Unfortunately, this was one of the most disappointing experiences I've had with a mortuary on the island. As a family coming together to honor and celebrate the life of our loved one, we expected a higher level of professionalism, care, and support. The overall quality of the facilities and equipment felt outdated, and the interactions with some of the staff came across as less welcoming than we had hoped. There were several issues throughout the service, including the slideshow not being played as planned and the microphones cutting in and out while people were speaking. The most difficult part was feeling rushed during the time we were trying to take photos, reflect, and create final memories with our loved one. This was an important moment for our family, and we hoped to have more time and support to truly honor that experience. I hope this feedback helps improve the experience for future families, because during such a meaningful and emotional time, compassion, patience, and professionalism are incredibly important. read more

* I felt pressured into expensive packages. * I couldn't get anyone to discuss less expensive options. * Communication became email-only despite repeated requests. * The paperwork delays affected your ability to obtain the death certificate. * I ultimately transferred to another mortuary, paid nearly $1,000 to do so, and received faster, less expensive service there. Shelby's actions made me feel that closing the sale was a higher priority than helping my family bury my mother with dignity. Even after three weeks, the paperwork needed for us to obtain a death certificate had not been filed with the state, which meant we couldn't get the certificate needed to work with the banks. Repeatedly being unable to reach them delayed our ability to finalize arrangements, and my mother's funeral was pushed back. Because she had not been embalmed and significant time had passed, her condition had deteriorated by the time she was transferred. She was no longer recognizable to us. read more

AC works well and was cool enough to might need a jacket, staff are very friendly and offered to rearrange the room to accommodate to our needs, the dining area is also well kept and the pineapple juice (I think it's pineapple?) was very delicious. read more

I've never had a worse experience In a time when I was really at a difficult time this mortuary didn't seem to care. I could get information on the status I was told repeatedly that I would be called back and never heard from them. I would not recommend them read more

We went through Borthwick with mom in 2018 and everything went smooth. We went through them again for my dad who passed mid November. We had the appointment with Marilou. At first it was fine. She didn't really have many answers for the questions we had. She also didn't show any intent on finding out the answers. Initially they were small things that we just brushed off. Then later into the meeting we had questions about my dad being buried with military honors. Again, she didn't have answers and didn't show any type of concern in finding them out. She said there was somebody recently who didn't get and he was high ranking. That's an unacceptable answer. That's when red flags starting flying around in all of our heads. She just didn't give a f*ck enough to verify anything. She made the whole process so much more stressful than it already was. We wanted to pay with insurance, since one of the insurance is through a local State Farm office and they can cut a check quickly, like they did with my mom. She kept arguing that insurance can't do that quickly and that we need to finance through them, taking an over $18k bill to $20k. She finally agreed to talk to her boss and call us later. There are due dates for photos, obituaries, and other things that I submitted prior to any due dates. I received email confirmation on them. Fast forward to the weekend before his funeral. No obituary anywhere. Not in the paper and not online. We have to wait until Monday to speak to anybody. I leave a message Sunday for Marilou. The lady says that she will give a call by 9 am on Monday. No call. We go down there and she's busy with another family. Merci comes to help us. The department that was in charge of posting the obituaries was busy but told Merci they posted it online on the 9th. We check, and sure enough it's posted. They insist to Merci it had already been up online, but they're not sure why it wasn't in the paper. They said they can rush and get one in the next morning which was the day of his funeral. We all argued it absolutely was not posted prior to that morning. Merci was able to verify that it was in fact just posted online that morning, the 15th. They lied and threw her under the bus. My dad was 90, not much people his age look online for obituaries. There was no other way for us to contact most of them. We could only contact family. Day of the funeral, paper has the obituary. Edwin and the limo driver (I'm so sorry I forgot his name) were so kind and everything almost went smooth. I was told previously by Marilou that we would have the service, go to punch bowl for the burial, then come back and pack up the food. 20 minutes before they were going to close the casket I was told by the lady in the kitchen that everything had to be packed up and cleared out. We had so much food because the obituary didn't get posted online until the day before and then in the paper that morning. We had to scramble and then almost missed them closing the casket. It was so much added stress. Aside from Marilou and the department that screwed up the obituary, everybody else there was very nice. TLDR: The whole thing was made to be unnecessarily stressful. 100% satisfaction is bs. Having to go back and double check everything, and then being blindsided by things we didn't even think of until it went wrong was just ridiculous. Everything needs to be done right because there are no redos here. We can't go back and fix everything. That's the most frustrating part. My dad deserved it to be done right, and they just screwed up at every opportunity. read more

