This webpage lists funeral homes and cremation organizations in the Monterey and Santa Cruz, CA 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.
Benito & Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel
Santa Cruz, CA
Contact: David McDonald
Phone: 831-423-5721
Web: pacificgardenschapel.com
| Regular Hours | |
| M-Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Fee: None |
| After Hours | |
| Possibly willing to open up after hours but cannot determine this until the time of death. | Fee: $500 |
Eddington Funeral Services
King City, CA
Contact: Robert Eddington
Phone: 831-385-5400 (Monterey County), 805-238-5895 (San Luis Obispo County)
Web: efscares.com
| Regular Hours | |
| Daily 24×7 | Fee: $495 |
Healey Mortuary & Crematory
Salinas, CA
Contact: Dave Healey
Phone: 831-424-1848
Web: healeymortuary.com
| Regular Hours | |
| Daily 24×7 | Fee: $295 |
Honor Cremations
San Jose, CA (serving all California Counties)
Contact: David Madden or Mayra Banda
Phone: 408-645-5140
Web: honorcremations.com
| Regular Hours | |
| M-Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Fee: None |
| After Hours | |
| Willing to open on evenings and weekends by appointment. | Fee: None |
If the place of passing is in Santa Cruz County, no extra transportation fee. If in Monterey County, there’s an additional $250 transportation fee.
Santa Cruz Watsonville Cremation & Burial Service
Soquel, CA
Contact: David McDonald
Phone: 831-475-6880
Web: cremationsantacruz.com
| Regular Hours | |
| M-Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Fee: None |
| After Hours | |
| Possibly willing to open up after hours but cannot determine this until the time of death. | Fee: $500 |
Brain donation work is done at Benito & Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel, located in Santa Cruz.
Struve and Laporte Funeral Chapel
Salinas, CA
Contact: William Laporte
Phone: 831-424-0311
Web: struveandlaporte.com
| Regular Hours | |
| M-F 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. | Fee: $295 |
| After Hours | |
| By appointment. | Fee: $495 |
Willing to open on weekends by appointment.