We had a truly beautiful experience with Valley Memorial Park Cemetery, Funeral Home, and Reception…read moreCenter during one of the most difficult times in our lives. From the very beginning, their team was patient, compassionate, and never made us feel rushed or pressured. After a previous experience with another funeral home where everything felt urgent, this was completely different. The atmosphere here was serene, welcoming, and allowed us the space to breathe, ask questions, and make decisions with care. We genuinely felt supported every step of the way. Because of this experience, I now feel inspired to plan my own arrangements ahead of time so my family can focus on grieving and being together, rather than navigating logistics during such a painful time. I am deeply grateful for the care they provided. 10/10, and I would highly recommend them to anyone in need of compassionate and professional funeral services.

Valley Memorial was wonderfully helpful and kind when my dad passed 9 months ago with his handling,…read morecremation and everything that goes with it.. I would have highly recommend ed and given them 5 stars even then. But now, I'd give them 10 stars if I could. They were amazing as I navigated through last minute, challenging complications with my mom's remains leading up to her burial.... and they didn't even handle her or cremate her when she passed (an East Bay mortuary did). They truly went above and beyond even coming to pick up my moms remains at my home and finding a way to ensure it would arrive safely close to her burial site since I could not take her on a plane with her urn. They were kind, compassionate, professional, thorough, and go above and beyond at a time when it's really needed. Thank you Eugene, in particular!

Could not find our son's grave last year due to weeds. It was fixed last year but the weeds are…read moreback even worse this year.

My mother was interred here and they notified me 7 DAYS AFTER HER BURIAL that she'd been buried…read more It's LITERALLY their job to notify and they've refused to address my concerns. I'm shocked and appalled and I will be reporting them.

I'm sad to say that we did not have a great experience with Keaton's. After hearing it was the…read morepremium mortuary to use, we decided to go with them. They were very compassionate & respectful when my father passed HOWEVER, paperwork was bundled (on their part) and it took 3 WEEKS before he was cremated. We were given dates that were not met and ultimately it took 3 weeks before he was cremated. We were told that this was standard...it's not. I love giving positive reviews however I also feel it necessary to let people know about our experience. I can't recommend Keaton's. I hope for their sake and the sake of families who use their services, that they get the back office (Admin, logistics) sorted out.

Truly inspired by their completely mind-blowing insensitivity to leave a review…read more The first thing they did when we called was to tell us that the plans we had set five years earlier would not work and we had to use them for everything. They pretty much said and did everything wrong and seemed to go out of their way to be rude, uncompassionate, and try to take advantage of our situation to make money. It was remarkable how insensitive and rude they were. We ended up firing them and working with Brian at Montes in San Anselmo - and Montes was totally the opposite, very thoughtful, compassionate, tactful, and respectful - not even wanting to talk about taking payment until everything was taken care of. Brian is amazing and was totally supportive and perfect.

With an ailing older brother whose health was failing rapidly,, I was recently faced with arranging…read morefor the handling of his earthly remains. Although a transplant from the East over 30 years ago, I had no experience working with anyone from the funeral business out here. I might add that I come from 3 generations of funeral directors and I consider my late father to have run the most professional funeral home business ever. So back to the task at hand and reaching out to the various entities that serve Marin County, I was made aware of the preponderance of large corporations now running funeral homes that were likely originally single-owner businesses.There is often nothing wrong with consolidation within industries, but in my calls I found only one business that still seemed professional, caring and had true ties within the community. That was Monte's Chapel of the Hills. Over the phone, Brian Hood answered all of my questions and guided me through the process of what to expect once my brother passed. At the end of the day, I had decided Monte's would be my choice. Almost a month later, my brother passed away. I reached back out to Brian and he remembered me and everything we had talked about. I felt relief that he was able step in and provide the kind services that we had discussed. Monte's lived up to my expectations and I am very satisfied with their services and support.