My father purchased a viewing/service plan with cremation. Everything went perfectly from the day of his passing to the service. The staff was exceptionally helpful and answered all of our questions. The service area was clean, set up and ready to go. Thank you so much for all that you do. read more

We used their services for our mom and compared to the "other well known" mortuary, we found the services to be much more comprehensive. It maybe because my mom bought this particular plan. All the staff from the person at the front desk to the coordinator to the director, everyone was very sensitive and kind- we felt very cared for. Appreciated that the reception room was indoors. Shout out to Elena, BJ and Ivan! And to the lovely gentleman manning the parking lot! Mahalo all! read more

ZERO STARS... This is why: My stepdad passed away in October. My mom ordered a thumbprint pendant for $295. My mom never got the pendant. They did the death certs wrong. Mom went in for them to fix them. Asked Marciella about the status of her pendant while she was there in-person. Marciella says she dropped the ball and hadn't put the order in. My mom says to just cancel it. Marciella says she can't just refund the credit card (not sure what the process looks like cause mom can't remember... cause it's been so long now). So mom waits for a refund in some other form, whatever that is (why didn't they do it that day??) Mom proceeds to call over and over AND NOBODY CALLS HER BACK. NOBODY CALLS HER BACK. NOBODY. She lost her husband and she is dealing with this garbage company that clearly lacks compassion for folks. She has called about 10 times, it's been months. MONTHS. She just wants her $295 back. Like people need more stress and grief when losing a loved one?!! To summarize: - Borthwick gets information incorrect on documents - fails to order memorabilia of loved one - mom has to follow up herself (actually goes in to get an update) - says to just cancel cause it's already been so long, we ordered her something else - and now she can't get her refund - NOBODY CALLS HER BACK - THEY WON'T PUT HER THROUGH TO TALK TO MARCIELLA - SO my mom is just dealing with extra stress caused by BORTHWICK Customer service is so important in general, but when you're dealing with clients that are already dealing with deep grief... CUSTOMER SERVICE IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT. Borthwick - GET IT TOGETHER If you're thinking about working with them, this is your sign to keep looking. read more

Borthwick Mortuary - Borthwick's customer service - Funeral Services & Cemeteries Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

7-16-21 We used the Yelp directions to help us get here. As soon as you enter the driveway there is a security guard who directs you to the service you are here for. Further up there is a person that tells you where to park. The building was permanently signed Maunakea Chapel with a directional arrow. However on the left door there was a paper on it saying the name of the family. That entrance took us through the dining area where there were preparations of beverages on the left and bentos on the right. There were many tables for group seating. At the very end was the reception table where we dropped our envelope in a plastic container. A colorful bright blue program with the departed relative was on the front. There was a basket wirh pink designs on cello bagged cookies that said Thankyou. There was a tv with slide show in the dining area as well as in the chapel. There were two easels with photos of the person whose life was being celebrated. I noticed a beautiful bouquet and a sign saying Happy Birthday in bright pink glittery lettering. The person had passed in May. I asked is today her birthday? The two ladies manning the table said Yes, she would have been 95. Sad but thoughtfully chosen to say goodbye to her on this special day. In the chapel there were some people already seated in the pews. At the very front were several gorgeous wreaths, one was a huge heart made up of red roses. There was a table with the urn with a photo etched into it. We paid our respects to the family in the front row. Due to COVID masks were worn and an awkward pause, hug? shake hands? No, just brief exchanges. We planned to not stay since we need to babysit a toddler next week. As we were leaving a family member asked to take our photo and remove our masks. CRINGE!!! We were told stay, there's good bentos. We smiled and waved goodbye. More relatives arrived and one openly offered a hug. There's no way of getting around it. Stay safe everybody. read more

Borthwick Mortuary - 7-16-21 go straight thru to the back for Maunakea Chapel - Funeral Services & Cemeteries Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Our dear brother passed away suddenly, We had to look for mortuary's quick. A lot of mortuary's quoted me about the same to ship his body to California, with embalming, and any other preparation of the body at about $5,000, including Borthwick. For whatever reason, I had a good feeling about choosing Borthwick. I personally worked with Maricela Montano. She seemed nice at first, but she was not too empathetic. Then after speaking to her MULTIPLE times, and after she quoted me about $5,000 for everything. We ended up paying $7,000. Maricela also promised us the fingerprints of our loved one, and we NEVER got them. On top of that, I asked her to update me on the airport and flight details, mostly because my husband wanted reassurance during this difficult time and wanted to "escort" his body. I'll be blunt and just say, she never called me back after we gave payment. I called her and left. Message and she never got back to me. While in her office, she had technical issues and then she kept making spelling errors. Thank goodness WE caught them. She wasn't very detailed. During our meeting time, she answered the phone and took someone else's call, while we waited there wondering how the price got almost $2,000 over the estimate. This place ONLY cares about your money. That's all. I would go with a different mortuary if possible. This one didn't give us any empathy or much respect. read more

