I cannot thank Merkley-Mitchell Mortuary enough for the incredible support they provided during such a difficult time for our family. From the moment we walked in, Unique treated us with compassion and care. She guided us through every step of the process with grace, making sure we felt comfortable and understood our options. Unique, Lauren and Sheila helped us create a personalized mass at Holy Cross that truly honored my mother. I highly recommend Merkley-Mitchell Mortuary and the amazing Unique, Lauren and Sheila for all the support leading up to the service and on the day of. read more

The mortuary location in Hillcrest is closed. The pictures shown on their website give a false impression. They now have a small office in Mission Valley. There is no chapel foyer, gathering space, nothing like the pictures on the website. The new location is just offices. The website is very deceptive, and frankly, dishonest. P read more

This is a scam. The longstanding mortuary location in Hillcrest is permanently closed. The pictures shown on the current website are from the location that is now closed. The company is a small office in Mission Valley, and there is no chapel or gathering space, and it is nothing like the photos on the website. The new location is just an office. This is Deceptive, and dishonest. Do your homework. read more

My father recently deceased and although I knew this was coming and had planned for it, I had overlooked the need of a good mortuary. I called Merkley-Mitchell the day before my dad passed, and the next evening when he did, I reached out again. They responded quickly and were at my house shortly after the Doctor pronounced my father dead. The people who picked him up were very understanding and professional. It's not easy seeing your dad wheeled out of his house in a body bag, and I was impressed how they handled it. Over the next couple weeks i had the pleasure of dealing with Unique Equihua. Unique was incredible, she was understanding, compassionate and patient. Every step of the way she was great. My experience with Merkley Mitchell Mortuary55 was exceptional. read more

We couldn't have asked for better care or service while we carried out our mother's wishes for her funeral. Unique Equihua, the Mission Valley office manager, proved to be incredibly helpful, kind, and understanding throughout the days that we worked with her. Her attention to detail was unbelievable, and so appreciated. Everything she did for us was done with a a most amazing attitude. We're so grateful she was there to help us during a very difficult time. read more

My family's experience with Merkely Mitchell Mortuary this past February, 2024, was extraordinary! The kindness, consideration, meticulous attention to detail, empathy and compassion that was exhibited from each member on this team with every conversation or interaction, at all times, was truly exceptional. And may I add there is certainly tremendous benefits and peace of mind for pre-planning, well in advance, a loved one's final arrangements. My entire family and I would like to express our heart felt gratitude and sincere appreciation to Unique, Richard, Lauren and Alyssa for their both, professional and personal care, assisting us throughout this difficult and emotional process of losing a loved one. Lauren and Alyssa, especially, who drove the hearse and completely dedicated their entire time inside the church assisting us....making sure the flowers, Guest Book, photos, programs were all set up appropriately and that the Viewing was handled with incredible reverence and respect. And even after the service, ensuring that all of our needs were met by carrying floral arrangements and personal items to respective cars. I truly believe God sent them, each and every one, to assist us on this journey and created them especially for this profession. Thank you so very, very much! read more

Founded as the Merkley Mortuary in 1917, this business was once located on what are now the grounds of Scripps Mercy Hospital. In 1928 (four years after Mercy Hospital opened) W. H. Mitchill, perhaps sensing that a bit more separation was appropriate, hired a team of horses to drag his business down Fifth Avenue to its present site. The Art Deco facade was applied soon after. In 1941 Merkley invited Warren Austin into the business, which became the Merkley-Austin Mortuary. Richard Mitchell acquired the business in 1968. In 1997 the mortuary was bought by the Alderwoods Group. Alderwoods was acquired by Service Corporation International in 2006. Merkley-Mitchell Mortuary recently underwent exterior renovation to add an ADA-compliant ramp to the front entrance. The project was executed by Cesar's Exterior Designs. CED's banner with the motto that they build for life hanging from the mortuary presented more irony than I could ignore, thus my photo. Naturally you will notice the grammar error in the motto. read more

Merkley-Mitchell Mortuary - Merkley-Mitchell Mortuary, San Diego - Funeral Services & Cemeteries Near Me - San Diego, California

