Higgins and Bonner treated us with care, compassion, and great professionalism. We have used them…read morefor several family funerals and they are always very empathetic and attentive to details.

From the owner: Five Generations of Our Families Serving the Families of Union County and New Jerseyread more

Fairview Cemetery & Arboretum is one of the most historic and picturesque places in Westfield…read more Established in 1868, it was created when the town's older church burial grounds were becoming crowded. It is both a cemetery and an accredited arboretum, with more than 100 identified tree species and self-guided tree tours. The grounds are known for their natural beauty, including wooded areas, a pond, and extensive landscaping. Fairview also serves as a historical record of modern Westfield. While many colonial-era residents are buried in Westfield's older Presbyterian Cemetery, many of the families who helped build the suburban town of Westfield are buried here. The pond, nicknamed "Ghost Pond," was still surrounded by woods when I was a kid in the 1960s. Back then, it was open to the public for ice skating. The scene in It's a Wonderful Life where George Bailey saves his brother Harry always reminds me of those childhood days skating on Ghost Pond. On my mother's side, my family lineage goes back to some of Westfield's earliest settlers. My parents and both sets of grandparents are buried here. In 2023, I worked with the cemetery office to arrange for my parents' burials in their family plot and to have a headstone made and installed. The staff was professional, compassionate, and easy to work with throughout the process. I grew up near Fairview and have been visiting since I was about ten years old. The grounds are beautiful, peaceful, and exceptionally well maintained. Fairview contains the graves of many of the families who shaped Westfield during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The cemetery includes a notable Civil War section, several historic monuments, and "Old One Horn," a Revolutionary War-era cannon displayed on the grounds. It is also the final resting place of several notable individuals, including Whitney Houston and Dr. Virginia Apgar, whose Apgar Score is still used worldwide to assess newborns. Whenever I return to the Westfield area, I make a point of stopping by to visit family members, friends, and the parents of friends who are buried here. It remains a beautiful and tranquil place that provides comfort while honoring the memories of loved ones.

In my opinion, Fairview Cemetery is one of the most beautiful burial grounds in NJ. The…read moremaintenance at this location is superb, making it a beautiful and peaceful final resting place. The grounds are meticulously maintained, and staff members are always available to address any concerns.

From the very start of the funeral planning process Chris Siceloff and Katie Keiser were kind,…read morecompassionate and professional. At a very emotional time they guided me through each step. Katie produced a slideshow that celebrated Robert. Every detail was perfect. I am very grateful for the personal attention I received. Thank you.

Every detail was handled with compassion and expertise. Ryan and the others were so efficient it…read moremade a difficult time go smoothly. The facility is beautiful and the care was suburb.

When I lost my son I was overwhelmed with grief. It's a thing a mother should never have to go…read morethrough. I reached out to Hollywood Monumental devastated and lost but Ralph sat and listened to me. It felt like he was a friend, family even. I had never purchased a monument before, but he explained the process to me clearly and walked me through every step patiently. Once it was finished and set at my sons final resting place I was full of gratitude, just so many emotions. It came out beautifully, the quality, the lettering, the overall look was everything I described and wanted. Thank you to Ralph and his amazing family.

When I visited Hollywood Monuments, I instantly felt at ease and confident that they were the best…read morefit for my family. Their expertise was evident, and they listened attentively to our needs, offering insightful recommendations without any pressure. The range of granite and design options was outstanding, and they took time to explain everything, guiding us toward a choice that genuinely matched our preferences and budget. Clear pricing and consistent updates throughout gave us reassurance. The craftsmanship surpassed what we hoped for. They demonstrated flexibility, patience, and were always ready to answer our questions. I highly recommend Hollywood Monuments for their compassionate professionalism and excellent quality. They take care of everything from beginning to end and are always available to address any concerns.

As a local funeral director for the past nine years, I've had the honor of working alongside many…read moreoutstanding funeral and cemetery professionals. Among them, one individual consistently rises above the rest--Paula Gervasi. Paula G. has been an exceptional partner in serving our community with care, dignity, and compassion. Her unwavering commitment to helping families through some of their most difficult moments is truly remarkable. I have complete confidence that when I refer a family to Paula G., they will be treated with the utmost respect and receive the highest level of service. Whether you are planning ahead or facing an immediate need, Paula Gervasi is the trusted, compassionate professional you want by your side. I cannot recommend her highly enough.