Went to two funerals in just as many weeks. As extended family I was very happy with the grounds and staff. Covid protocols were followed, social distancing and frequent sanitizing. The pews were distanced, one entrance in and one out. Parking was a little tight but everything went smoothly both times. read more

See all

Now that my mother was buried the other day, I can now write how disappointed I was with Borthwick mortuary. Starting with confusion concerning the burial dates, to the online obituary which had conflicting information which was never corrected. Very slow on responding to texts with no updates. Between Myself and my sister-in-law getting 4 phone calls trying to collect $101 dollars on the day of my mom's funeral (we had the check already written) to their forgetting of the bereavement book. We had to have people sign in on notebook paper. Maybe it was because it was from an old contract from about 30 years ago. There is more but overall I expected better from a kama'aina company towards a kama'aina family. read more

A big Mahalo to the staff of Borthwick Mortuary, our mother's service was so well taken care of. They ensured every detail was met so we didn't have to stress during this difficult time. Our family is so grateful, Mahalo nui loa!~ read more

I was planning the funeral from LA and Jeffrey was so kind. Jeffrey, the funeral director, was so helpful, professional and very empathetic. The family has had several services at Borthwick over the years. Jeffrey was outstanding. His empathy was greatly appreciated. read more

Had to obtain information for the grieving family and two employee had incorrect information so had to have family confirm everything. The initial counseling which I was in attendance was professional so felt confident the family would be well taken cared of but if any contact by any employee that respond to simple questions are not in sync where are the information for the families are posted to get consistent information? The last service for us were in 2006 and everything was smooth. Can't respond to value as their should be no price attached for the passing of a love one, what each family can afford will always be a deciding factor when choosing specifics. read more

With the unfortunate passing of my mother a mere 18 months after my dad, there was no doubt that we were going to look to Borthwick handling the service once again. This time we held the service at St. Theresa's Church rather than at the Borthwick facility. The arrangements were totally different due to the scheduling and coordinating with an outside location. But I had full confidence that everything would go smoothly, and it did. Even beyond my expectation. Again, the decedent's appearance was amazingly realistic, and the Borthwick team anticipated and took care of every possible detail with respect to the service and burial. Shoutouts to Marilou, Ed and Orlando and the rest of the team. I will always recommend Borthwick. With much appreciation - penny tong read more

Borthwick Mortuary and the staff exceeded our expectations. Manson assisted our family throughout the difficult transition following my father's death. Ivan helped guide us through the painful process of planning the funeral, the service, eulogy as well as the burial. Ivan was patient, supportive and empathetic. All of our concerns were promptly addressed. My family highly recommends Borthwick Mortuary. We were treated with professionalism and care during our time of need. Mahalo read more

Just a warning. My relative bought a pre need plan, which was to cover all expenses of her cremation. Upon her death, I met with a Borthwick representative to retrieve her ashes. But the Borthwick representative insisted that we sign a new contract, apparently with new charges, and claimed that they "could not move forward" until we did so. It seems rather inappropriate, if now downright slimy, for Borthwick to be taking advantage of a deceased's relatives at such a vulnerable time. Days of discussions later, Borthwick relented and allowed us to pick up her ashes without having to sign a new contract or agree to any new upcharges. But we still had to hound them with a number of follow up letters and calls to be able to get the death certificates which we had already paid for. Is this Borthwick's business model? Sell a modest pre-need funeral plan and then hold the ashes and important paperwork hostage while they try to push grieving family to pay for more services while they are at their most vulnerable? I truly hope that our experience was not typical. But you should be wary. As any other local family, we have attended many funerals at Borthwick and not heard of the above, but I don't know if any of the prior funerals involved pre-need purchases. read more

