I have used the services of Simple Choices twice now over the last 7 years. Each time, Roy and his…read morestaff have been professional and compassionate. I felt at ease from first contact that my loved one (and I !) would be treated with care and respect. I appreciated the prompt response from the moment I reached out. Without hesitation, I would recommend Simple Choices for end of life arrangements.

I'm a year late writing this review, but it was recently the first anniversary of the death in our…read morefamily and it reminded me that we intended to share our glowing review of Simple Choices but didn't get to it in the months immediately after. At the time, I called around to at least 4-6 different places in the Albany area to understand the cremation options available, at a very stressful time obviously. Roy was BY FAR the most compassionate, patient, responsive, and clear about what to expect. Seriously, you just don't want to deal with the impersonal or callous attitudes that came across in my first phone call with some of the other places that offer cremation services. There wasn't even the smallest hint of anything other than the ideal level of genuine helpfulness from Roy. On top of that the prices were extremely fair, and the environment and decor in the Simple Choices funeral home is very comforting. Looking back, it also feels good to have supported a business & team that is committed to doing the right thing for people at their worst times. They live out ALL the values stated on their website. Oh, and I should also mention just in case anyone's looking for this detail in a review - our family isn't Christian, and Roy was nothing but pure kindness and understanding on adjusting the decor in the funeral home for our small family viewing. Roy & team, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for your excellence at serving us at such a difficult time. If we could leave you a 6 star review we would!

They were so helpful,kind,caring and we couldn't have made a better choice…read moreThank you so much!

I have tried to work with Stefanazzi & Spargo Granite Company. I was given a price which I agreed…read moreto. I am not living locally to meet with them on a personal level. But have been calling on the phone. I called them in July, 2024 to clean a family Headstone. I called them regularly to check on the progress. I was told that it was too hot to work on the Headstone in July. I called again in September, 2024. There was still no progress. The secretary was very nice! But the service was poor. I would not recommend this Company.

We can't thank Mike Barna enough for the guidance, support and kindness he showed our family during…read moreour recent loss. His assistance as we planned services and support after is appreciated and stands out in a time that this level of service is often difficult to find.

We recently had to use their services. They were so helpful, guiding us in what needed to be done…read moreand they helped get everything done. They gave us prices beforehand so we could compare what we wanted and our options. They are so caring and compassionate, especially in your weakest time. They get everything done, A to Z, while keeping you informed and giving you the chance to choose what you want. They took Greta care of us and my Uncle Jimmy and we so appreciate it!

We recently had them handle our Mom's wake and funeral. They guided us through the process and…read morewere very supportive and respectful. We have a family member who needs wheelchair access, which their building is perfect for. From the moment he arrived in the parking lot, they made sure he was able to participate and went out of their way to make sure he was included and comfortable, without any prompting from the family. The entire process was easy and will be a perfect memory for all of us.

Parker Brothers is the best! Under the circumstances, they went out of their way to accommodate…read moreeverything needed for my mom's services, and I am so grateful for their support. Vince and the other staff were so kind, caring, and always receptive to our requests. Their compassion and professionalism made a very difficult time a little easier for our family, and we are truly thankful for everything they did. They treated us with dignity and grace from beginning to end, and we will never forget the comfort they provided during such a painful moment in our lives.

We had a celebration of life for my father and mother at Konciek Collett funeral home. The care…read moreand compassion Jeffery and Daniel Collett took in caring for my family was beyond any expectation we had. They focused on every detail, from the video presentation, to prayer cards, to placement of flowers. Every detail was well thought out and gave us such peace. I highly recommend Jeffery and Daniel in your time of need.

