Frequently Asked Questions

Should your loved-one pass away, your first step is to contact the appropriate authorities. If your loved-one passes at home while under the care of an in-home healthcare provider or hospice organization, they should be contacted right away. If your loved-one passes at home unexpectedly or not while under the care of in-home healthcare or a hospice organization, 9-1-1 should be contacted. If your loved-one passes away anywhere unexpectedly, 9-1-1 should be contacted. Once the hospital, paramedics, first responders, or other local authority confirms your loved-one’s passing, they will direct you to contact Honor Cremations.

Cremation is a meaningful and honorable option practiced by nearly every culture in some manner. Simply put, cremation is the process in which heat is used to reduce the body of a person who died to ashes that are then placed in an urn for final placement, or disposition. Cremation provides many options for client-families, including keeping their loved-one’s urn at home, placing their urn in a cemetery, and scattering their ashes at sea or someplace special.

Decedent:   The legal term for the person who died.
NOK:   The abbreviation for Next of Kin. This is the person legally designated to handle the affairs of the person who died.
Disposition:   What happens to the remains after cremation.
Urn:   Container in which the ashes are placed following the cremation.
Death Certificate:   State document in which the manner of passing is recorded. The death certificate also contains personal information for the person who passed for the purposes of permanent record.
Permit:   California State approval for the end point of the cremation urn.
Release Form:   The document that allows Honor Cremations to collect the body of the person who died for transportation to the funeral home or cremation provider.

A direct, or simple, cremation takes place when a client-family determines to hold a cremation without a prior ceremony, viewing or visitation. This means there is no extensive or invasive preparation such as embalming required. Direct cremation creates the opportunity for a family to plan a meaningful memorial service or celebration of life, with or without the loved-one‘s urn present. A direct cremation with Honor Cremations includes the transportation from the place of passing, filing all required documents with the city, county and state, holding the body in a climate controlled environment until the cremation is scheduled, transportation to and from the crematory, the cremation itself and a simple urn. Client-families have the option of selecting from multiple urns and their preferred form of final disposition.

We recognize the last thing people want to do when someone has passed is complete paperwork. All paperwork completed with Honor Cremations serves to satisfy the requirements of the following people and sites:

1. The site where the person passed
2. The crematory
3. The Department of Consumer Affairs‘ Cemetery and Funeral Bureau
4. The State of California

At Honor Cremations, we try to automate as much form completion as possible. We believe doing the documentation digitally helps this go as quickly as it can.

We encourage client-families to hold a gathering that is appropriate in honoring their loved-one’s life. Honor Cremations has offerings available for a Small, Private Viewing and/or a Witnessed Cremation. Should your family require the services of a traditional funeral home, we will help you find the right fit. We are always happy to assist you in finding a local venue, clergy or any other resource as you plan a memorial service or celebration of life.

While most traditional funeral homes offer direct cremation, they often focus on client-families’ arrangements full funeral services. Since traditional funeral homes aren’t designed specifically for arranging for simple cremation, it is common to find higher costs, less transparency and longer timeframes when working with funeral homes. Honor Cremations was designed to meet the needs of those seeking simpler arrangements.

Selecting the right funeral home or cremation provider looks different for every family. We recommend selecting a cremation provider whose values, offerings and approach to customer care align with your family’s needs. While doing research online, you might consider narrowing your options by reading a few recent reviews on Yelp or Google in addition to visiting a cremation provider’s website. We then find that a phone call to two or three local establishments can help a family determine which will be the right fit. You may consider preparing a list of five questions for each and comparing before making a decision.

As soon as Honor Cremations has permission of local authorities and the next-of-kin (NOK), the body of the person who died is transported immediately into our care at 2021 Monterey Highway, San Jose, CA 95112. They are held in a secure, controlled environment until the cremation is scheduled. Then, they are transported with care to our cremation partner in the East Bay city of Fremont.

In many instances, Honor can allow for client-families to be present at the crematory to witness their loved one’s cremation. Witnessed cremations are scheduled in advance and at your convenience. This service is available for an additional cost based on the crematory’s charges. Please reach out to the Honor Team if you have additional questions or are interested in witnessing your loved-one’s cremation.

Honor Cremations can cooridnate a private family viewing before the cremation takes place for an additional cost. The Honor Team will work with you to determine a convenient date and time for the private viewing, which will take place at Irvington Memorial Crematory in the East Bay city of Fremont. Details are available at Pricing page.

