John Woodward Funeral Home — Local services in Spartanburg

Two weeks ago, our family suffered an unimaginable loss—my nephew passed away unexpectedly in a tragic accident. My sister, his mother and sole caregiver since birth, had previously used J.W. Woodward Funeral Home for other family members and friends, exceptional service was always received. Because of those past experiences, she trusted them with the care and dignity of her son’s final arrangements. Tragically, this time the service was not only inadequate, but truly unacceptable.

From the beginning, there was a troubling lack of communication and empathy. Despite my sister being the primary parent and decision-maker for her son, the funeral home chose to prioritize the wishes of his biological father—a man who had little to no involvement in his life—over hers. This disregard for her voice set the tone for everything that followed.

The first memorial setup was completely inappropriate: they brought a podium without lighting and barely a handful of chairs. At the initial viewing, my nephew's appearance was jarringly different—he was several shades darker than his natural complexion, which deeply upset our family. My sister made several requests and shared her wishes clearly, but rather than being heard, she was met with suggestions about what they thought would be better. Her vision for her son’s final goodbye was ignored.

On the day of the viewing, the most heartbreaking detail was the condition of my nephew. There was an odor suggesting decomposition, likely because his body had been left out too long. Even worse, a gnat was seen on him—something that should never happen. The obituary she submitted was altered without her consent. This was not just a document—it was her final tribute to her son.

Transportation was promised for the family on the day of the funeral. She was told to expect pickup at 1:00 PM for a 2:00 PM service. By 1:45 PM, no one had arrived, and this grieving mother had to drive herself to her son’s funeral. When she arrived, the programs and fans had already been distributed—an unthinkable act before the mother’s arrival. Only one staff member from the funeral home was present; the director was nowhere to be found. Nothing was organized. No easels were provided for the photos; instead, they were placed on the ground next to the casket.

My sister trusted this funeral home to provide dignity, respect, and care. Instead, she was given minimal service for the price she paid, and worst of all, no compassion during the most painful time in her life. For a place that claims to serve families with dignity and respect, this experience was the exact opposite.

Woodward Funeral Home does not deserve even a single star for how they handled this. They need to reflect on their values and commitment to grieving families—not just collecting payment and going through the motions. Our loved ones deserve better. My sister, and every family they serve, deserves better.

Please, do better,...

My family has been using this funeral home since I can remember however the service we recently received for my aunt was horrible. They were very unorganized from the beginning to end. 1st red flag was when they brought a broken podium and 6 chairs to the house. Then came back 2 days later and removed the wreath. The day of the funeral the showed up with 1 family car when 2 were purchased which in return caused the family to show up late to the funeral. Even her burial process was unorganized with the dove release. There are a lot of other things that took place but to sum it up it’s like they took my family’s money and did the absolute bare minimum when it came to my aunts funeral service. From my personal experience Woodward does not give 4.6 rating services. They need to have daily staff meetings to make sure everyone is on the same page. They are too focused on booking services instead of proving services to...

During a time of bereavement things can be very complicated to say the least.Our experience with Mrs.Kay Woodward Williams and her staff was impeccable.The way Ms.Kay and her staff showed compassion,love,professionalism,patience,understanding,and many other "GREAT" attributes is nothing but God sent.My family and i already loved Ms.Kay and her staff but after the unexpected passing of our father we now have a new found love for them. I would highly recommend THEIR SERVICES to everyone...May GOD continue to bless and keep them and just to add Ms. Kays works definitely speaks for her she is such a special kind of jewel a RARE one.We love you Ms.Kay with all our heart and your staff,

Best Regards, Dot Johnson and daughters(Sharon and Shamia) in memory of our father...