Borthwick Mortuary falls under the umbrella of Dignity Memorial. I've been here for a few funeral services. It consists of two chapels, the Maunakea Chapel and Mauka Chapel. Both are very nice and clean. When you walk in the chapel is on one side. The other side has dining tables for food and condiments. Borthwick also serves coffee and juices. You have to cater the food or bring in your own. The people who work here are pleasant. They're very knowledgeable about things pertaining to the funeral and services. You can hold whatever type of funeral that you want. I've been to Buddhist and Catholic funerals at this place. They can even print out brochures and bookmarks for the service. read more

See all

Well, never thought I'd be here reviewing a mortuary. The dread of even talking about this is heavy on my chest. I understand that covid puts a damper on things and that nothing is "normal" but you'd think a funeral would an exception. NOPE, they were just as strict if not even stricter. The fact that i can go to Walmart or target or the mall/restaurants and be around 20+ STRANGERS but not be able to comfort my family during the hardest moments of our lives blows my mind. They should be lenient about this stuff, but the staff here were sticklers to the rules. They kept saying it was for the "family safety" but i disagree. Any cop, judge or prosecutor would understand that this is literally the last time I will be able to see my deceased family member off. And that I should be able to hug my father, brother and sisters in the hardest moments of their lives. My grandpa is a veteran of many wars, he had so many people who loved and respected him in his life and unfortunately he will last be remembered in a closed casket in a parking lot :( I know under the circumstances this should be expected. But honestly the mortuary should be a lot more lenient and understand that regardless of the current pandemic were still human and still need to remain human no matter what. read more

I've come here several times for services and never had a problem. The parking is fine and the attendants are friendly and helpful. The service area can accomodate different religious beliefs. The audiovisual system is great...i enjoy seeing photos from the loved one's past and learning mpre about them. The kitchen area has a sink and adequate counter space for food prep. The renovated restroom is clean and well stocked... there is potpourri and a live plant on the counter! The mortuary provided pens, envelopes, & a beautiful book with removable pages for guests to sign in and space for newspaper clippings and other memorabilia. Overall, we had many good experiences here. read more

Borthwick Mortuary - Nice air conditioned area for services. .. - Funeral Services & Cemeteries Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

I do not recommend them. They ruined my moms funeral. Here are the things they did WRONG! They printed the wrong verse in service folder and registration book that insulted my moms religion and our family. Also, the name of the person who officiated the service at the temple was not correct, they assumed and put the reverend that performed service at funeral instead. Another verse in registration book was insulting to her religion along with our family. We chose "Remember Me" but "Remember Me in Quiet Days" was printed. The urn size was WRONG and TOO LARGE to place my mom in her final resting place. This is the absolute worst feeling when you find out. The slideshow was not played at funeral after we rushed to get them the 30 photos. Communication between all staff is horrible. Not everyone is trained and on the same page. No one knew what the Estate Manager was and explained it vaguely. Items in contract were not clear as one item was just a number and no description. 50 thank you cards didn't come with postage but no one told us to bring it to them to send out. When we found out, we had already sent out thank you cards. No reimbursement for this. Ruining the funeral is an understatement and we cannot redo the funeral for my mom. Worst day to ruin for anyone and they do funerals for a living. This is totally unacceptable. We should be grieving for our loved one but instead had to deal with all these issues. It's heartbreaking for my family that this happened. read more

Even 1 star might be a little generous considering the situation. When my father passed away, my husband chose Borthwick since it was nearby, that mistake will never happen again. A few days later we went down to talk to the coordinator. What we wanted was very simple, cremation, urn, pick up. No services, nothing special since my father was very against paying funeral homes more than necessary. Even with the simplicity of requests, the meeting took 2-3 hours due to the very slow typing and long unnecessary instructions for other options. They told us they'd call us with a date of cremation so we could stop by and drop off items to be cremated with. Also we ordered 10 death certificates through them. A couple weeks pass and we start wondering when they plan on calling us, finally I called them and find out that my father had been cremated earlier in the month, so they tell me I can come pick him up. We didn't get a call so our plans to have him cremated with a couple items were cancelled, plus he'd been sitting there for 2 weeks and who knows how much more till they decide to call us. My sister and her husband went down to pick up the urn, when they got it home we all noticed a pretty large gouge on the top of the urn. My sister and I were pretty distraught by this point since all of this made grieving so much harder. About a week after that, when we were supposed to get our death certificates, none showed up. Luckily we had a friend that worked in the Dept. of Health and we asked him to check when we could expect the certificates. He told us that there had been no order for death certificates from Borthwick. Angrily I called Borthwick and cancelled the certificates, told them since they hadn't even ordered them 4 weeks later, I wanted a refund. The person on the phone asked if someone should call me the next morning to talk about it, I said yes, and I got no phone calls the next day or week. Instead we just went down to the Dept. and picked them up ourselves. Borthwick did eventually call about a month later to tell me the certificates were ready! I told them I had cancelled that order and I expected a refund. At this point my brother-in-law took over talking or meeting with Borthwick because we didn't want to be stressed on what other way Borthwick could screw us. They did give us a small refund, but honestly, it really wasn't enough to make up for all the issues we had and the extra pain it caused us. This whole experience made the grieving process so much harder than it should have been. read more

