Can a funeral be held without the body?

Yes, but it would be more properly called a memorial or life-appreciation service. One was held for Amelia Earhart in l938 and at the time it was not known whether she was alive or deceased. script lines reflected this. One attendee was the famoius women"s writer Fannie Hurst.

ANSWER:

Some people have a memorial service for their deceased loved ones who are cremated rather than a funeral and burial service. The main purpse of the memorial service is to comfort the bereaved and remember the life of the lost loved one. Awake article on jw.orgt