Queen of Heaven Cemetery & Mortuary — Local services in Walnut

Follow up - My mother and I recently returned to Queen of Heaven for a follow-up appointment after a disappointing initial experience in which my father’s signature book was lost and left unresolved. This time, the experience exceeded my expectations. The General Manager, Ruth, personally came out to apologize for the previous lack of resolution regarding the signature book. She handled the situation with great care and attention. Ruth took the time to listen to our concerns, validated our experience, and ensured that my mother felt seen and supported throughout the appointment. Her compassion and professionalism truly stood out. It was clear that she was committed to making things right, and her presence made a meaningful difference to both my mother and me during a very emotional time. I also wanted to highlight, the staff member assisting us, Jacqueline, was patient, kind, and attentive. I have to compliment how well-prepared she was for the appointment. She brought examples to show us how my father’s plaque would look in his forever home. After some back and forth, my mother and I were able to choose what we wanted for my father’s plaque. Jacqueline’s attention to detail was outstanding. We added an accessory to my father’s plaque, and she made sure we were happy with its placement by showing us different layout options. While we were in the waiting room, another staff member, Hugo, kindly greeted my mother. I want to thank him for taking the time to make her feel welcomed. Additionally, I want to express how thankful I am to Queen of Heaven for turning an unpleasant experience into a thoughtful and compassionate follow-up. After everything was completed, my mother became emotional, feeling relieved that everything had finally been...

I have many family members buried at QoH in Rowland Heights going back more than 50 years. I have seen much change here since I was a young man. When my father died last year we used the on-site mortuary services and purchased new plots here for him and for remaining family in the future (an expensive transaction indeed). The mortuary staff was professional and helpful during the planning of Dad's funeral which turned out to be a large event. Unfortunately, the Funeral Director(s) assigned to the funeral Mass and internment were young and ultimately inexperienced. Their lack of professionalism was an embarrassment and hurtful to the memory of Dad and to my family's experience that day. Mistakes happen, however, the days of true professionalism and the employment of older, seasoned folks are apparently a thing of the past - as is the professional curation of of the grounds and their beautification. I will opine further: The rose garden is long gone, and I was appalled at our options for plot selection and the lack of appropriate plantings and upkeep. So goes the world. I would have to say, that the decision of Cardinal Mahoney years ago to contract with conglomerates to provide mortuary service at Catholic cemeteries in Los Angeles Archdiocese was and is a travesty and another vacant legacy of his Episcopate which must be revisited and atoned for. The undermining of a formerly independent and vibrant community of professional and often times locally family run mortuaries has meant the "death" of professionalism in the field and left us Catholic mourners with something more for...

We did not have a good experience at this Queen of the Heaven Cemetery. They lacked professionalism in the way they handled my dad's burial arrangements. My dad had paid for a dual crypt at Resurrection Cemetery many years ago for him and my mom. At the time of his passing, I contacted Resurrection and was told we could transfer the crypt to something equal at Q of H. We chose Q of H because the location would be more convenient for the family. However, Q of H could not do anything for almost three months. We found another crematory that would provide the service in a couple of weeks and we could hold his remains until his funeral services. My daughter and I met in person with the sales person to select the crypt location at the mausoleum. We were told a couple of days later in our phone meeting that we could only do the actual funeral at Q of H because we did NOT use their mortuary. Therefore, we made other arrangements for his funeral mass. Upon arriving at the mausoleum for his final resting place, we were horrified when we saw that the wrong crypt had been prepared. Yes, it was resolved that day because we had to wait for the office to correct everything which took a couple of hours. I wrote a letter to someone at the archdiocese as well as copy everyone involved. I wasn't asking for anything but didn't even receive an acknowledgement. My mom's remains will be in the crypt next to my dad when that time happens. At least we know we have...