My brother, **Douglas Higgins**, passed away on June 25, 2026. He proudly served this country for…read more**24 years** in both the United States Marine Corps and the United States Navy. After a lifetime of service, our family expected--at the very least--that he would be honored with dignity and respect.
Instead, what we received from this funeral home and from funeral director **Stephen Kemp Jr.** was carelessness, disregard, and a level of disrespect that left our family deeply hurt.
We arranged for my brother's cremation and a memorial service scheduled for **July 18th**. Mr. Kemp was responsible for ensuring that my brother received his **military honors**, a **personalized VA urn**, and a **flag**--all standard for veterans.
**None of these were provided. Not one.**
After the service, I called repeatedly. My messages were ignored. At one point, I was placed on hold for **20 minutes**, and no one ever picked up. When I called back, Tracy told me someone would return my call. Eventually, Mr. Kemp responded and claimed he had the date down as **July 22nd**--a date that was never discussed and had no connection to anything we planned.
When I went to pick up my brother's ashes, Mr. Kemp told me that if I wanted my brother's honors, I could "go to a veteran cemetery and have the honors done there."
**I was shocked and devastated.**
After everything my brother gave to this country, this was the solution offered to us?
They had asked for my brother's photo for the personalized urn, and I provided it immediately. To discover that not only was the urn not prepared, but every promised honor was ignored--it felt like the ball wasn't just dropped, it was shattered.
Mr. Kemp then suggested that *I* go to a veterans cemetery on my own to fix *his* mistake. When I returned to pick up my brother's ashes, he apologized, handed me a flag, and said the certificate and honors would be handled "through the mail."
**To say I was emotionally traumatized by his lack of empathy is an understatement.** It felt that the respect due to a veteran depended on how much money was spent.
I paid for services that were never provided. I trusted this funeral home to honor my brother, and instead we were left feeling dismissed, disrespected, and painfully aware that the level of care we received seemed tied to the price tag--not to my brother's service or his sacrifice.