john was a blessing in an otherwise difficult time. We were helping my son's girlfriend's family from another country plan her funeral. She was young and her death was unexpected. We were treated with kindness and patience the entire time. There was a language and culture difference but John answered every question. We felt very taken care of and assured that everything would be handled with grace and compassion. I could not haven chosen better than the Farenga Funeral Home. read more

It's odd to review a Funeral Home, isn't it? I thought so before starting this review but I couldn't have been more at ease making arrangements for my father and I felt inclined to share my experience. Unfortunately, my Dad passed away at the end of July and my siblings and I were pretty much beside ourselves. We were in contact with Bill at the funeral home and he couldn't have been more accommodating. He was extremely sympathetic, as they always are in these types of businesses but not pushy by any means. He made everything simple for us. He explained everything and was very informative. Bill assisted us with our Dad's policy and everything flowed smoothly. We requested a particular priest from our Dad's parish, along with a bagpiper and he put all requests in motion. Our Father received the most amazing, peaceful send off and there is no doubt that Farenga wasn't partly responsible. We are forever grateful. read more

Stephen was very compassionate, understanding and accommodating when planning the funeral and extraordinarily patient, empathetic, and kind on the day of the funeral. Highly recommended. read more

John was very knowledgeable, personable and understanding, as we were planning the funeral for my father-in-law, and during the days of the service. John was reassuring and responsive to all our questions and concerns, and did not try to upsell or push anything unnecessary. The location is convenient to public transportation, and the business has a private lot for guest use. Overall, it was a positive, well-organized experience, and we would recommend their services. read more

When my father passed away suddenly last year, I contacted Farenga for the arrangements. I believe it was a gentleman named Tommy who helped us. He walked us through everything as we were unfamiliar with the process. We had to make last minute arrangements. He made sure the funeral mass at the Roman Catholic Church ran smoothly. He was very compassionate and super helpful. Farenga did an excellent job arranging all the flower deliveries we received. We were able to play a photo slide we created during the wake. Later, Farenga even helped us make a correction to the Death Certificate. I definitely picked the right funeral home. I had been there before for another wake. The location is conveniently located near a train station and they have a large parking lot in the back. read more

The director here is so caring and so appropriate about the whole situation. He gave us some good advice that avoided us a lot of time, aggravation, stress...when we finally got an urn they transferred the ashes for us for free and were still so plentiful on the advice to help us keep our situation together. I hope all funeral homes give this type of service for their customers. I thought I hid my tears pretty well until I saw my reflection and aw my eyes were so so red. No doubt they have seen that a lot. They also had a zoom (I believe) viewing for an hour of the service when the priest came which was great for some of our loved ones who were afar. I really recommend this place. read more

We recently had services for my Mom through Farenga Funeral Home. Everyone was kind, professional, and responsive. John Falidas was extremely helpful in attending to our needs and requests. Farenga made a sad circumstance a lot more bearable. This was not our first experience at Farenga. They helped us bury our father 14 years ago and they excelled then as well. Highly recommend! read more

I never thought I'd write a review of a funeral home but the team at Farenga went above and beyond when my mom passed away. John, the Funeral Director, made the process so incredibly painless, it helped my family and me through a very difficult situation. I can't thank John and the team enough for their compassion through our difficult time. If I could give 10 stars here, I would. read more

My grandmother recently passed unexpectedly and though I didn't handle the arrangements for her funeral what I experienced was a well-done, well-organized series of events to honor my grandmother. From her wake to her mass and subsequently her cemetery burial it was all very well orchestrated which I can truly appreciate. She was preserved as best as can be possible and though I wasn't a fan of her makeup or hair I am aware most don't know how to apply makeup on people of color. What I can appreciate is the commemorative video slide that was put together and the music in the background at her Wake. The priest was very nice and respectful as well. Her mass conducted the following morning was beautiful and the organist played very emotional inducing music but I appreciated the space we were given to prioritize our family in the church. I also am thankful of how organized the events went with everything provided to keep order such as Funeral stickers for our vehicles, direction pamphlets to the luncheon, and the memorial keepsakes for the family. Though I can't speak on the value as I do know this did cost thousands of dollars I appreciate how beautiful the ceremony was and the respect given to my family at this difficult time. read more

Challenged by my emotional and medical health, I was nevertheless the key person to coordinate things after the repose of a 101 year old lady friend of the family. From first contact, when they informed me of the passing of our friend, and all the way through to the burial, and beyond, the staff at Farenga Funeral Home was very compassionate, professional and highly supportive. It was a pre-plan arrangement, and they executed everything seamlessly, and with the utmost attention paid to every detail. This, thank God, lightened my burden tremendously. Nothing at all was lacking; it was perfect, and I think our Loved One, looking down was pleased! I thank them greatly for their compassionate help in our time of need and may God bless them all with the good things of this world and those things needful unto Salvation! read more

