My experience with Holy Sepulchre was a nightmare from February until early May. I needed to…read moreconfirm whether there was room for my brother in a cremation only plot where my parents are buried. Before he died, it was his wish to be with our parents and he seemed sure that there was room for him. Just in case, I contacted the cemetery because I did not want any conflict to arise when the "at-need" time came. I became frustrated as the month of March arrived. I began to receive marketing emails from the company that operates and manages the cemetery on behalf of the salesperson. That prompted me to email the sales person to inquire about whether he found an answer to my question posed in February. Sadly, on May 1, that answer came after we had the funeral. In February, the salesperson indicated that he was sure there were "room for 4 souls" in the grave with my parents and he moved to quickly try to sell me on prepaying the grave opening fee and purchase other potential services. The same salesperson called me when we scheduled the service to introduce himself as the person who would be handling my brother's services. This became an unnecessary dispute that caused a lot of stress. While the cemetery "made an exception" to allow my brother to be buried with my parents, there still is something not right here. Another concern about my interactions with their area VP has arisen. He noted that there is no room on my parents' stone to add my brother's name. While that is true, it was also claimed there was no room for my brother to be buried but there was plenty of space for my brother's urn to be buried and there looks to be plenty of room for another stone to be placed. I gave the cemetery 2 stars--originally up from the 1 star I would give because I had a very positive experience with the cemetery's frontline staff when I visited the cemetery on May 6. Taras provided me excellent directions on how to navigate the large grounds so I could visit my great-grandparents' gravesite. His directions were excellent. He provided a map where he even drew a line with the best route to follow through the cemetery. Despite the overly aggressive sales tactics, I ended up having a great experience on the front-lines with Taras.

Beautiful grounds, awesome staff and they provide all the information, support and time to guide…read morefamilies through such difficult times when grieving or taking care of their pre arrangements.

A lovely day to visit both of my parents at the well-maintained historic Ivy Hill Cemetery…read more An interesting drive around the cemetery to get to my parents' graves, so many different headstones and markers honoring loved ones. I haven't had to call about anything, but when I needed an answer, Ivy Hill quickly returned my calls. Actually, I do need a service: my paternal grandparents are also buried at Ivy Hill, and I need to find out the cost of cleaning their headstone. Ivy Hill keeps the cemetery clear of debris and old flowers, thank you.

Ivy Hill Cemetery and Crematory has been here for over 125 years…read more It has beautiful grounds for your loved ones. They offer traditional in ground burials, mausoleum, cremation, and stand alone cabinets. Unfortunately, I have been to a burial and a cremation ceremony in the last month at Ivy Hill. They also offer a chapel that is open daily if you want to visit. The chapel can hold up to 35 people. This was my first time going to a cremation ceremony. They have a section of the Cemetery that they scatter the ashes. The ashes are handled with care. It is very heartbreaking seeing your love ones ashes scattered. Even though the Cemetery is lovely, I hope I don't have to go back there anytime soon.

I began searching for a funeral home based on proximity and…read morereviews. But the reason I chose May Funeral was for a much more important and guttural response to people versus proximity. Parting with a parent is one of life's gut wrenching parts of life. Losing my mom was strange at best and intensely somber at worse. But one of the funeral directors, Tim was an angel. He was incredibly responsive, mindful of unexpected cost my family was not fully prepared for, and most importantly, kind. No human wants to plan a funeral, but the incredibly kind and understanding handling from the very first phone call to the end of the internment services was more than I could ask for. Tim made modes of communication flow with ease, created beautiful holy cards, handled my mom with dignity and grace, tended quickly to logistical tasks such as a death certificate and finding the perfect priest for her services, and all the while remained mindful of financial restraints and had wonderful suggestions along the way. All too often people tend to easily vent their frustration when scenarios do not go their way. But I think it's even more important to sing the praises of wonderful people and wonderful businesses who strive and achieve their best. If you are currently grief stricken, do not know where to start, and have stumbled across this review, might I highly recommend the people of May Funeral home. They will bring you comfort and ease.

My best friend's husband died suddenly in his sleep at the young age of 40. Between her in-laws and…read morethis funeral home, my friend had a viewing that was respectful and handled with such compassion, even with the large influx of people. They tried their best to accommodate the many cars, but we were able to find street parking a block away. The staff greeted us at the door and directed us to where we needed to go. They did a great job setting up tables to feature pictures and belongings. And also took care of holding and bringing all items to the church the next day. My friend needed some extra time with their 1.5 year old daughter to say goodbye at the viewing, and staff allowed her as much time as she needed. Dealing with death is never easy, but having services that help the living to say goodbye in their own way with dignity is a special gift.

We wanted to express our gratitude to David Peake of Craft Funeral Home for his kind and…read morecompassionate service during a difficult time. His knowledge, availability, and caring guidance was helpful and appreciated. Thank you.