One of the oldest funeral homes in the area, we used it to prepare our son's funeral. Absolutely…read moreprofessional and without pretense, Directors Brian Hood and Fiona Norte treated us as good friends. They were wonderful in many ways. Our 47 year old son had died of a massive heart attack when his aorta burst. Fortunately he was inside on a conference call at a local yacht club. Coroner and police were called and sent his body to Monte's. We did not want his body embalmed, only displayed for a private viewing followed by cremation. Brian honored our wishes. I have attended to many funerals in my life and have seen very bad make-up jobs and dreaded seeing my son looking like a made-up clown. I was so relieved to see him in a display coffin looking like he was asleep. I wish I could have touched his forehead and brought him back. His wife and sons, along with my wife, his brother and I were very pleased. Thank you Monte's. Later in the week, I met with Brian to pay for his services and to get his advise on next steps. He had a great check list and went over it with me in great detail. DMV, social security, banking, credit reporting agencies, insurance, financial accounts, deeds and titles were covered, along with suggestions on how to precede. Golly...I felt fully prepared and went over it all with our son's wife. A very shocking and sad occasion brought us, fortunately, to Monte's and we highly recommend you keep Monte's Chapel of the Hills in your memory for when you really need someone to trust. Thanks again, Brian and Monte's.

Fernwood Funeral Home in Mill Valley provided exceptional care and compassion during one of the…read moremost difficult times of my life, after the loss of my father. From the very first interaction, Raymond & the team was kind, patient, and deeply respectful. They guided our family through every step with clarity and sensitivity, making an overwhelming process feel manageable. Their professionalism, attention to detail, and genuine empathy meant more than words can express. I am truly grateful for the dignity and care Raymond & the team showed my father and for the support they gave our family when we needed it most. Thank you Raymond and the entire team at Fernwood.

Gorgeous cemetery, and the only local one that offers truly green burial options (body wrapped in a…read morebiodegradable shroud and placed directly in earth, no casket or grave liner). Beautiful views from the higher parts, and the lower parts have their own kind of natural beauty, emphasizing native plants and minimal landscaping. Perfect for outdoorsy people. (Reviewers who complain about "weeds" are missing the point.) The staff was always kind and helpful to me & my family. We needed our first site on short notice, and Carlos kindly gave us a video tour and answered our many questions promptly. Later, Sonia was patient and helpful with the headstone engraving process. We are very happy with the results (pictured). They appear to be laying down new paths in the meadow (pictured), which should improve accessibility. The meadow border is lined with young redwoods and other trees, so it's going to grow even lovelier over time. The peacefulness of this cemetery and their burial processes made my dad change his mind about how he wants his remains handled -- instead of cremation, he's going with natural burial here. I chose the same for myself.

I am deeply disappointed and frustrated by the lack of empathy and professional flexibility shown…read moreby the staff at Pleasant Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary. We are currently navigating the devastating loss of my close relative, who passed away while under the 'care' of her 'husband.' Despite the fact that the biological family--not the 'husband'--has fully funded the burial and the headstone, the administration is stubbornly siding with his demand to include his name on the monument. Without a head stone it has been very difficult for mourning family to even identify where she is buried. They have refused all attempts at compromise. The cemetery personnel have remained completely intransigent, ignoring the family's wishes and the specific circumstances of this tragedy. Rather than being a place of peace and healing, their rigid adherence to "standard protocol" over common sense and financial responsibility has added unnecessary trauma to an already heartbreaking situation. If you are looking for a facility that values the input of the grieving family members who are actually responsible for the arrangements, look elsewhere.