Angela at front reception desk is super friendly and helpful. If she doesn't know the answer she picks up the phone and calls the right person to come and figure things out. 4 stars Met with a friendly Marylou. She explained in detail what funeral plans or options are included with each service package. 4 stars We had mr. Pang the Taoist priest perform and chant for dad. He did an excelent job and mom was very pleased with his work. 5 stars Met with Ricky who is very accommodating and personable. He watched the 20 minuite DVD slideshow I put together honoring dad. Made sure there were no glitches. Thanks Ricky! 5 stars Was introduced to Ed who assisted with the entire funeral from begining to end. Again super nice Ed is tops. Always checking in on everything and making the day run smooth. Very knowledgeable about Taoist traditional symbolic representation and meanings. Thanks Ed for making the day less painful.5 stars At the end of the day was soooo pooped. I dont know where this team gets all that energy from since they do this everyday? I would highly recommend this team to friends and family. Solid 4.5 stars overall. read more

See all

If this was 4 years ago, I would have given them a 5 star, but with the changes in their mortuary procedures, hiring "counselors" instead of having the funeral director be with you from start to finish, it just made more grief for those who are already grieving for their loved ones. If you do intend to pay more than 10K for their services, don't expect them to follow up with you. Instead, you need to make sure you follow up, or everything will be dropped. Luckily, we had several family members to coordinate this because if it's just yourself, your experience will be a lot more devastating dealing with the grief and lack of sympathy and coordination of this mortuary: Here's my story: COUNSELOR: Hi, I'll be taking care of the funeral plans. Don't worry, I'll be taking care of everything, from ordering the announcements, setting up the place and coordinating the funeral and burial with the church and cemetery. Just call me if you have any questions. We have several package deals to choose from, ordering flower arrangements with us, as well as purchasing the program, thank you cards and even a painting of whatever picture you choose. We also provide a slideshow on a screen for those to view and have a website to announce the funeral. As we were there, she called the church requested, but left a message. So, after seeing this counselor, this is what happened within 2 weeks of the funeral and the funeral itself: Day 1 - 4 of 14: Called counselor for questions. Counselor was not available, and did not return call. Information in the website was not posted. Called the church and they said Borthwick did not contact them after that first call. Day 5: Counselor finally picked up the phone when we called, and we asked why isn't she returning our calls. She mentioned she called the church, and asked her to give them the information they need to perform the service. She said she'll take care of everything. Asked her when we were supposed to give the information for the program. She said 7 days before the funeral. Day 6: Met with the church, and had to make arrangements with the priest. They said Borthwick has never returned their calls. Information on website was posted, but information was wrong. Day 7: Had to drop off the clothes and pictures for the one that passed away. A different person handles the clothes, and another handles the photos for the slideshow, but needed the information from the counselor. Counselor was NOT available. She was on vacation and could not be contacted, nor did she have anyone to cover for her They had to scramble to find out what was going on. Another counselor later decided to help, and helped correct the information on the website, but more information was still missing. Day 8: Tried calling the counselor again to ask about the program and to give information to church, she did not pick up or return our calls. Day 9: Finally counselor picked up phone calls after several attempts. Mentioned that the website didn't have all the information. She said it's in there, and heard her type as she spoke, adding in the information. She also said she called the church to confirm. And we can't just add anything in the program even if we send her it through email. She said they just use a template with only certain information on it. Day 10: At least the information in the paper was posted, and website was finally corrected, but had issues with the program. Since counselor was not picking up our phone calls again, called the person who handled the programs directly and she added exactly what we wanted. Day 11-13: Church called and said they still didn't get the information from Borthwick again, but made final plans with the priest and staff. No word from Borthwick to follow up or confirm plans. Funeral Day: Because we were warned that they drop the ball, we confirmed with the church. Borthwick's setup and area was ok. Our funeral director was excellent, but he had to correct a lot of things that were not completed and was not informed by the counselor how things should have been set up, so he had to play everything by ear: 1. We ordered and paid for 300 programs and thank you cards. Only 100 programs and thank your cards were given, so lots were w/out it. 2. At the service, a different priest appeared bc the counselor called him last minute and had to leave because we our priest appeared as scheduled. Because I have a limit of words to post on here, to sum it up, Borthwick's service was horrible, and I wouldn't recommend them until the change their procedures back to having the funeral director be with you from start to finish. Hiring part-time counselors just gives more grief and no service to what they promise. We still didn't get our painting that we paid for. read more

