This webpage lists funeral homes and cremation organizations in the Chicago area that we deem “cooperative.” A “cooperative” funeral home or cremation organization meets two criteria:
ACCESS
- makes its facility available to pathology personnel on a daily basis. At minimum, a four-hour window each day is necessary.
- ideally, makes its facility available on a 24×7 basis.
FEES
- charges a reasonable fee, if any, and assesses that fee only if the facility is utilized after-hours. We have not included funeral homes or cremation organizations where the facility charge exceeds $500.
- ideally, charges no fee to the family (or anyone else) for allowing pathology personnel to use its facilities.
Listed below are places we’ve worked with or called somewhat recently that we deem “cooperative.” This list is not intended to be exhaustive, and serves only as a starting point. If you identify other organizations that should be on this list, let us know.
Fees listed assume that your family is utilizing this business for final arrangements.
Note 1: if you are using a funeral home or cremation organization that does not allow the work on its premises, we can ask one of these “cooperative” funeral homes whether its facility can be rented for a fee for the brain donation work. And the “cooperative” funeral home may provide transportation from the place of death.
Note 2: there are two rare cases when a funeral home or cremation organization need not be open on a daily basis: (1) if death has occurred or (2) if the loved one is utilizing a “death with dignity” act on a certain day/time.
Brust Funeral Home
Lombard, IL
Phone: 630-629-0094
Web: brustfuneralhome.com
| Regular Hours | |
| M-F 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. | Fee: None |
| After Hours | |
| Willing to open on weekends and after hours by appt. | Fee: $75/hour |
No refrigeration available.
Donnellan Family Funeral Services
Skokie, IL
Phone: 847-675-1990
Web: donnellanfuneral.com
| Regular Hours | |
| Daily as needed | Fee: None |
Farkas Funeral Home
Joliet, IL
Contact: Jim Farkas
Phone: 815-725-0100
Web: farkasfuneralhome.com
| Regular Hours | |
| M-F 8 a.m.-4 p.m. | Fee: None |
| After Hours | |
| Willing to open on weekends and after hours by appt. | Fee: None |
No refrigeration available.
Friedrich Jones & Overman Jones Funeral Homes and Cremation Services
Naperville, IL
Phone: 630-355-0213
Web: friedrichjones.com
| Regular Hours | |
| M-F 8 a.m.-5 p.m. | Fee: None |
| After Hours | |
| Willing to open on weekends and after hours by appt. | Fee: $395 |
No refrigeration available.
Friedrich Jones & Overman Jones Funeral Homes and Cremation Services
Plainfield, IL
Phone: 815-436-9221
Web: friedrichjones.com
| Regular Hours | |
| M-F 8 a.m.-5 p.m. | Fee: None |
| After Hours | |
| Willing to open on weekends and after hours by appt. | Fee: $395 |
No refrigeration available.
Gibbons Funeral Home
Elmhurst, IL
Contact: Marya Gibbons
Phone: 630-832-0018
Web: gibbonsfuneralhome.com
| Regular Hours | |
| M-F 8 a.m.-2 p.m. | Fee: None |
| After Hours | |
| Willing to open on weekends and after hours by appt. | Fee: $200 |
No refrigeration available.
Hann Funeral Home
Bridgeview, IL
Contact: John or Rosemary Hann
Phone: 708-496-3344
Web: hannfuneralhome.com
| Regular Hours | |
| 24×7 | Fee: None |
Hultgren Funeral Home and Cremation Service
Wheaton, IL
Phone: 630-668-0027
Web: hultgrenfh.com
| Regular Hours | |
| 24×7 | Fee: None |
JSR Memorial Cremation, formerly Care Memorial Cremation
Romeoville, IL
Contact: Amy
Phone: 866-912-9822
Web: carememorialcremation.com
| Regular Hours | |
| 24×7 | Fee: None |
Brain donation work done at Hann Funeral Home in Bridgeview, IL.
Kurtz Memorial Chapel
Frankfort and New Lenox, IL
Contact: Matthew Becker
Phone: 815-806-2225 (Frankfort), 815-485-3700 (New Lenox)
Web: kurtzmemorialchapel.com
| Regular Hours | |
| M-F 8 a.m.-4 p.m. | Fee: None |
| After Hours | |
| Willing to open on weekends and after hours by appt. | Fee: None |
Lawn Funeral Home
Orland Park, IL
Contact: Don Jarka, Jr and Madeline Jarka
Phone: 708-429-3200
Web: lawnfh.com
| Regular Hours | |
| Daily 8 a.m.-5 p.m. | Fee: $250 |
Brain donation work done on-site or at a sister facility.
No refrigeration on-site. Refrigeration is available at sister facilities.
Lawn Funeral Home
Tinley Park, IL
Contact: Don Jarka, Jr and Madeline Jarka
Phone: 708-532-3100
Web: lawnfh.com
| Regular Hours | |
| Daily 8 a.m.-5 p.m. | Fee: $250 |
Brain donation work done on-site..
Lawn Funeral Home
Burbank, IL
Contact: Don Jarka, Jr and Madeline Jarka
Phone: 708-636-2320
Web: lawnfh.com
| Regular Hours | |
| Daily 8 a.m.-5 p.m. | Fee: $250 |
Brain donation work done on-site.
Palos-Gaidas Funeral Home & Cremation Services
Palos Hills, IL
Contact: Dave Gaidas
Phone: 708-974-4410
Web: palosgaidasfh.com
| Regular Hours | |
| Daily as needed | Fee: None |
Steger Memorial Chapel
Steger, IL
Contact: Don Egeler
Phone: 708-755-6100
Web: smitsfh.com
| Regular Hours | |
| Daily as needed | Fee: None |
No refrigeration available.
Smith Corcoran Funeral Home
Chicago, Palatine, Glenview, IL
Phone: 773-736-3833 (Chicago), 847-359-8020 (Palatine), 847-901-4012 (Glenview)
Web: smithcorcoran.com
| Regular Hours | |
| 24×7 | Fee: None |
Brain donation work for Glenview done at Chicago location.
Wheatley Funeral Home
Calumet City, IL
Phone: 708-360-3880
Web: wheatleyfuneralhome.com
| Regular Hours | |
| 24×7 | Fee: $100 |