorial service facilitation.

Blog Contributer

Ministerial Advisor

Life-Cycle Certified Celebrant™ Advisor