On Saturday December 12, 2015 I had attended a funeral service for one of my aunties. Her service was held in the Maunakea building of the Borthwick Mortuary. Josephine Ahsing aka Aunty Jojo, of Ewa Beach, was a retired part time employee from Aloha Stadium. She will be greatly missed by all her family members and close friends. As I entered the building I noticed that towards the left side of the building was the reception area where the tables and chairs were set up. There was a section for the juice and coffee dispensers closer to the other exit door. As well as couple tables set up for the catered food. There was another room located passed the restrooms. The chapel itself was located across of the entrance doors. As I entered the chapel section I noticed there were three flat screen televisions and the room could hold as much as 100 individuals. I believe the entire room was filled with Aunty Jojo Ahsing's family members and friends. More people were out in the reception area as well. Aunty Jojo...you will be greatly missed. You are now reunited with your beloved husband Henry. You are our guardian angel along with other family members in heaven. Give our Aloha to everyone. read more

Borthwick Mortuary - Aunty Jojo Ahsing. May you rest in peace. May you be reunited with your husband Henry Ahsing. - Funeral Services & Cemeteries Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

The service there was just amazing and me and my family loved everything they have done for us especially Elizabeth she helped me and my family with all the planning she is an amazing director and me and my family are glad she was able to make everything happen the way we wanted it to go. And also the service for my grandpa went on time and perfect to where she was so amazing that everything went so well and even all and up till the people coming in to the service and even when we went to the burial it was beautiful. And if I had to recommend that place to hold a funeral service borthwick mortuary is the number 1 place to go and thank u very much for an outstanding service for my grandpa/ my dad's father. read more

Dealing with a mortuary is low on my priority list. However when a need like this arises, I tend to look for t service and quality so someone's final journey be first class. I had exceptional service. The manager even called us late in the evening to help us resolve a challenge.. Wonderful people. And a very nice facility. read more

Absolutely the worth experience for our family to deal with this mortuary. It's all about money and nothing else. When they scheduled a cremation day for our love one they told us we would not see his body anymore. We were totally fine with that. The day of the " event " they brought us to the back of the room where two large ovens were located . It was impersonal, and smelled like death! They then asked us if we wanted to see the body one more time. We were prepared as they had told us that was not possible during many conversations with the. It added to our pain to be in such a place and put on the spot to make a quick decision about seeing the body one more time . We had also asked to reschedule the cremation due to a last minute surgery and they did not accommodate our needs. The only positive thing I can add is the technicians were remarkable, patient, attentive and so kind toward us. read more

I just attended a funeral there yesterday. Its a clean place but not very personal or cozy since it has to be a space open to all religions etc. The eating area reminds me of a cafeteria. Employees are nice. The part that could some investing is their sound system. My cousins speeches about their beloved dad were not supported by a good sound system. While sitting in the audience, listening to their eulogies, I couldnt catch all the humor and loving words because they sounded muffled over the speakers that werent very loud. In fact, during the service, one of those speaking asked if people in the back could hear them and people gently smiled while their heads shook with an indication of, "no." Often times, those speaking of their loved ones - well its the first time speaking to a large audience, so they are not trained to speak with a good pace, loudly and clearly. So at times, they may speak to fast or too soft. A good sound system would be able to still deliver their words with decent clarity to those sitting in the audience. As some of us know who have gone through the experience, writing a eulogy about a loved takes time, tears and heartfelt reflecting upon the good times and poignant memories of ones loved ones. These words deserve to be heard by the audience. So how can this be guaranteed? Perhaps some speech coaching by the mortuary staff or arrangement director, perhaps bring your own karaoke box with mike (one that you know works well from past use), or perhaps a run through with speaking in the mike at the chapel - and checking to see that speaker can really be heard? Perhaps, the mortuary owners investing in a better sound system:) read more