I want to thank David Peake and his team at Craft for doing an amazing job with my father's…read morefuneral. I visited David long before my father passed to set up a burial trust and make arrangements in advance. When the time came, David handled everything from the cemetery staff, to the church, to the trust, to the burial. He guided me through each step so that I didn't have to worry about the details. Losing a parent is a stressful and sad experience. David made the process easier by managing and coordinating all parties involved. He also helped me personalize my dad's service so that it reflected his personality to truly celebrate his life. I am incredibly grateful for David's help and highly recommend his services.

https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/taking-action/case-update-acting-attorney-general-michelle-henry-ann…read moreunces-major-step-toward-victory-for-consumers-headstone-businesses-put-to-rest/ JANUARY 24, 2023 HARRISBURG- Acting Attorney General Michelle Henry today announced a settlement with the gravestone and engraving company "1843 LLC," and its owners Gregory J. Stefan Sr., Gregory J. Stefan Jr., and Gerard Stefan. According to court documents, the company often failed to deliver gravestones and gravestone engravings in a timely manner, or not at all. The Office of Attorney General entered into an injunction last year regarding the Stefans' and their business, 1843 LLC, to prevent them from causing consumers additional grief when obtaining a headstone for their deceased loved ones. The Defendants have now agreed to continue the injunction into the future, among other agreements, and this settlement will include restitution to be paid to consumers who were harmed. "The Stefans didn't just take advantage of people, but preyed on those grieving loved ones at a difficult time in their lives," said Acting Attorney General Henry. "This settlement will finally ensure that all Pennsylvania consumers who were harmed are made whole. The Office of Attorney General will continue to use every tool at its disposal to ensure that Pennsylvanians are treated fairly." Stefan Sr. was initially sued by the Office of Attorney General in 2015 as the sole operator of Lifestone by Stefan, LLC and Stefan Memorials, Inc. Stefan Sr. and his sons later moved their family business to a new company, 1843 LLC. That lawsuit alleges that the Defendants charged consumers for headstones that were never delivered or were delivered late, denied customers full refunds when requested, and solicited consumers in misleading and deceptive ways. In January 2021, the Office of Attorney General filed a contempt petition against Lifestone, Stefan Memorials, and Stefan, Sr., which resulted in a judgment for more than $300,000 in restitution, civil penalties, and costs, and an injunction against Stefan, Sr., that prevented him from owning, managing, or having any significant involvement in any business that provides or engraves headstones for consumers. Later in 2021, the Office filed suit again, this time against 1843, LLC, Stefan Sr., and his two sons for charging consumers for headstones that were delivered late or never delivered, and for not paying full refunds to consumers who requested those refunds. The complaint also asserts that the Defendants were known to call Pennsylvanians who had recently lost loved ones and falsely claimed that they were the preferred vendor for or were affiliated with a cemetery. The settlement terms have been made part of the court record during the trial on January 9, 2023 and requires court approval to become final. The court will also determine whether to impose civil penalties upon the Defendants for violations of the Unfair Trade Practice and Consumer Protection Law.

Apparently this business is still out there scamming people. The cemetery confirmed that they do…read morenot work with him and it's a scam. They attempted to call me from either a 215 area code or a Maryland area code when they called me incessantly trying to schedule an appointment. I believe he went by the name of Chuck. The cemetery owner had heard of him and informed me he served jail time for doing this before. She took down that info and gave it to the police at that time. They do whatever they can to get info to seem like they were sent to you but usually they just scan the obits. Hence how he knew my name, that I was his daughter, and which cemetery we used. DO NOT GIVE MONEY TO THIS COMPANY. When you're grieving scammers cash in. Anyone who is waiting please contact the police.

Super friendly and informative volunteer staff to help with whatever event they are hosting. It's…read morea wonderful location to hang with and learn about some super-cool goats, as well as the surprisingly large arboretum where it's located, right in the center of North Philly.

Philly Goat Project is located on the grounds of Awbury Arboretum. I first heard about Philly Goat…read moreProject around 2020/2021 during a virtual Yelp Elite Event. The staff joined the YEE community virtually to introduce us to the goats and provide a background on the nonprofit's mission. Fast forward to November 2023, I finally visited Philly Goat project in person! I'd initially planned to visit the zoo on this day, but realized it had gotten too late to gain entry. Change of plans was a visit to Awbury and seeing the goats and chickens onsite! The goats are fun, and the staff is friendly and informative. If you visit and don't see the goats, check the map. It will highlight where the goats are, since they get their exercise around the grounds all day. We found the goats in a meadow area and said hello as it started to drizzle. Lots of fun! Check out Philly Goat Project!

I'm thankful for the excellent service of my father's Homegoing Service, delivered with…read moreprofessional and caring services from start to finish. From the great concern and gentleness by Jade in the picking up of my Dad's body to the gentleman helper Eugene at the end of the service with what to do with the flowers to driving by my fathers home to the cemetery to assisting with clean up at the repass in the sunroom of the funeral home. Black Excellence thanks Emmanuel Johnson Funeral Home for its caring, professional support staff and excellent service.

Nothing other than incompetent and rude. Delayed picking up my father's body, delayed his embalming…read moreprocess, and after the contract signing tried to place an additional $400 fee. Daughter of owner advised complaints on her mother and stated she was seeking her mother's early retirement. At the viewing of my father's body, articles of his clothing were missing, the additional footwear totaling over $200 was never returned, and his announcement was placed publicly without the family's consent. Violating our privacy and protection. Article was placed on their website, the Philly Tribune, and google. When asked to have it removed, daughter told me it was my responsibility. If you care about your loved one, this is not the place to go. As it should be investigated for theft amongst other things.