I have used the services of Simple Choices twice now over the last 7 years. Each time, Roy and his…read morestaff have been professional and compassionate. I felt at ease from first contact that my loved one (and I !) would be treated with care and respect. I appreciated the prompt response from the moment I reached out. Without hesitation, I would recommend Simple Choices for end of life arrangements.

I'm a year late writing this review, but it was recently the first anniversary of the death in our…read morefamily and it reminded me that we intended to share our glowing review of Simple Choices but didn't get to it in the months immediately after. At the time, I called around to at least 4-6 different places in the Albany area to understand the cremation options available, at a very stressful time obviously. Roy was BY FAR the most compassionate, patient, responsive, and clear about what to expect. Seriously, you just don't want to deal with the impersonal or callous attitudes that came across in my first phone call with some of the other places that offer cremation services. There wasn't even the smallest hint of anything other than the ideal level of genuine helpfulness from Roy. On top of that the prices were extremely fair, and the environment and decor in the Simple Choices funeral home is very comforting. Looking back, it also feels good to have supported a business & team that is committed to doing the right thing for people at their worst times. They live out ALL the values stated on their website. Oh, and I should also mention just in case anyone's looking for this detail in a review - our family isn't Christian, and Roy was nothing but pure kindness and understanding on adjusting the decor in the funeral home for our small family viewing. Roy & team, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for your excellence at serving us at such a difficult time. If we could leave you a 6 star review we would!

We can't thank Mike Barna enough for the guidance, support and kindness he showed our family during…read moreour recent loss. His assistance as we planned services and support after is appreciated and stands out in a time that this level of service is often difficult to find.

We recently had to use their services. They were so helpful, guiding us in what needed to be done…read moreand they helped get everything done. They gave us prices beforehand so we could compare what we wanted and our options. They are so caring and compassionate, especially in your weakest time. They get everything done, A to Z, while keeping you informed and giving you the chance to choose what you want. They took Greta care of us and my Uncle Jimmy and we so appreciate it!

This is an old school Troy funeral home where you feel very comfortable and well taken care of…read more Staff are friendly unprofessional and welcoming. During this Covid time they had hand sanitizers took names and contact information and you felt very safe as well as requiring masks. Although the viewing room is small and intimate.

Parker Brothers is the best! Under the circumstances, they went out of their way to accommodate…read moreeverything needed for my mom's services, and I am so grateful for their support. Vince and the other staff were so kind, caring, and always receptive to our requests. Their compassion and professionalism made a very difficult time a little easier for our family, and we are truly thankful for everything they did. They treated us with dignity and grace from beginning to end, and we will never forget the comfort they provided during such a painful moment in our lives.

Unfortunately, this is the second time I have used Parker Brothers Funeral home. I don't mean that…read morein a negative way but that is where both my parents have been entrusted on the last step of the journey of life. I can't say enough good things about Mike, Vince and all of the staff. This is not a time in any family's life that you want an amateur handling your loved ones. Parker Brothers Funeral Home is the A-team. Thanks Mike. Ken "Kew" Kruszeski

When my Mother passed recently we found out she had a trust set up for her funeral, it turned into…read morea nightmare, until Jeff Collette. This was the hardest day in my life and I truly feel God put Jeff into my path. He was wonderful from start to finish. He made everything so much easier and we knew Mom would be taken care of. I truly can not thank that man enough. God bless you Jeff, this is why small business is so important, I don't think a large place would have done everything they did. My family and myself will always be thankful. Sincerely, Kellie Nardin

Jeff and his staff are the absolute best funeral home I have ever dealt with. They offer…read morecustomized, personalized service plus all the other services other "big" funeral homes offer, but for much more affordable prices. Not only did he offer to come meet us at the hospital we were at for our first meeting (so we didn't have to leave my mother-in-law's side in order to drive to the funeral home), but he treated us like we were a member of his own family from start to finish. Jeff went out of his way to ensure that we were happy with everything for my mother-in-law's funeral, he personally ensured that my mother-in-law was in his care at all times after her passing, and even ensured he had the right person in place to do her African American hair and make up (for the viewing). He knew we were concerned about costs (since my mother in law did not have an insurance policy) and was always helping us think of options that were affordable to fit in our budget. We had his personal cell phone number so we could call him directly with any questions or concerns--and he was endlessly patient with us, even when we called him three times a day or at 2 in the morning. I have never had better service--it was truly a wonderful experience. I highly recommend Jeff and his staff at Konicek and Collett.