My mother's remains had to be disinterred and cremated. This was a very detailed process that required several complicated and time-sensitive steps. I called around to a few funeral homes before (thankfully) finally connecting with funeral director, Joe Grupico, at Joseph Farenga & Sons Funeral Home. Joe was invested in helping me from the very start... during my very first phone call, he was proactively taking notes and checking records on-line. He had the sense of urgency I needed given my situation... clearly something he realized. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to feel that people actually care during a time like this. Joe promptly got back to me with pricing for everything and it came in at a significantly lower price point than the other funeral homes. This has been a deeply emotional and stressful time for me and from the very beginning and all the way through to the end... Joe made me feel like we were a team in the efforts to have my Mom laid to rest. The entire process took two months and, as can be imagined, it was a very long two months. Joe was supportive in his words and actions... he was friendly, patient, and eager to get everything handled for me. Joe was always prompt with returning my phone calls and went way above and way beyond throughout --really. During this period, when we met face-to-face for the first time... Joe talked to me at length about his background, growing up in Brooklyn with a big family... and his 20+ years in the business --which I thoroughly enjoyed. I share this because it meant a lot to me for us to communicate as people and not purely in terms of a transaction. He even told me how excited he was to handle my mom's disinterment, given the uniqueness of the situation. Joe earned my trust... and I truly appreciate his professionalism, invaluable service and warm personality -- it is a rarity in these times. Joe Grupico embodies the perfect attributes of someone who cares... and someone who loves what they do. Thank you to my buddy Joe and to Joseph Farenga & Sons Funeral Home for getting my mother's remains back to me and my family so that we could memorialize, honor and celebrate her life. We were able to do that, in large part, because of your commitment to providing excellent service. read more

No one wants to have to do business here, but if you do need a funeral home, I highly recommend them. After the recent loss of my mother, the folks at Farenga were a huge comfort to me. Costs were explained to me in a very straightforward way that didn't make me feel pressured or emotionally blackmailed (something I experienced years before at a funeral home when I lost my dad) Michael, my funeral director, was helpful, informative, friendly, and always ready to help. When we had problems with the cemetery, Michael, Tommy, and even Gus himself (the owner) went out of their way to help and set everything straight for us. Bob and Kim did an excellent job with embalming, dressing my mom and with her makeup. Now - you might think that's an odd thing to talk about, but if you are old fashioned like I am and take comfort in having an open casket - it meant a lot to me that the people who prepared my mom for her final rest showed her love and care. Some say there is no dignity in death, but I felt my mother had dignity at her wake. On the final day, Kim stood with us as our funeral director. She was always there guiding us through the last viewing, the funeral mass, and the burial. That can be very important to have on the day you know you won't be thinking straight. I will always be thankful for Farenga and what a comfort they were when I needed them. read more

I've heard that everyone in Astoria is dying to get in here! I've been here a couple of times for services and have to say if I were to check out of this dump I would definitely consider this place! One of the top places in the Nieghbor hood to be in if you can't breath or move, especially if you don't feel like talking to people even if you're in a crowd.Definitely overlooked by local bloggers that "know" so much about Astoria. Great job Farenga! An absolute staple of the community. read more

We had visitation at Farenga last week for a very close friend of mine that passed away. While its strange to say that a funeral was a great experience, it just was. Tommy was incredibly patient, understanding and compassionate. He made us feel comfortable and took care of just about everything so we could focus on our family, friends and grieving. The location was convenient, close to the train and there is a small parking lot for those of us that drove. It was quiet and clean and relatively affordable. We wanted to have a playlist of my friend's favorite songs and they helped make that happen for us. We wanted to put pictures on the wall and Tommy was great about it. From beginning to end, everyone we encountered at Farenga was fantastic and loving. We were able to give my friend the send off she deserved. I highly recommend this place during a very difficult time. read more

Unprofessional and insensitive. Didn't show up for meetings they scheduled. They were compassionate and made lots of promises, but once my son was in their care they didn't do anything as it was promised. We paid top dollars to honor my son and received low quality service in exchange. read more

Planning a wake for a loved one is a painful process in life. Every person that I had contact with was professional, knowledgeable and kind. They helped me tremendously when planning my father's wake and burial. I am grateful and thankful that our family used Drago Funeral Home. read more

My husband and I are very fortunate to have found Farenga Funeral Home at a time in need. We are most grateful how Gus, swiftly and professionally, took care of having my mother-in-law's body transported from a hospice in Bethesda Maryland for burial in Astoria. His thoughtfulness, compassion, and attention to details touched us deeply. read more