My beloved family members are at this cemetery. The headstones are always covered, with over grown…read moregrass, as well as the headstones sunk in. With the amount of money spent to bury and to put the headstone in, it should be better taken care of. Some of the office staff are extremely rude, not what to expect from a cemetery. I would not recommend or refer anyone here

I am very appreciative of the professional and sensitive way in which I was treated when being…read moreguided through the difficult process of losing my mother. While each person's situation is unique, I found that the staff was understanding and did not rush me. This was my first time to make arrangements for a family member, and they gave me a helpful overview and respectfully answered all my questions. I thank them very much for their kindness throughout the process.

Very professional as always. Our family will always use Mastapeter Funeral Home in Roselle Park…read more Arthur's wife is the intern and walked us through step by step along with Arthur.

I never imagined there was a service that would allow me to make cremation arrangements in the…read moreprivacy of my own home. During my time of grief, Simple Cremations web-site was not only easy to navigate, but also provided everything I needed to make the provisions for my son's cremation, at an affordable price. Chris and Colleen - were empathic, sympathetic and extremely professional. Unfortunately, this is not the type of business you look forward to using again anytime soon, however - when the need presents itself, my family and I will be loyal customers.

From the owner: A Life Well Rememberedread more

As my standard preamble when reviewing a cemetery, let me say--- I never mean any disrespect to the…read moreholiness or sanctity of these final resting places, or to the memory of those interred there. I've always had a fascination with cemeteries, either as (a.) repositories of history and architecture and nature, or (b.) as quietly beautiful, bucolic spots where one can reflect and meditate on life and death and other momentous subjects, or (c.) when someone I knew personally is buried within, a location where I can peacefully mourn and remember what was (as a non-religious person, I'm not thinking about "what will be"....I'm thinking, "This is probably where I'll wind up being buried someday...hopefully in the far, far distant future.") B'nai Abraham Memorial has importance for me personally because it's where I first attempted to locate the burial spot of someone "famous," (or "infamous"), which of course became a sort of "hobby" or avocation for me that has lasted through the decades. This was the start. The "famous" person in question here is Abner "Longy" Zwillman, a NJ racketeer who was once referred to as "the Al Capone of NJ." He was also a benefactor who gave to the sick and needy, as well as an avenger against Nazi Bund groups that festered in NJ in the pre-War years (a topic covered in the book "Nazis in Newark" by Warren Grover). I had loved reading about the underworld since childhood ("The Godfather" was the first R rated film my parents allowed me to see: I didn't understand most of it, but I loved it). Of course, being from NJ, that probably isn't too surprising, or shouldn't be. My grandfather had a nodding acquaintance with north NJ mob boss and Sinatra-mentor Willie Moretti (Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin were supposed to dine with Moretti in Cliffside Park on the night he was shot to death in 1951; they didn't attend that fatal dinner engagement because both of them had the flu). My oldest friend's father was friendly with Moretti's nephew and often told me stories of his interactions with Moretti. A friend from grade school was the son of "Fatty" Russo, who had a chapter dedicated to his murderous spree in an out-of-print book entitled "The Luparelli Tapes." Another friend had a cousin who dined regularly with Ruggiero "Richie the Boot" Boiardo. And so on... Zwillman was a mob boss I didn't know too much about until I read a biography on him. It wasn't a great book, but it indicated he was buried in B'Nai Abraham following his suicide in 1959. I remember thinking, "Hey, I've passed by that cemetery on Rt. 22!" I was able to talk 2 friends of mine into helping me search for the grave. Rt. 22 is an ugly highway, but the grounds of the cemetery, established in 1948, are peaceful and convey an aura of dignified beauty, with trees and foliage liberally interspersed among the flat gravestones and monuments. We picked what was probably the coldest day of the year to search. Initially, the cemetery didn't seem so huge, but after an hour of fruitless wandering down the rows, peering intently at the names on the flat tombstones, we recognized how wrong we were. It was huge, and densely packed with graves, and what had started as a lark had transformed into a daunting task. I was discouraged, but the bitter cold forced us to give up. A month later, one of the 2 friends...displaying a heretofore unknown talent for investigative detective work...said to me, "Look, in that book, there's a photo from 1959 showing his burial, and these people are walking in from the street. There's a tree off to the side--- if you imagine that tree several decades later, as it is now, maybe we can find it and nail down the exact spot." We went back (the other friend was no longer interested), found the tree in question, walked straight in from the road, and...after walking several yards...located Zwillman's modest gravestone, as well as a weathered bench with the name Zwillman on it. I "immortalized" the moment by taking a photo. Years later, I returned. In the few times that I've come to the cemetery since, I've never observed another person, making it seem even more peaceful and serene. It's still a beautiful cemetery, and it's seemingly another world away from the grim, gritty reality of Rt. 22. Just this past summer, I went there on a lovely July morning, and as I pondered the mystery of existence while standing by the grave, I was startled by what sounded like several loud gunshots, breaking harshly through the sylvan tranquility of the morning. My immediate thought, as my heart raced wildly, was, "Jeez, did I somehow piss off Longy's spirit?" Turns out, it was a vehicle backfiring at a nearby garage, outside the nestling range of trees that hide B'nai Abraham from the reality of Rt. 22 and Union's shopping mall sprawl. R.I.P., Mr. Zwillman, and everyone else resting in the serenity of B'nai Abraham. https://www.efootage.com/videos/43939/abner-longy-zwillman-kefauver-hearings