We don't live in Troy. We don't live anywhere near Troy. However, my husband's family used to…read morelive in this area about 50 years ago. We recently had a relative pass away who was going to be buried near Troy in the family plot. When we pulled out our records, we noticed his family used Riverview 20 years ago when his grandmother needed their services. So, we called them to use their services again. In full honesty, we had no idea what to expect. We knew nothing about them except they were in the area we needed. When we needed their services, we called them up first to figure out the next steps that involved transport and the general services involved with burying a person. We were a bit nervous because we had no family left in the area (well, above ground) and did not know who we needed to contact about the plot, religious services, flowers, and all the rest. Riverview was a life saver. They handled everything. And when I say everything, I mean everything. They handled the pickup, plane transportation, cemetery, obituaries, flowers, priest coordination, service, and everything else I'm missing. They were kind, professional, organized, and completely on the ball. Absolutely everything worked perfectly and exactly as it was expected. I also found the cost of the services to be very reasonable. If you have little experience, funerals are not cheap... if it is your first experience, you will have sticker shock... and after the sticker shock, you are often a bit stunned by the cost. Riverview was not cheap, but everything 'all in' costs roughly the exact same amount of money it cost to bury my own grandparents about 10 years ago. So, with that amount in mind (granted, I know its a different area of the country, but I assume many of these things are fixed costs), I was fine with the cost of their services. I will probably never need their services again because this was the last relative to set up permanent residence in that area. However, if I do ever need to use a funeral home in the Albany/Troy area again, I'd call them in a heartbeat.

I know it's morbid and/or slightly strange to review a funeral home on Yelp - where we strive to…read morereview community-building events - but I had to share my recent experience with Riverview Funeral Home and its staff. After a long illness, my grandmother passed and my family and I looked all over the Capital Region for a funeral home that could honor the woman my grandmother was in life. Riverview Funeral Home went above and beyond. The service was beautiful, the grounds were well-kept, and the entire staff made the entire process better than I could have expected. A big thank you to everyone that helped remember my grandmother and what an effect she had on all those she touched.

I paid Gretchen-Cahrenger $550 to engrave my father's name on a headstone. They cashed my check on…read more8/8/23. As of 11/26/23 the engraving was still not done. I received no contact from them to let me know of any delays. I was very unhappy when I contacted the owner. He had no real excuse other than they were behind. And he acted like he didn't have the power to get his staff to do the work anytime soon. Who knows if they even have staff? He made no apology or promise to get the work done by any date. I called him out on all of it and he told me I was snotty. He's a thief. I asked for a refund and told him to have it to me within a week. I'm told the check is in the mail. Yeah. There's still a few days left in the week but I fully expect I'll be at small claims court. His contract says all work must be paid for in advance and he gives no timeframe for getting the work done. If you do take the risk and do business with this place - get a deadline in writing and do not pay in full up front. Obviously, I can't speak to the quality of their work because they didn't do any. Zero stars and a possible trip to small claims court.

My dad passed away 33 years ago, and his stone really needed attention. Grethen-Cahrenger…read moreMemorials did an outstanding job. So much so that I thought they had replaced the stone with a new one. Highly recommended for stone cleaning.

It takes a cruel lack of compassion to DELETE a heart-felt post in tribute to a long time friend…read moreposted on BryceFuneralHome.com! $262.92 was refunded because Felthousen Florist refused to fulfill flowers sold and purchased in the morning for a 1:00 p.m. funeral service! The website tribute was deleted because the site didn't keep the $262.92 sale! There was plenty of notice, and neither business put forth effort except to suggest sending the "FUNERAL" arrangement somewhere else, another day, when it was more convenient for them, although completely inappropriate, to fulfill the commission-based sale. The funeral spray stand was ONLY appropriate to stand by the side of a wonderful friend for the funeral they were purchased for. The flu prevented attendance! Felthousen Florist, orders@cfsfuneralhomes.com, and Bryce Funeral Home (as the web site is theirs), are ruthless partners for deleting such a sensitive thing as a tribute due to a refund caused by an unfulfilled order? The Glorious Farewell Spray purchase, the tree in memory, and the sincere heartfelt farewell, deleted in one selfish vengeful sweep! Yet, anyone can post their farewell thoughts without a commissioned purchase? There is no response to this post that can correct this hurtful act. Do not re-post the tribute! Sincere thoughts are better honored than a money-driven website! The reality is...these are three $$$-motivated BUSINESSES. Even so, this tribute to the businesses won't be deleted. I pray this never happens again and the person it would hurt the most, never finds out!

Recently used this funeral home, they were not booked at the time, wanted to hurry and schedule…read moreeverything so they could fill a spot that was open it was my father in laws choice and he regrets it, did not even ask who our palbarrers would be hurry up did not explain anything especially dealing with the cemetery awful do not use!

This funeral home features some of the rudest owners I have ever seen. My best friends mother died…read moreand she asked me to come early to the wake. When I got there, the older female owner proceeded to scold my friend telling her "you can't just tell people to show up early". The lines were very long, so when people who intended on staying for the whole thing went to get air, they naturally wanted to come in the back door so as not to cut the entire line. The door was locked, and if you tried to enter as people were leaving, the older male owner would yell at you and even turn you away if you tried to explain you had already been through the receiving line. I went out for some air at one point and when I tried to go through the back door to get back in, the owner pushed the door closed in my face. I was appalled at how, during a difficult time when people were grieving, these people could be so disgustingly rude even to the family. If you want to be shown even he smallest sliver of respect, do not bury your loved ones using this establishment.