Because pacemakers (and other battery-operated devices) can cause damage to the equipment used for cremation, they must be removed prior to cremation. While many cremation providers charge an additional fee for this service, Honor Cremations provides the careful removal of pacemakers at no additional cost. Pacemakers are returned to the corresponding manufacturer.

Honor Cremations does not charge for removing pacemakers prior to cremation.

Once the cremation is completed, the client-family will be notified that the urn has been returned to Honor Cremations. Client-families who have selected scattering will then be notified through the Honor Hub as to the scattering date. Client-families who have selected Honor Cremations‘ courier service will select the delivery date and time that best accommodates their schedule in the Honor Hub. Client-families who have selected Honor Cremations‘ mailing service will be notified of the mailing date and tracking information in the Honor Hub.

Honor Cremations follows a careful identification process starting the moment the body of the person who died is brought into our care. Each cremation takes place privately with identification verification being completed both before and after the cremation.

Honor Cremations conservatively expects to complete the cremation process and be ready to fulfill the requested disposition (mailing, courier or scattering) within 7-10 days of first being contacted by a client-family.

In addition to setting high expectations with written policies and procedures, Co-Founders Mayra and David regularly inspect the work of each colleague working with Honor Cremations. Additionally, Honor Cremations upholds expectations set by the Federal Trade Commission and California Department of Consumer Affairs (Cemetery and Funeral Bureau). Ultimately, our expectation is that each process is carried out as if the next-of-kin were present for each step.

Public notices of a death are very personal and there are many options now. If you would like help with making your public announcement in a way that fits you, message us in the Honor Hub, and we can help.

NOK stands for Next-of-Kin and refers to the person(s) having closest relationship by law to the person who died.

In California, the Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare is the legal next-of-kin, followed by the surviving spouse. If a decedent has neither a Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare nor a surviving spouse, the majority of the surviving adult children assume next-of-kinship. If there are no surviving adult children, the surviving parents assume next-of-kinship, followed by the majority of surviving siblings and then surviving grandchildren.

The Honor Hub is designed for that reality and allows for additional next-of-kin contacts to be added. These next-of-kin will receive documents to sign electronically via email as their signature are needed.

The person(s) determined to be next-of-kin.

While Honor Cremations is required to file a death certificate with the local Registrar or Health Department, client-families are not required to purchase a certified copy of the death certificate. We encourage client-families to consider purchasing at least one death certificate for their records, even if there are no known financial institutions, insurance companies or other entities that require a death certificate.

Most client-families order between five and ten death certificates and then order additional copies through the county as needed. Death certificates are primarily used to handle a decedent‘s financial affairs, which means that each client-family should consider the extent of accounts and financial assets which must be addressed when placing their order.

Once the Honor Team completes the filing of the death certificate, death certificates are ordered from the appropriate county. Once they are received in the Honor Office, they will be mailed to you and a tracking number will be provided in the Honor Hub. Each county processes death certificate requests differently, and a conservative estimate for processing is two-to-four from the date of passing until you receive certificates in the mail.

Certified death certificates are often required as follows: life insurance and health insurance companies, stock certificates, bonds, Treasury bills, certificates of deposit and money market accounts, 401ks, retirement plans, IRAs and pensions, Military benefits, out-of-state bank accounts, rental storage, Title transfer of ownership of real estate and all motor vehicles, burial and funeral insurance, Federal and State tax returns.

Honor Cremations delivers death certificates through the United States Postal Service and, for security measures, requires a signature from the recipient. Tracking information will be provided through the Honor Hub as soon as it is available.

Honor Cremations offers a curated approach to simple cremation. This means that we view a client-family‘s experience with us as just as important as the cremation itself. Unique urn offerings have been made available through Honor Cremations and we provide three simple, dignified options for the urn once the cremation is complete. Client-families may select from 1-receiving the urn by mail, 2-receiving the urn by courier service or 3-allowing Honor Cremations to scatter the ashes at sea in the San Francisco Bay.

Honor Cremations does not require an appointment to make cremation arrangements. You should feel free to call, chat or email our compassionate team of professionals anytime with questions. When you are ready to begin moving forward with Honor Cremations’ services, you may call us at 408-701-2488 or begin reporting a passing online, whichever is best for you.

Honor Cremations offers affordable, straightforward prices that are always available through our Pricing Page here. Client-families can customize their selections on Honor Cremations’ site before providing payment or any sensitive information.

We believe pricing for direct cremation services should be simple and transparent with no hidden fees and no overwhelming decisions. Pricing details are always available through our General Price List or on our Pricing Page.

Honor Cremations‘ prices do not change based on the body weight or height of the person who died.

