When my father passed away, my mother, sister, and I knew we wanted to create a unique gravestone that truly captured who he was. Finding Shastone made an incredibly difficult time a little easier. Shastone is a family business in the truest sense, and we felt that from the very first conversation with Russell. The personal attention offered was extraordinary -- Russell wasn't processing us through a system but, rather, he was actually listening to us. My dad was a very unconventional person and, when we came to Shastone with an unconventional idea for how to honor him, Russell did not shut us down. Instead, he opened himself to the process and went through many, many iterations of the stone drafts with us to get it right. Not once did we feel rushed or like we were being difficult. Russell and his team were patient through every start and stop, every "let's try this instead," every moment where grief made decision-making feel impossible. Thanks to Russell's knowledge of the industry along with his creative talents, what we ended up with is a one-of-a-kind footstone -- a stone that would have made my dad laugh out loud and feel completely seen. That only happened because Russell was willing to collaborate and treat our vision as worthy of his time and talents. If you want someone who will just sell you a gravestone, there are many options. If you want someone who will offer care, compassion, and personal attention, call Russell. We cannot recommend Shastone highly enough. read more

From my first conversations with Betty and Russell, Shastone Memorials have been nothing less than professional, honest and altogether, extremely caring and friendly. It's no wonder that they have been in the monuments business since 1904! If my wife were here seeing her stone, she would have loved it too. Thanks for your help in Paramus, NJ guys! read more

Shastone Memorial - My late wife, Hava Jacomowitz (1966-2025). Very tasteful memorial for her. - Funeral Services & Cemeteries Near Me - Great Neck, New York

I reached out to Shastone about a complicated memorial for my father. Russell and his team were incredibly compassionate, helpful, and insightful as they guided me through my options. I'm deeply grateful for Russell's thoughtful attention and expertise -- he helped me find the right solution during a difficult time. I highly recommend working with him. read more

We were out-of-town clients who dealt with Russell Rosen mostly by email and text to purchase and erect a headstone and two grave markers in flushing cemetery. we could not have been more satisfied and pleased with this company. the entire process to order and design the stones was smooth, and communication was fantastic. mr. rosen provided great advice and guidance and the price was fair and transparent. the results, when we finally saw them, were even better looking 'in person.' the stone carving is deep and beautiful. this is a quality company and we highly recommend it. read more

Flat out the best. From the minute we stopped in, the service was caring, thoughtful, and courteous. The design process was seamless and the results were truly spectacular. We couldn't believe how nice the stone same out. My mother and I were lost for words. Absolutely the best and the best price of all that we checked out to boot. In your most sad and trying moment, this place delivers above and beyond. read more

Working with SHASTONE and navigating a complex process with the cemetery and their regulations has been the best part of this endeavor.

What a relief. I am out of state in Florida. The team at Shastone went over and beyond. I can't thank you all very much for putting the final touches for my grandmas passing. I've previously contacted other memorial companies, and felt I was getting ripped off, not here !!! Thanks again. read more

I was recommended by a close friend to use Shastone Memorials. I am so glad that I did. The personal touch from the moment they answer the phone. Shastone went to the cemetery and told me that I needed to match my family plots and I didn't even think to do so. Getting a stone during COVID was very overwhelming for all. They were kind patient and at the end of the day, I was very pleased with how the stone came out. The staff walked me through a very difficult situation and I recommend them highly. read more

I needed to repair an existing grave in an old cemetery and called Shastone Memorials for help. Russell, the owner, went out of his way to provide guidance and options. Called the cemetery for me twice and recommended a solution that was both economical and simple that would be accomplished by the cemetery. Russell even offered to help me with letters and approvals without any charges or costs. His kindness and attentiveness was truly amazing . Thank you Russell and Shastone. read more