Horrible experience with their handling of my father's funeral and cremation. To begin with, they…read morewere not upfront about the assignment of financial responsibility for the arrangements. Steve Pearlmutter, told me I was signing off on the choices we made for the services, prayers, music, etc., when we later found out it was actually the bill for goods and services. Making me responsible for the costs. In the end, they ignored our calls advising them of the sale of my fathers home and requests to place a lien on the property since the executrix failed to pay the costs of the funeral from the estate, and we had to hire an attorney to have a judge order them to do so otherwise I would be liable, in essence making us their bill collector. They caused undue grief and emotional trauma by first, giving me instruction as to when and what time to pick up my fathers cremains at the crematory in Linden only to find out that steve Pearlmutter had retrieved them the day before as per his lawyers advice yet failed to inform me, knowing he told me when theyd be ready and that I planned to pick him up to prevent his exwife any chance of getting his ashes. The compassionate and courteous thing would've been to call to let me know on advice of their lawyers he picked up the remains. I would've understood. I'll never understand the way he handled this or other aspects of the service. Someone who worked with my father called the funeral home and left a confidential message for either of my brothers or myself. However, the director's son gave the confidential message to his exwife. He claimed the confidential message was for anyone??? Despite our instruction not to give anyone a death certificate copy without our knowledge or permission. We paid out of pocket for them. Yet, despite our instruction, they gave the exwife a copy which allowed her to gain access to our father's safety deposit box. These were just the most egregious of the acts which transpired lacking compassion, common sense and transparency toward the deceased's family. I realize they are the only funeral home in Clark, but I would not recommend them to anyone or use them ever again. In fact, I will never step foot in their establishment again even to attend someone else's service. We have since used and have been more than happy with the services of Petit Davis in Rahway.

Samantha Muro-Duvidzon, funeral director at Menorah Chapels, is truly exceptional. She was…read moreunderstanding, patient, and supportive throughout the entire process. I am not sure I would have been able to navigate such a difficult time without her steady guidance from start to finish. My late husband was Jewish, and while I am not, Samantha thoughtfully walked me through each tradition, explaining its meaning and significance. She made it possible for me to make respectful, informed decisions that honored Jewish funeral customs. Throughout, she was honest, compassionate, and never pushed unnecessary or costly additions. I highly recommend Menorah Chapels for their professionalism, care, and integrity during such an emotional time.

I am still haunted by the services provided during my mom's funeral last summer. I was greeted by a…read morebusinessman who expected to complete payments owed during this acute time of grief. Staff communication needs improvement in hopes of changing processes for future customers. My mom was made up to look like a clown. She was so beautiful without makeup and I never consented to this. So very disappointed. Would not recommend this chapel.