We all hear not so great stories about funeral services/planning but our family's experience with Borthwick was excellent. Angela is the first point of contact when you call the number. She was friendly and very helpful. She asked us to come by after leaving the ER where my dad passed away unexpectedly to fill out some paperwork and to make an appointment to speak with an advisor. Our advisor was BJ Abbey. Our parents pre-planned for funeral arrangements with Hawaiian Memorial Park Mortuary which we forgot about. In the ER a nurse handed us a pamphlet of mortuaries with Borthwick circled as it was at the top of the list. When we met BJ the following day we told her about the preplan and our mistake. She said they get that a lot. But, she made some calls and worked out some numbers and she was able to transfer the contract from HMPM to Borthwick without any penalties or additional costs. So we went with them because of its downtown location. She was professional and helpful and compassionate. It was a pleasure working and talking with BJ. Dad was in the Maunakea Chapel which is their biggest one. The chapel's simplicity sets the stage for the beautiful flower arrangements and the coffin itself. The day of the funeral our director was Colleen (don't know her last name). I tell you we put that woman to work! She was so patient and cool as a cucumber. First of all my mom expected 250 family and friends. In reality it was close to 400, maybe a bit above that. We needed additional chairs, plates and forks, and she even emceed for us because we overlooked that detail. She went above and beyond her duties. For that we are indebted. There are not enough praises, thank you's and kow tow's I could do to express my gratitude for these three women and Borthwick Mortuary. Mahalo from the Valentin Family. read more

One star is being kind. My mother chose Borthwick because other family members had used them in the past for services. She had a pre plan with them, so that my father and I wouldn't have to deal with the cost when she passed. It had always been her plan to have funeral services on the mainland where she was living, but then have her body sent back to Hawaii for burial. It was something she had even shared with the multiple people she spoke with over the years from Borthwick. Her pre pan has been paid off for 23 years. Now that she's passed the funeral home on the mainland, that she was told by Borthwick would be handling the services, has reached out to Borthwick to plan her transport back to Hawaii and Borthwick is telling them/us that we owe an additional $3600, but no one can seem to give us a clear explanation as to why. They've said it's because her services were done on the mainland, but once again that was always the plan. I tried to contact Borthwick and have spoken with 3 different people and no one seems to have a reasonable explanation for the additional charge. I just keep getting handed off to the next person. They're a bunch of idiots who either have no idea what they're doing or know they're in the wrong. So instead of attempting to fix the problem, they just keep passing the buck making an already difficult time that much more difficult. I don't need your platitudes of condolences for my loss, I need you to fix the problem or at least help me understand, but they're incapable of doing that. read more

My family had the opportunity to use them this past month. From our meeting with them the first day till our funeral date the past Monday. Top Notch service. Marilou was so helpful. The limo driver Edwin his the biggest, kindness heart and so helpful. The Receptionist Angeline (sorry I think that her name) so kind and helpful. Sorry I did get the other women's name who was so helpful too, on Jan 29, 2018. I worry about a lot of things, cuz I've never had to do this before. But working with the this team from Borthwick has been Super. All the little things we requested. You came through. My family and I Thank You very much for your kindness, support & understanding. We're happy we got to work with you. read more

I would like to publicly express my sincere appreciation and gratitude for the exceptional service, care, and support provided by the professional staff members at Borthwick mortuary. The management and support personnel went above and beyond to ensure my wife's celebration of life service was conducted with dignity, respect, and professionalism. These following exceptional individuals were truly the cream of the crop. Mr. Mel Kalahiki (Location Manager); Ms. Colleen Lee (Funeral Director); Mr. Andrew Anderson (Funeral Director/Hospitality Manager); Ms. Helen Yim (Administration); Mr. Elias Koko (Hospitality); Keri Jean Kepaa (Funeral Director); the staff that worked on August 3rd, at the Maunakea chapel for Roxanne Healani Lovell Fonseca's memorial service. Simply put: Amazing. Everyone bent over backwards to ensure I was pleased and happy with everything. I can't say enough how hard the staff worked to ensure every portion of the service was performed in an exceptional and dignified manner. If I could give 5 star ratings, Ms. Helen Yim and Ms. Colleen Lee would be the ideal recipients. Constructive comments: If I were in charge of Borthwick, I would make the following changes. One. Assign a funeral director to be in charge of the family from start to finish. The funeral director would be the focal point on all matters. Two. Assign administrative staff members to support the director. This will help with continuity. The family members would always have points of contacts. Three. Ensure there is NO break in communication. It appears some people do not get their messages or simply don't return phone calls. Four. Consider video taping the service. Provide this customer service option. On behalf of the family and friends of the late Roxanne Healani Lovell Fonseca, I want to commend everyone for a job well done. read more