We review restaurants, hotels, and entertainment entities, so why not a Monument Company? My mother selected Shastone for the monument for my father years ago. When my mom passed on, I had the responsibility to select the monument for her. I interviewed a few monument companies and the only one that responded with the knowledge and confidence I needed to hear to feel comfortable was Shastone. I was making these arrangements long distance, thousands of miles away, so reliability was key. Shastone worked with me through the selection of special granite as well as multiple revisions of the wording until it was right. The owner was articulate, proactive, and responded promptly to my phone messages. He kept me apprised of what was going on in the process via email and US Mail so I never missed anything. Without me asking, the owner even drove out to the cemetery to make sure that that monument would conform, and he emailed me pictures from the scene because I was far away in California. I don't think any other monument company would have done that. It's been 2 years since mom's monument was erected, and I waited this long to write the review because it's taken me 2 years since the unveiling to return to Long Island to inspect the grave-site and monument. I wanted to see if the Shastone monuments withstood the force of Hurricane Sandy as well as the crippling winter storms over the past 2 years. I feared the worst as I approached the site a few weeks ago, but thankfully, the Shastone monuments still stood. Even the stones left on top of the monuments remained--that surprised me the most. Unfortunately , I could not say the same for the soil on mom's grave-site--the severe weather caused a 12-inch wide sinkhole to form on the site with tunnel erosion down into the site. I reported this to the cemetery office and they immediately repaired the hole and poured additional top soil for support. Let's hope that holds. read more

I purchased a foot stone from them for my Mom in 2017, and I can't recommend them highly enough. Admittedly, I was a royal pain in the behind to try to please - but ultimately they did. read more

The process of mourning a family member is difficult but even more overwhelming it can be to cover their services to have them embark their new journey. Shastone memorials was beyond thoughtful and sensitive with the process, not to mention their prices are competitive. I would definitely recommend them to anyone. read more

I had a very good experience with Shastone for my father's stone. The office staff was warm and courteous, the order was delivered promptly, and the workmanship of the finished product was excellent; they made a perfect match of my mother's stone, and the two of them next to each other are a great comfort to my family. read more

I have had the best customer service with Shastone Memorials. Purchasing a memorial, even under the best circumstances, is never easy. Shastone is professional, caring, helpful, thorough and timely. I live on the west coast and all of our interaction was done through emails and phone calls. Even though the rest of our family lives in NY, this task was designated to me. I could not be more pleased with the process and the timeline. When considering memorials I would highly recommend Shastone. read more

My mother's unveiling was four years ago. I wish I could remember the name of the person at Shastone who worked with me. He was wonderful. It had been a particularly bad winter in New York, and other carvers I had called told me they probably would not be able to get the job done in time for an April unveiling because of all the snow and ice that was still on the ground. But then I called Shastone. This wonderful person said he would do his best to get it done in time, and he did. He was a pleasure to work with and I cannot say enough good things about him. It has been weighing on my mind for over four years now that I should write a review for him. I'm glad I finally did it. read more

