Jeff Monreal Funeral Home
“I learned at a very young age to show compassion and help others with life's most difficult moments, providing comfort and guidance to help people say goodbye to loved ones.” —Jeff Monreal, licensed funeral director since 2006
Dealing with death—and the overwhelming sadness that comes with it—is one of the harshest challenges to deal with in life. Jeff Monreal handles all of the smallest and largest details associated with planning a funeral, whether it’s a private affair with cremation and an urn, or a large-scale event.
Some of the services he offers include:
- Writing the obituary
- Ordering the flowers
- Arranging the memorial registry
- Producing a DVD memorial
- Helping the family select a casket or urn
- Working with the church and graveyard for services and burial
- Arranging for death certificates
- Preparing the necessary Social Security forms
He even remains present at all calling hours to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Pre-planning: The Perfect Gift Goodbye.
“People have the misconception that it’s somehow bad luck to plan for your funeral when you are alive and well,” says Jeff. “But that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’ve been guiding families through the funeral process for 10 years, and the greatest roadblocks have arisen when people haven’t planned for their funeral and the family had no idea what they would want. It only adds stress to an already emotionally raw experience.”
He says planning and paying for your funeral ahead of time is one of the greatest gifts you can give your family because it takes out the financial and emotional stress at the time of death. "The memorial is really for the family and the best gift you can give your children is allowing them the time to grieve without wondering what to do," he says. "It alleviates their stress, giving them time the peaceful feeling that your wishes are being met."
A celebration of life.
Jeff says that over the past several years, families have been requesting cremation services rather than traditional burial funerals, and the ratio between the two is about 50-50.
“Memorials should be a celebration of life more than death,” says Jeff. “So if a family wishes to hold a memorial at a special place unique to the deceased, I think that’s wonderful. I’ve planned memorials in parks, pubs, restaurants and bowling alleys, just to name a few.”
In addition to these special spaces, and within the luxurious parlors of McMahon, Coyne and Vitantonio Funeral Homes, Jeff also offers services in the Abbey of Willoughby, a peaceful white clapboard building near downtown Willoughby. Inside it offers whitewashed cathedral ceilings, ornate stained glass windows and charming gathering rooms for before and after services.
Jeff Monreal’s Pledge:
When you are faced with calling a funeral home, I invite you to call me any time of the day or night.You can trust that I will treat your loved one with respect and honor, and your family with compassion and dignity during the funeral and cremation process.