My family laid my Great Grandmother and Great Grandfather to rest here, so when my Grandmother…read morepassed this where she wanted to be. First of all, it is a BEAUTIFUL location, so peaceful. My Grandmother's service was last year and the woman we worked with was great. Since her service I have visited monthly and always bring a bouquet of silk flowers for my visit with her. The first handful of months when I would visit, the flowers I had brought her were still present in their small terracotta pot that I arranged them in (with the green styrofoam in the bottom of the pot--as one would do to secure the flowers from flying away or falling). As the months went by, and I went to visit, the flowers from the previous visit would be removed, which bothered me a bit but I didn't think too much into it, as there were many rainy days. This past month I visited once again and her flowers were once again removed, but this time, the terracotta pot was left behind. The flowers removed and styrofoam removed, which had to take some effort because I am sure to jam it down into the bottom of the pot. Not only was the empty pot just sitting there, but there was TRASH IN IT next to my Grandmother's plot. Needless to say, that was the point of me being officially upset. I went to the office and waited for someone to come out so I could speak to them and figure out what the deal was with maintenance, thinking maybe they have a system in place where they dispose of flowers after a certain amount of time. A woman did eventually come out, not the sweet lady that helped with my Grandmother's service, but another woman who I wish I had got her name, but I didn't. Either way, I explained the situation and concerns, and asked if there was a schedule for disposing flowers so I could adjust my visits accordingly to be sure my Grandmother has flowers rather than nothing or an empty pot with trash in it. The woman informed me that they actually don't allow "decorations" and any "decorations" are disposed of whenever the landscapers come across them. I was taken back and had to clarify, that she did in fact mean that flowers were considered "decorations" and that they were not allowed, to which she said "yes, that is correct". I looked on their website and see nothing about this but conveniently see a whole section about sending flowers. I find this very off putting and in poor taste. Especially given that throughout the property there are many trees with ornaments in them in honor of peoples loved ones who have passed, and flowers all over the property. I hope that the owner or director can provide information about this on their website, as I am sure I am not the only one who enjoys visiting their loved ones and bringing flowers. I am going back next week and I am hoping that if my Grandmother's flowers were once again disposed of that they did not leave an empty pot next to her plot to become a trash can. I will not be as kind and understanding if that is the case.

We recently honored a close relative's wish to have her ashes scattered at sea by using this…read moreservice. The Golden Gate Bridge setting for the scattering was meaningful and beautiful for the immediate family. The boat crew of Captain Ron and particularly Jim were patient and reassuring when an unexpected delay waiting for the ashes to arrive from the crematorium. We went on a rainy day and the interior had enough space for 8.

My family and I booked a sail with Marin Memorial Services to scatter my uncle's ashes. From…read morecalling to reserve with Todd, to the actual sail day with Capt Ron and Jim, the whole process was flawless. Capt Ron and Jim made sure my family and I were well taken care of and walked us through the scattering of the ashes. We were able to pinpoint where exactly we wanted to scatter my uncle's ashes and Capt Ron and Jim provided us with a card noting that latitude and longitude of the location for a nice memory and keepsake of my uncle. While Capt Ron drove the boat, Jim the deck hand conversed with us all and directed us on how to properly scatter the ashes on the bay water. Both Capt Ron and Jim were very knowledgeable regarding the safety rules when on the ship while also making sure we had a sweet memorial service for my uncle as a family. 10/10 recommend Marin Memorial Services!

Recently, I lost my father suddenly. I was completely lost and unprepared. I cannot thank Casey…read moreHanley enough for her professionalism, knowledge, but mostly for her compassion. She was attentive to every detail and went above and beyond to ensure I was put at ease in the most difficult time of my life. her communication was seamless and she took the burden off of my shoulders. I am confident my father was treated with dignity. Thank you, Casey from the bottom of my heart.

They were very helpful in our time of need. I had a plan before the unfortunate happened with my…read moredad. Service was very attentive and straight. The value was affordable. I would recommend anyone who has a loved one that is sick or planning ahead.

I grew up in a Catholic and Jewish background. This was my first Shabbat service since my family…read morepassed away. Everyone was very welcoming. The service was quite long ( 3 hours) and there was a lunch. The majority of the service was sung in Hebrew. My brain shut off at about an hour and a half but very nice service.

I was a Kol Shofar member from age 5 to age 23 (the last year I could go to high holiday services…read morefor free under my parents membership). My family has seen Kol Shofar change over the years from the leadership of Rabbi White to our current Rabbi, Rabbi Derby and now, Rabbi Levy as Co-Rabbi. High Holidays at Kol Shofar hold many cherished memories for me. Todd Silverstein's soulful interpretation of the holiday melodies is a delight to witness. Rabbi Derby's sermon's are always powerful yet accessible. And even though there are many people in attendance, the atmosphere is still warm and familiiar (probably because my mom *always* insists on sitting in the front row, even when we show up late!) There are truly some remarkable teachers here. Fred Cherniss, Rabbi Derby and Yetta Robinson to name a few. I'm not super fond of the Co-Rabbi, Rabbi Levy, but Rabbi Derby is an amazing spiritual leader who more than makes up for Rabbi Levy's shortcomings. If you are synagogue shopping in Southern Marin, I'd definitely recommend you take a look at Kol Shofar. Be advised that Rabbi Derby is on sabbatical for the next 9 mos.