COVID considerations: Decedents who die from Covid or complications thereof are treated specially. If there is to be an open casket public visitation, we require embalming offsite for an additional charge. Please ask your funeral director for details. Embalming kills the virus, which allows the family to freely mourn with their loved one present and viewable. Bodies that are not embalmed will not be allowed to be seen in person, but rather, we will require a photo ID via email or text. The state of Maryland and the County of Prince George’s mandates our limitations, so please check for the most up-to-date procedures on the number of people allowed in the facility. Cemeteries and churches have separate rules.

A traditional funeral generally includes specific calling hours prior to a funeral ceremony conducted at either the funeral home or a place of worship, and concludes with cremation or a committal service at a cemetery. The casket can be open or closed during the public visitation, but the immediate family will have the choice to see their loved one either way. If there is to be a public open casket, we do require embalming. We have several easels, tables, and plenty of room to display your loved ones’ memorabilia. We also provide an optional DVD which is included in our Basic Service Charge that you can choose to play on a loop in the visitation room while your family and friends gather. We offer free WiFi, and although we do not provide a streaming service, we do allow the family to stream on whichever platform they are comfortable with.

Cremation can be preceded by a full traditional service at the funeral home or place of worship with your loved one present; or cremation can take place first, followed by a public or private visitation and memorial service. Cremating your loved one comes with numerous options. Once a person is cremated, there is no immediate need for decisions. If you would like an urn, we can counsel you on the type or material of urn that would be best for your plans. Our crematory is offsite, and once the cremains are returned to us, they will be in a sealed plastic bag within a white cardboard temporary urn. We offer to transfer the cremains into an urn, keepsake, jewelry, etc. as part of our Basic Services Charge. Direct cremation refers to the final and immediate disposition of remains without any public rites or ceremonies. As noted above, the room can be situated to make your family comfortable. With cremation, embalming is optional unless the family would like an open casket public visitation.

A memorial service is defined as a service without the body present. Usually, there is no visitation, and the service can be officiated by a member of the clergy or family. The memorial service can be scheduled at the time of arrangement, or at any time in the future. The family may choose whether to have an urn present at the service. Our florists have wonderful urn wreaths that can be placed around the urn as a focal point, or if you would rather have a nice framed photo of your loved one, that looks just as nice. Once again, the memorial service is most memorable when the family brings photos, memorabilia, or certain handouts that will remind the attendees of the deceased.

Veteran services may be comprised of any of our service options, and include service members of the respective U.S. Military branch offering modified Funeral Honors at the service location. The veteran's family may select a private cemetery or a qualifying state or national veteran's cemetery for interment of the veteran, spouse and dependent children. Honors depends on your loved ones’ discharge paperwork. They usually consist of two flag folders and a bugler playing TAPS. There are a few Maryland State Veterans Cemeteries, notably Crownsville and Cheltenham. You may have a choice between ground burial or mausoleum niche. There is almost never a delay for burial, and at the most you may need to wait a week. They provide a free plot and marker for the veteran. Dependents may also be interred there for a nominal fee of opening and closing the grave. We also serve Arlington National Cemetery for qualified veterans. Arlington National Cemetery has about a 3-6 month wait, and the funeral home will store the casket during that period of time at no charge.