I could write a book about the services and interactions with Brandon and the rest of the staff at Merkley-Mitchell Mortuary but words alone will never capture the care and compassion shown to my mom who passed away and our family. My reflections are those of a daughter still in mourning over the death of my mother on May 29,2018. We are new to the area and reeling from the loss of my mother, had no idea how to plan a funeral. We went to meet with the staff here and met Brandon who became our planner, dealing not only with the details of the funeral but our immense grief throughout the next few days but the next few weeks! Five stars can't begin to capture the excellent staff, facilities, decorum, and respect for cultural differences demonstrated by Merkley-Mitchell Mortuary. Our mom's body was preserved with dignity and respect, our family was given permission to grieve and pay our final respects freely and without restrictions. Our viewing involved hosting over a 150 people from out of town and with Brandon overseeing the process, the night was memorable and flawless. I am so very grateful to Brandon and thank everyone associated with my mom's send-off from Merkley-Mitchell for a perfect opportunity to say goodbye within our religious and cultural traditions. Also the momentos such as the prayer cards, bookmarks, and personalized blankets (so very sentimental) were very special and will be cherished forever. Thank you for making the immense loss of our mother a little less stressful. Elizabeth Jacob-Kahn read more

No one prepares you for the passing of a parent. Mom passed away peacefully at home, hospice. My cousin Sara asked if I was ready with the funeral home, church and the cemetery. No, I was not at all prepared for my Mom's passing. I called Merkley-Mitchell, was patched through to Constance Hord. What an amazing and compassionate person. She came by the house the day of Mom's passing, we got everything taken care of. Days later I met with Brandon Greene, who walked me through everything. Mom wanted to be with buried with dad in Riverside County. Merkley-Mitchell did everything we asked them, especially having the Prayer Cards with Mom's real birthday! My grandfather registered my Mom's birth a month after the fact, he didn't want to pay the fine, what a card! Bonus for having the Prayer Cards laminated. The day of the service Brandon had Verne Mitchell assisting him, they were very professional throughout the entire process. I am very happy with my experience with Merkley-Mitchell and hopefully you as well. I still have to finish up the remembrance book, I haven't been pressured to finish it up by them. Thanks again for making this sad experience an easy transition. read more

I wouldn't even think of calling any other funeral home in San Diego. Twice I've needed the expert care of Merkley Mitchell, and twice they've come through for me and those I love. Brandon Greene is not just compassionate, he's the consummate end-of-life caring professional. Brandon made sure the arrangements were as beautiful as they were respectful. Thank you, Brandon. Thank you Merkley Mitchell. read more

You don't do business with a mortuary during the best times of life, so it's really important to know the kind of place you can trust to actually help you deal with what is an extraordinarily stressful event. Merkley-Mitchell has the staff and the experience to be that kind of business. There are not adequate words to express my gratitude to Lorna and the rest of the M-M staff for their professionalism, the peaceful environment and their absolute kindness as I dealt with this most difficult circumstance. Merkley-Mitchell is not bargain basement service, but the costs here are competitive with other local mortuaries. Although I have no other personal experience in the San Diego area, from what I have heard, I would not want to deal with anyone else. Peace and blessings. read more

I can't express enough how amazing of experience Amber gave us with the passing of my Grandmother. She was so empathetic, compassionate and warm. She is incredible at her job and handled all the details. She made it so easy on us in our time of need. The house itself it's so cute and warm. Everyone there was great but Amber is above and beyond as funeral director and as a human being. She deserves 10 stars ! Nicole read more

How to choose a mortuary for a loved one when you are 3000 miles away. The Yelp reviews convinced me and when I called, I was immediately connected with Lorna. Lorna listens with her heart. She was clear about everything that would happen. She called to update us at various times with care and compassion. She's exceptional and her kindness made a difficult time much, much easier. Thank you Lorna and everyone at Merkley-Mitchell for taking care of Brenda. read more

I have to admit that I did not look forward to working with a mortuary. I imagine it must be a challenge for people to have to figure out how to deal with so many different familes in such different degrees of pain and suffering. I want to publically thank Lorna and the staff at Merkley-Mitchell for working so hard to make things run smoothly as we planned our Dad's memorial service and the burial. Each person deals with grief in their own way, and add to that the high costs of today's funeral services and you have tense situations. Lorna was good at helping us understand the choices and find the alternatives that worked for us. We were all very pleased that the ceremony honored our Dad in ways that were important to us. read more

I'm not certain why it took me so long to write this review but anyway, here it is. Two years ago I lost my wife of 31 years. For many years I had heard of how predatory and unscrupulous mortuaries could be, preying on the bereaved and exploiting their vulnerable state for additional profit. My experience with Merkley Mithchell could not have been further from that scenario. In fact they went out of their way to inform me of ways I could avoid unnecessary expenses and helped me to save money. They made the entire experience infinitely less stressful than I could ever have anticipated it would be. When my time comes, I want then to take care of me. I know I'll be in good hands. read more