This webpage lists funeral homes and cremation organizations in the Cleveland, OH 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.
A. Ripepi & Sons Funeral Home
Middleburg Heights and Cleveland, OH
Contact: Thom Mills
Phone: 440-260-8800 (Middleburg Heights), 216-281-8800 (Cleveland)
Web: aripepiandsons.com
| Regular Hours | |
| Daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Fee: None |
| After Hours | |
| Willing to open up 24×7 as necessary. | Fee: None |
This funeral home requires a letter from the intended donor’s physician stating that Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease is not a possibility. Brain donation work is done at the Middleburg Heights location.
No refrigeration available.
Brown-Forward Funeral Home
Cleveland, OH
Contact: Robb Forward
Phone: 216-752-1200
Web: brown-forward.com
| Regular Hours | |
| M-F 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Fee: None |
| After Hours | |
| Willing to open up 24×7 as necessary. | Fee: $290 |
Busch Funeral and Crematory Services
Avon, Avon Lake, Cleveland, Elyria, Fairview Park, North Royalton, Parma, OH
Contact: Dana Ivins (Parma)
Phone: 440-937-6175 (Avon), 440-933-3202 (Avon Lake), 216-741-7700 (Cleveland), 440-322-3717 (Elyria), 440-333-9774 (Fairview), 440-237-4569 (North Royalton), 440-842-7800 (Parma)
Web: buschcares.com
| Regular Hours | |
| Daily 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. | Fee: None |
| After Hours | |
| Possibly willing to open up after hours but cannot determine this until time of death. | Fee: $100 |
Brain donation work is done at the Parma location.
E.F. Boyd & Son Funeral Home
Cleveland, Warrensville Heights, OH
Contact: Marcela Boyd
Phone: 216-791-0770 (Cleveland), 216-831-7906 (Warrensville Heights)
Web: efboyd.com
| Regular Hours | |
| M-F 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. | Fee: None |
| After Hours | |
| Willing to open on weekends and after hours by appointment. | Fee: $250 |
Brain donation work is done at the Cleveland location.
Fortuna Funeral Home
Independence and Cleveland, OH
Contact: Joshua Leuck
Phone: 216-520-7335 (Independence), 216-641-0046 (Cleveland)
Web: fortunafuneralhome.com
| Regular Hours | |
| 24×7 | Fee: None |
No refrigeration available.
Schulte & Mahon-Murphy Funeral Home
Lyndhurst, South Euclid & Chagrin Falls, OH
Contact: Jim Murphy
Phone: 440-442-0000 (Lyndhurst, South Euclid), 440-247-3400 (Chagrin Falls)
Web: schultemahonmurphy.com
| Regular Hours | |
| M-F 8 a.m.-5 p.m. | Fee: $200 |
| After Hours | |
| Willing to open on weekends and after hours by appointment. | Fee: $200 |