Well loved peaceful sanctuary of Christian worship on the crest of a hill in a beautiful and…read morehistoric seaside town. Encountered families, tourists, and long time parishioners.

I suppose that this review really should be for the Rainshadow Chorale and Orchestra. The group…read more performed Bach's Magnificat and Cantata No.140 in the sanctuary of St. Mary's on Thursday, Nov. 17th and it was a wonderful evening. I was in the audience. I suppose that this review really should be about the high quality of the all-volunteer chorus and the professional (but local) musicians who accompanied them. It would be appropriate to note that this was Rainshadow's official Fall 2011 performance and that the music soared into the church's rafters with nary a dissonant note. The performance was truly celestial but I'll let you read more about it on the organization's website: http://www.rainshadowchorale.org . That being said, this review is really about the church because the building, and its ministry is rather a surprise. At least to me, anyhoo... St. Mary Star of the Sea is located a block from the Port Townsend Public Library. It's a one-story red brick building which occupies a city block and has a large parking lot. The parish does not (as far as I can tell) host a parochial school and yet the site would have been the perfect location for such a school, had one been started. The church's website, www.stmaryss.com tells all the sordid (but ultimately uplifting) details. The reader will learn that such a school was planned for the location, that an early church housekeeper, who was vehemently anti-Catholic, totally impoverished the parish, selling off all of the church's contents including the baptismal font. The reader will also learn that a later housekeeper willed a considerable amount of money to the church to restore it. The present building has soaring ceilings, a beautifully carved wooden crucifix and lovely Stations of the Cross on the perimeter walls. It has to be one of the more airy, uplifting, modern churches that I''ve been in. The congregation (and present pastor) seem to also be welcoming inclusve, witness the use of the sanctuary for the Rainshadow concert... I enjoyed a wonderful musical evening, felt at home and once again marveled at the amazing artistic life of Port Townsend. Just as the all-Bach performance fit beautifully into its setting, so does St. Mary's, which is perhaps the only Catholic church in Puget Sound, fit into the Port Townsend community.

My father passed away April 13, 2014. Many years ago my mom &dad made and paid for their funeral…read morearrangements with Burley Funeral Chapel. They set this up so that their wishes would be met so us children didn't have to deal with this when the time comes. This " simple" process my parents thought of was anything but! Since I'm the contact person for my parents affairs I was the one dealing with the staff about my dad. I was asked to write up and answer the questions on a questionnaire not only did I fill out the paper work and email it back to them once I ended up sending It 3 times. Mind you the questions were already answered by my parents with their original paper work. What happened next was even worse my dad who had paid for his cremation was not cremated for 6 weeks after his death. During the time they had my dad I just assumed he had been cremated so I never asked them about it. When I still hadn't received the death certificates that is when I called I was told he was being cremated that day. When I inquired why so long after his death they said that the doctor who did his exam didn't write the correct name on the paper work and it took the hospital that long to send them corrected paperwork. I find it disrespectful to our family and my dad that things were not handled appropriately and we should have been notified of the error. Lastly, one of the other arrangements my parents made was once they cremated my dad his remains were to be mailed to the Navy so that he could be buried at sea. I was again asked to fill out some redundant paper work and they wanted me to enclose a $125.00 check??? I sent the paperwork back to them all filled out with a note stating that if they were going to charge me the $125 to send the remains even though my parents had it on their contract, that I would pick them up myself. I sent this email on a Wednesday and asked for a reply by that Friday. To this day 2+ weeks later I have not been contacted. Even though my mom has paid for her funeral arrangements with them there is no way I would ever use their services in the future.

From the owner: We are a proud member of the Dignity Memorial Network, North America's largest and most trusted…read morenetwork of funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers. With more than 1,800 licensed providers in the U.S. and Canada, the Dignity Memorial brand is the name families turn to for compassionate and professional final arrangements. When you choose us as your funeral home or cemetery provider, you not only receive the compassionate care and quality service you expect from a locally operated establishment, but also the value you deserve from the largest network of funeral homes and cemeteries, including an array of services and benefits that are unmatched by any other funeral or cemetery provider. Whether your need is now or you are making final arrangements in advance, you can count on us as your local Dignity Memorial provider for professionalism, quality and service excellence. We believe creating meaningful ways to pay tribute to a loved one begins with compassion and is shaped by the understanding that each life is truly unique. For us, there is no greater responsibility than honoring and preserving the story of ones life.

Just lost my mom 1 week ago, and Paul was nothing but kind and helpful throughout a very difficult…read moreprocess. He made us all feel comforted and truly caring with my mother. I would certainly recommend the services provided by Paul and his staff.

Super bummed that they asked me if I wanted a fingerprint of my mother's before cremation and I…read moresaid yes. After writing them for the ID number to order something on the brochure they gave us, they informed me that their scanner was broken at that time and there was no print. And they couldn't have told me that before they cremated her? I am so sad that the one thing I was looking forward to holding dear to my heart was taken from me. This is a small thing to miss, but would have meant the world to me. I would have had her finger put on ink had I known I would not be able to attain this from them.

I don't make plans in case something like this was to happen. I reached out to them in my need and…read morethey where completely understanding of my plight. When I went to the Bellingham location, (Jerns) to pick up my loved one, I was greeted with such respect and care, it made things much easier to the point I was able to not show my weakness. If you did or didn't plan for this type of scenario, I highly recommend you at least call them and talk to them. To Mt. Baker Cremation/Jerns; Thank you for your professionalism and care.

I found these folks extremely helpful and compassionate when I needed both to get me through the…read morepassing of my wife. I highly recommend them.

Very quaint small Center in the heart of downtown Coupeville. Great local info here. The staff of…read moretwo senior citizens offered a wealth of detailed info on local points of interest and historical sites some of which were not on any visitors map.

We lost our sweet boy last year, and Radiant Heart made it easy to choose the best option for us to…read morekeep his memory alive. We chose to do the "eco friendly water cremation" for our sweet Jackie. We got a paw print, and his snoot print along with his "cremains". Though it was a little pricy for each, we have the perfect prints The staff there was super kind and compassionate, and made sure to get us the perfect print for our memories. There are many options to choose from, if you want a print, cast, or mold . Check their website for options. Thank you Radiant Heart for the wonderful memorial of our sweet boy.

They did an amazing job caring for my Michael who passed unexpectedly. They were so nice and caring…read morewhen I was a mess and they returned him to me in a beautiful box with grief pamphlets which was so thoughtful. They have a really nice area for discussing the plan with many beautiful options to memorialize your pet. They told me initially it would be about a week before I got him back but they called me a few days later which was a nice surprise. I will use them again.

I forgot to review this place after my Dad passed. It was hectic. We had a coroner come out to our…read morehouse with a list of places and which ones had good feedback. This place was on their selection of good feedback and they were close. They were kind caring and had selections from around 600.00 and on up. They had a wall of Urns, and options for things I never thought of before, for keeping some ashes. They had no hidden fees, other than the Death Tax, which was something like 75.00.

Renee was awesome to work with. I can't tell you how much Choice Cremations helped us when my…read morebrother was killed in an accident. Again Renee was great. I am from out of town and they were able to meet with us on short notice and took care of everything at a reasonable cost. Thanks again.