We are beyond grateful for the amazing service we had for my Dad in January. Major Appreciation to thy Professional Staffs; Taimane, Aulelei, Kerijean (KJ), Elsa, Dayzha, Gilbert and the rest of the team. You ALL made us proud; especially my Beloved Dad. You were all supportive - The preparation itself was Beyond overwhelmed, but your Team; especially Taimane & Aulelei made sure my Dad's "Going Home" Celebration was going to be a success. Yes indeed it was - ***Mission Accomplished!*** Fa'afetai, Fa'afetai, Fa'afetai tele lava!!! Ia outou Manuia--- Alofa atu blob:https://www.yelp.com/64fddf88-dad3-49f4-8965-32ad86f734b0 read more

Very poor service. Used them many times, and twice in the past 7 years, and still poor service every time we need them. Next time we're using someone else. Anyone else. Paid for a plan many decades ago, they act like they already used that money, so they help us reluctantly, with no desire to earn the money they received and enjoyed for many years. Multiple contact attempts needed for every action. No response, measured in weeks. They say they will call back, and they don't. Name plaques take 90+ days, and are spelled wrong, and need to be re-ordered again. Everytime I come back, after a family member dies, all new people. I guess this is not a long term career for anyone? If I could un-cremate, and un-bury from them, and their related Hawaiian Memorial Park in Kaneohe, I would. For orientation and training, they should be required to watch the Japanese film Departures on Netflix and see what true compassion is like. Does Costco have memorial services? That should be their next service offering, so they can put Dignity Memorial Corporation out to pasture, for good. read more

Just attended a funeral for a relative at Borthwick Mortuary. It's past Zippy's and across the street from Hosoi so it was easy to find as this was my first time attending a service here. They had attendants directing you at the entrance so parking was easy. The room was a nice size as it there not a large number of people in attendance. The chairs were comfortable and there were aisles on either ends besides just the middle, which made it easy to get to the restroom. The dining hall and restrooms are conveniently located in the next room over. Not sure if they do the catering in-house but they ran out of some items before I even got to the reception after. I was told that the mortuary setup a lot of stuff like they assisted to create a memorial video based on pictures the family submitted. It is sad when a loved one passes away but having the ceremony at a nice place like Borthwick gives you less to worry about. read more

I had the unfortunate experience of losing my grand mother and this venue made things worse for my family. First they got her obituary wrong in the paper. But worst of all we were all gathered for an emotional viewing, my mom and sisters go in to view the body and IT WAS THE WRONG PERSON! My mom was shaking and upset enough but to view someone else's loved one in a casket, while trying to mentally wrap her head around seeing her mother was traumatic to say the least. This place is expensive, and we should expect more care to detail at such a sensitive time. I would steer clear of this place. I'm terrified for the service tomorrow. I hope they bring the right casket to the church. My expectations are really low at this point. Unacceptable! read more

Not that I have had a ton of experiences with Mortuaries, but if what I experienced with Borthwick is the norm, then God help us. The service was not too horrible prior to running my credit card for the services, but after the payment cleared, service dropped off the map. Could not get them to return multiple e-mails or phone calls with regard to sending the required form to authorize the cremation of our loved one. To make a long story short, we had to threaten to cancel the credit card payment just to get the form e-mailed to us. Extremely disappointing given the past excellent reputation of Borthwick prior to them being acquired by Dignity Memorial. read more

I am writing to thank you for my mother's services. I realize that it is your business to conduct the service, but I believe you went well beyond the typical expectation for such an event. I was impressed by the organization of your operations and the way you made every accommodation to make the family comfortable at such a difficult time. I was more impressed by the personalized treatment that you display in the way you recognize the family members by their names and took extra time .You certainly were an angel of compassion at a time when a physically and mentally exhausted family was in need of a helping hand. You are definitely a blessing to your profession and I would recommend your organization to anyone who should have a need for your service. More importantly, I believe that you are a genuinely good and caring person and I am glad that you were a part of this time in our lives. Also would like to give Mahalo for my Mom's viewing u all made her so Beautiful and thank you all so much. Also would like to say when u all took the time to make her memory chains now we all can hold her close to our hearts. May God Bless you . Thank you again for being there for us. Sincerely, Pagaduan Family read more