There are just some things in life that absolutely suck so much that mere words cannot convey the true utter magnitude of exactly HOW much they f*cking suck - purchasing a headstone after one's spouse unexpectedly passes away is definitely towards the top of that list. When my husband's sudden death thrust me in the position of planning a funeral/burial, becoming a single parent, needing to relocate, all whilst surfing the waves of emotions from others & dealing with my own horrible gumbo o' grief, the LAST thing I wanted to do, or could do really, was select & purchase a freakin headstone. Oh & write an obit. So I waited a year... A year later I was able to write an "in memoriam" notice for the person I thought I'd spend the rest of my life with. But I didn't know the 1st thing about buying a monument. Someone in my then-neighborhood's online parent group recommended Shastone to me. I called up & spoke to Russell. Immediately I was struck by his level of compassion & accommodation. First off, he had the cemetery on file, so within minutes he had the precise size requirements of my husband's particular section. I made it clear I was clueless, he asked a few basic questions & then started feeding me some easy-to-digest info. He directed me to their website &, upon hearing I was on my Iphone without a desktop in front of me, took out his phone so he could guide me to the pertinent images directly how they appeared on my phone (since the screen breaks there are different than on a desktop). As he introduced me to some images & ideas, I started to form some on my own & discussed them with him. He then sent me a preliminary email outlining some costs & specifics. I was very impressed but of course I wanted to shop around & make sure I made a thorough decision. Though Shastone's prices are reasonable, this was not a cheap purchase. Perhaps the level of customer service Russell was providing is industry standard, perhaps I could get what he was offering for cheaper. I asked around & called a few other recommended companies. Omg, it was then I realized how special Shastone & Russell were - one such "highly" recommended place was so terrible over the phone - I called & they asked for the cemetery's required measurements. Since I still really didn't know what the damn numbers on the cemetery sheet meant (width first or height? are these inches??), I just started reading numbers slowly. The guy cut me off & said "Yeah all our granite costs between blah blah blah & blah blah blah" (actually cost more than Shastone). It was like ordering a pizza. A death pizza. I resumed my correspondence with Russell & dare I say it - he made this process as uhhh, pleasant as possible. Who knew that I would like jet black granite so much? Who knew the pleasure I would feel when I found just the right carved roses? He even guided me through the most difficult part for me, which was deciding on the images. For several personal reasons I won't outline here, this was the trickiest part. I can't even estimate how many emails transpired between us - me giving him ideas, him sending me photos, examples etc. Every now & then I would apologize for the back & forth, & he would always be patient & comforting. He would sometimes offer his opinion but in a way that made it clear, that was only his preference (note, he prefers symmetry while my scrapbooking-style would sometimes pull me towards asymmetry!). At one point I was at a standstill, he recommended I step away for a weekend. Eventually, everything clicked into place & it was about as satisfying as something this sad could be. Note, I never had to visit the showroom. Everything was done by phone & email. Should any of you out there ever be in this position, I would highly recommend Shastone to you. FYI anytime I called & Russell was out, I was treated with the same courtesy by anyone who answered the phone. Thank you, Russell & Shastone. The stone is beautiful & perfect. A fitting tribute to my amazing, beloved husband. read more

Mr Rosen, his lovely family, and entire staff at Shastone Memorials show they care in many ways. Outstanding service and outstanding human beings! They were extremely courteous and patient with my family and I, during an extremely difficult time. We changed our minds several times but they were with us every step of the way! I have already recommended them to family and friends. I recommend them to anyone needing this service although I wish no one that heartache and pain of losing a loved one. Still feel the passing of my father very deeply but they made the process so much better and easier. Thank you to Mr Rosen for pushing hard for my family and to all at Shastone Memorial! God bless you all! read more

What absolutely lovely people to work with. I live in upstate New York, and the family burial plot is in Queens. From the first minute I contacted Shastone they were very helpful. I had difficulty in finalizing my Mom's stone since that would mean I was acknowledging that she was actually gone. Russel was very kind, and quietly helped me along the way. All my questions were answered. Someone even went to the cemetary and took pictures of my Dad's stone and described the kind it was so that I could match the stone and colors. I cannot recommend thses people highly enough. They were a pleasure to work with during a very difficult time. Henda Strasser read more

My farther passed away late one night and I i had to make arrangements' for a service and cremation and spent the night looking for the best place to go so everything pointed to Farenga brothers, funeral home on Allerton ave in the Bronx, we were there next day and sat with a mrs. Carrera who was helpful, kind and had a thoughtful smile and walked me and my wife through all the steps and helped us get a beautiful service to help my farther pass on the way he wanted to, and the wonderful woman Lisa was helpful with every thing i needed even helped me get a priest in the last minute (god bless her), the funeral home is a beautiful place, high end, comptinate and is a place where you can be sure that your loved ones will be well taken care of. They really lifted a weight off my shoulders. read more