When my Mother passed recently we found out she had a trust set up for her funeral, it turned into…read morea nightmare, until Jeff Collette. This was the hardest day in my life and I truly feel God put Jeff into my path. He was wonderful from start to finish. He made everything so much easier and we knew Mom would be taken care of. I truly can not thank that man enough. God bless you Jeff, this is why small business is so important, I don't think a large place would have done everything they did. My family and myself will always be thankful. Sincerely, Kellie Nardin

We don't live in Troy. We don't live anywhere near Troy. However, my husband's family used to…read morelive in this area about 50 years ago. We recently had a relative pass away who was going to be buried near Troy in the family plot. When we pulled out our records, we noticed his family used Riverview 20 years ago when his grandmother needed their services. So, we called them to use their services again. In full honesty, we had no idea what to expect. We knew nothing about them except they were in the area we needed. When we needed their services, we called them up first to figure out the next steps that involved transport and the general services involved with burying a person. We were a bit nervous because we had no family left in the area (well, above ground) and did not know who we needed to contact about the plot, religious services, flowers, and all the rest. Riverview was a life saver. They handled everything. And when I say everything, I mean everything. They handled the pickup, plane transportation, cemetery, obituaries, flowers, priest coordination, service, and everything else I'm missing. They were kind, professional, organized, and completely on the ball. Absolutely everything worked perfectly and exactly as it was expected. I also found the cost of the services to be very reasonable. If you have little experience, funerals are not cheap... if it is your first experience, you will have sticker shock... and after the sticker shock, you are often a bit stunned by the cost. Riverview was not cheap, but everything 'all in' costs roughly the exact same amount of money it cost to bury my own grandparents about 10 years ago. So, with that amount in mind (granted, I know its a different area of the country, but I assume many of these things are fixed costs), I was fine with the cost of their services. I will probably never need their services again because this was the last relative to set up permanent residence in that area. However, if I do ever need to use a funeral home in the Albany/Troy area again, I'd call them in a heartbeat.

I know it's morbid and/or slightly strange to review a funeral home on Yelp - where we strive to…read morereview community-building events - but I had to share my recent experience with Riverview Funeral Home and its staff. After a long illness, my grandmother passed and my family and I looked all over the Capital Region for a funeral home that could honor the woman my grandmother was in life. Riverview Funeral Home went above and beyond. The service was beautiful, the grounds were well-kept, and the entire staff made the entire process better than I could have expected. A big thank you to everyone that helped remember my grandmother and what an effect she had on all those she touched.

Oakwood Cemetery is an amazing location full of scenic beauty, incredible history (and multitudes…read moreof historic figures), unique memorials and architecture, and a lovely place to rest in peace. I have a family plot here and visit often. Many folks come just to walk the miles of roads and trails in the peace and scenic nature here. With over 60,000 graves from the early 1800's thru today spread out over 325 wooded and hilly acres, makes it very difficult to maintain. Grounds crews do what they can with limited budgets and personnel to keep the grass and weeds cut and trimmed but all except the front lawns sometimes get a bit overgrown before the grounds crews cycle back thru all the sections. The front lawns near the main entrance on Oakwood Ave are always kept looking good. Many memorials that were placed on the 1800's and early 1900's without adequate foundations are often leaning and toppled but the caretakers have been making a valiant effort at restoring and repairing as many of these old memorials as they can. I often volunteer here with locating and photographing memorials for Find-a-Grave and the office staff is very helpful in assisting in locating specific graves even though all records are manual with very little digitized. The manual system they use is ancient but it works for them. I do wish it was fully digital and searchable though. If you come to enjoy this place for whatever reason, please respect the people buried here and the families that may be visiting their lost loved ones. Maintaining an air of peace and quiet and reverence is what keeps this beautiful location special.

We were here to visit the final resting place of "Uncle" Sam Wilson, the famous Uncle Sam thanks to…read morea link from Atlas Obscura, https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/grave-of-uncle-sam. According to the story, Sam Wilson joined the American Revolution as a teenager just as the war was ending. He landed in New York and made a living as a meat packer. He supplied troops with meat and the barrels were stamped "US" and the legend grew from there. Iconic during World War I and World War II, even though Sam had died well before in 1854. Still, he's officially the official Uncle Sam thanks to a Congressional resolution in 1961. It's a beautiful cemetery with clear paved paths. Pretty, restful and really nice. They have many signs that point the way to Uncle Sam. You can pretty much drive most of the way. [Review 11507 overall, 1287 of 2019.]