We worked with Dan after our Mother passed away. I can honestly say the team at Downing and Lahey…read morewere very professional, patient and full of compassion. They were happy to explain even the tiniest of details for us (as our heads were in a "grief fog" for most of the time.) The fact that they are a locally owned, family business meant a great deal to us...we never felt like a "number." And they made Mom look really lovely and peaceful. In a time of such pain, it was nice not to have anything negative "piled on" by poor service in such a sensitive situation.

Still waiting on the vases for the monument. We still get excuses after excuses. We've continued…read moreto deal with them since 2020. We are considering contacting Consumer Fraud, the BBB and possibly talk to an attorney. Who ever is finding the posts funny on other reviews haven't gone through what families have had to go through with no communication, broken promises and dates and money taken for almost 2 years with no satisfaction. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!!

Bought a monument for my mom and dad. Dad had not passed yet. Dad passes and I call to get the…read moredeath date on the monument and they want to charge me $500.00. The cemetery is local. I believe they told me that date would be free with the purchase of the monument. I am now going to get it done for 250.00. RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY.

I'll never forget the completely incompetent thing this place did when my mother died. She died in…read moreher home in Wichita. March 1st 1980. My brother and his wife were there when it happened. He called Broadway mortuary. Only one person showed up. Maybe because it was late at night. This employee actually had the nerve to ask my brother to help him get our mother into their vehicle! She'd just died! He understandably told them he couldn't do it. Honestly! The nerve! I wouldn't trust them for anything. Every time I'd ever have to drive by Broadway mortuary I'd think of how awful they are. I'm so glad I don't live in Wichita anymore. Idiots.

When my mother passed away during Covid, the staff of Broadway Mortuary couldn't have been more…read morehelpful. My mom's hair had not been cut or colored for many months before her passing. Broadway Mortuary made her look like herself. Hair-do, color, make up, nails all as she would have wanted them done. They were supportive, caring, communicative. Thank you so much for making a difficult time more bearable.

In a very difficult time, Todd and Ms Betty made my life much easier. My father passed away in…read moreWichita KS and was buried in Monroe LA. I needed to be in California immediately following my father's death. Todd and Ms Betty took over and made the arrangements so much easier and smoother in getting my father prepared and transported. They were respectful, professional and personal all at the same time. I could not have asked for better service! I would recommend them to anyone who wishes to show respect and love to their loved ones. Mr. Todd was on time, prepared and stayed at the funeral site to ensure all went well. I can not thank them enough for all they have done for me and my family.

It's strange saying that I'd rate a funeral home 5 out of 5 stars, but Todd and Miss Betty really…read moregave me the best service that made my situation so much easier to handle. My husband had just passed away and we were not well prepared. I knew he wanted to be cremated but I had other questions. I called around town to many funeral homes and some of them really shocked me how hard it was to get information out of them. Central Avenue was the only one to really impress me and they were so gracious that I felt so comfortable. I felt welcomed and not pressured during the entire process. They were organized, well prepared for my questions, efficient, and timely getting things prepared by the time we needed them.

We recently attended a funeral at this place and were very disappointed, not only in their lack of…read moredirection/planning/professionalism, but in the fact that no additional seating had been prepared for the overflow and no one had introduced themselves as part of the funeral home so we had no way to ask questions about if/where we could sit until just minutes before the funeral started. They also had not saved seating directly behind the immediate family for other close family members (this is done out of respect for the family) even though this is normal professional courteous procedure. And there was not enough parking in their lot making it difficult for people who had to park out on the street (during rain) especially for those who were elderly and/or disabled. I emailed the home after the funeral asking them to address these issues. It has been 10 days since and....crickets.

From the moment I talked to Larry on the phone I just knew it was the right one. If you're looking…read morefor a place that combines professionalism, compassion, and exceptional service during an incredibly difficult time, this mortuary exceeds all expectations. Their ability to listen attentively to our needs, offer thoughtful suggestions, and guide us through the entire process made a challenging time just a little bit easier. Every step of the way, they demonstrated an unwavering commitment to honoring our loved one's life and legacy. What stood out most, however, was the level of care and attention the staff put into every step of the process, from helping with paperwork to coordinating the memorial. I highly recommend them to anyone seeking care during such a sensitive and emotional time.

We used Downing & Lahey for the burials of both our Mom and Dad. They were kind, patient, thorough…read moreand compassionate. They helped us navigate our grief to honor our parents.