Honor Cremations charges a flat fee for transportation performed within the seven immediate Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Stanislaus. For California counties outside the immediate Bay Area, additional transportation costs are calculated based on the distance from Honor Cremations. These costs are outlined in detail in our   General Price List here.

Honor Cremations includes a dignified wood urn for every client-family. While making selections on our site, you will have the option to purchsae a different urn if you prefer. If you would like to purchase an urn from another source, we recommend having it shipped direct to Honor Cremations at 2021 Monterey Highway, San Jose, CA 95112. Our team will carefully place the ashes of your loved-one into the provided urn before carrying out the selected disposition (mailing, courier or scattering).

Yes. The procedure for filing county permits for this can be difficult to navigate; please message us in the Honor Hub client portal so we can discuss your plans and ensure the documentation is completed.

Honor Cremations does not currently offer a selection of keepsake urns. If you would like to purchase keepsake urns from another source, we recommend having them shipped direct to Honor Cremations at 2021 Monterey Highway, San Jose, CA 95112. Our team will carefully place the ashes of your loved-one into the provided keepsakes before carrying out the selected disposition (mailing, courier or scattering).

Honor Cremations accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express payments through a secure integration with Stripe.

Payment is due upon making selections and agreeing to use Honor Cremations’ services.

Honor Cremations’ plans have been carefully designed to be all-inclusive and provide the most value to client-families arranging for simple cremation. Our prices are affordable and considerably less expensive than most traditional funeral homes and cremation providers.

We partner with only one local crematory: Irvington Memorial Crematory, 41001 Chapel Way, Fremont, CA 94538 in the East Bay City of Fremont.

Once the Honor Cremations team completes the filing of the death certificate and cremation permit and verifies all signed documents from the next-of-kin(s), the cremation will be scheduled and updates will be provided in the Honor Hub client portal. Cremation most often takes place within two-three business days of these steps being completed.

Honor Cremations believes that superior quality control is, in part, the result of limiting third-part services as much as possible. Partnering with a single, reputable crematory enables the Honor Team monitor vital processes and ensure that each cremation is carried out respectifully and properly.

Once the cremation is completed, arrangements for delivering the urn will be made in a timely manner. Client-families selecting delivery by mail should expect notification that the urn has been mailed within three days of the completion of the cremation. Client-families selecting delivery by courier will be able to select delivery dates as early as a few days after the completion of the cremation.

While Honor Cremations prefers to provide courier delivery locally, we understand that you may prefer to receive your loved-one’s urn in person at our office. Please let us know if this is your preference and our team will schedule a date and time convenient for you.

Honor Cremations allows for mailing of the urn to any United States residence or cemetery. Once the cremation is completed, Honor Cremations will carefully package the urn for mailing through the United States Postal Service. Once the urn is scheduled for mailing, the client-family will be notified in the Honor Hub and be provided tracking information. Honor Cremations requires an adult over the age of 18 be present to receive the urn and provide signature upon delivery.

Urns can be mailed from Honor Cremations to any residence or cemetery within the United States.

Honor Cremations offers a courier service for delivering the urn to a selected local residence or cemetery. This means that the urn is delivered by vehicle directly from Honor Cremations without passing through the mail. The date and time of courier delivery will be selected by the client-family within the Honor Hub once the cremation is completed. Local courier service is available in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Stanislaus Counties.

Urns can be delivered to any residence or cemetery within Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Stanislaus Counties.

Honor Cremations offers a scattering service for client-families wishing to scatter ashes in the San Francisco Bay. Once the cremation is completed, Honor Cremations will work directly with a local boat captain to perform the scattering in a dignified manner. Based on weather conditions, the boat captain will determine the most appropriate date for scattering and the client-family will be notified in advance within the Honor Hub. Once the scattering has taken place, a photograph of the scattering ceremony will be provided in the Honor Hub.

In most instances, the scattering at sea will be completed within a few days of the cremation taking place. If poor weather conditions in the San Francisco Bay cause the scattering to be delayed, the Honor Team will update you to the estimated timeframe.

Honor Cremations partners with SF Bay Boat Memorials in Sausalito, California to perform all sea scatterings.

Scattering with Honor Cremations takes place in the San Francisco Bay. The boat captain charters from the North Bay city of Sausalito and performs the scattering near the Golden Gate Bridge.

Honor Cremations partners with a local boat captain who offers private charters and can host up to six guests for an attended sea scattering service. Details and pricing are available at Pricing page. If you are interested in participating in the scattering of your loved one’s ashes at sea, please message our team through the Honor Hub or call us at 408-701-2488.