My family has turned to Downing & Lahey for over six decades when faced with the loss of a loved…read moreone. When my mother passed in June, we naturally went to Downings. We arranged what we thought was a fitting tribute to my beloved 87 year old mother, gladly spending over $19,000. A family car, or limousine, at a charge of $375 was part of that expense. We planned on my 91 year old wheelchair bound father and six family members with an average age of over 69 years old riding to the cemetery in that car. As I pushed my father's wheelchair out to the parking lot after the service, I can hardly find the words to describe what we were presented with as a "family car or limousine". The vehicle was black and a limousine, but that is all that made it appropriate for a funeral. In the words of the driver, it was a "party limo". There was one door for the family to enter the vehicle, and one either had to slide around the curved bench seat, or crawl on the floor to make way for the next passenger to roll in. Realizing this was not possible for my father, I asked the driver if he could ride up front with him. The driver reluctantly agreed. Not wanting to create a spectacle, or cause a delay to the friends and family already in their cars waiting to proceed to the cemetery, I placed my father in the front seat and made sure he had his seatbelt in place. Little did I realize that a seat belt was a perk that the rest of us rolling back and forth in the back on the bench seat would be not afforded. While the led lights were a nice touch, and the champagne glasses and numerous drink holders would have come in handy if any of the grieving family members had decided to "pop the cork", I find the vehicle totally and completely inappropriate. I feel it equates to having a male stripper sing the hymns we carefully selected for my mother. My family has waited five months to voice our dissatisfaction to Downings. We didn't want to speak out harshly in grief. My sister emailed Downing's expressing our disappointment and stating that we felt like if there was no other car available, we should have at least been notified in advance so other arrangements could be made. The representative told my sister she appreciated our "sharing", and in the future would let people what to expect. I went to Downing's because after six decades and numerous services I thought I knew what to expect. Obviously, I was wrong to expect what I had gotten for decades. Obviously, their motto of providing service with "dignity and respect" is no longer correct. Gloria Baird

Yet another update 9/13/21: Went to place new flowers on my parents graves today & there were yet…read moreagain, 6 inch deep tire tracks right over the base of my mothers grave. Looks like this is going to be a ongoing issue. I called & they just said they'd put in an order and call me when it was fixed. No apology, excuse or anything. These people are the absolute worst. PLEASE THINK TWICE BEFORE USING LAKEVIEW. There are much nicer kept & much more affordable cemeteries all around.

I worked with Isidro and Jayde for both my mother-in-law's and my husband's burials last year. They…read moreare the best. They have become like members of the family. We liked them so much after my mother-in-law died that I knew I couldn't go anywhere else when my husband died unexpectedly. I called Jayde immediately and she handled all the arrangements with our KCFD union rep to get him transported from Kansas City to Wichita. Sometimes I wish he wasn't so far away but I couldn't have worked with strangers during that difficult time. They supported me then and they continue to do so, staying in touch and checking up on me. My mother-in-law had prepaid for her burial spot next to her parents. We have some problems with her beautiful headstone being dirty because that area seems to have a lot of sand and so grass doesn't grow. But when we complained about it sinking, they fixed it. My grandparents and my husband are inside in mausoleums and my mother pre-purchased a spot in there as well. I will have a joint spot with my husband. So, between all the family, we're pretty familiar with Lakeview. My dad and his family are at Resthaven and Jayde also works out there. I learned that the body preparation is done at Resthaven. Isidro even got me a quote for changing my dad's headstone. At the time we placed it, we either didn't think of or couldn't afford to get a vase. Now I'm thinking of replacing it with one that accommodates a vase. There are lots of cemeteries to choose from but in the end, I think the people make the difference and Jayde and Isidro have definitely made a difference for our family.

I don't feel the funeral home is very informant regarding their services. Our viewing of our…read morebeloved love one felt rushed. I understand that there is a time line for things  but I don't feel that everything was communicated very well and was constantly reminded how they went above and beyond for us, I was not aware of exactly what they did that was above and beyond outside of our package. I also had family members that were turned away due to it was a private viewing, after they were not allowed to attend the viewing,I was advised they would need to go through me for information, which they did or how else did they know there was a viewing but they were told there wasn't a viewing at all. This was denied by the funeral director but I was told this by two of my close family members and a friend that was turned away on two different occasions. They also billed for the incorrect amount on our contract. They submitted a higher amount to the insurance company when the remaining amount had already been paid for in full. I appreciate what they have done for our beloved one but I do fell there needs a better line of communication and a little more sympathy shown. Just poor communication and lack of compassion.

From the owner: Celebrating each life like no other.read more