Alhiser-Comer

My wife and mother of my two kids died unexpectedly so naturally I was/​am a wreck when I walked in there. Bianca was above and beyond, I felt, in handling all the time frames and organization with two close friends that were helping me. Bianca stayed with us right up until the end at the gravesite. And she is very accommodating with the monies. I recommend this professional place and also recommend that you request Bianca as your liaison.
Thank you Bianca. My family and I truly appreciate your professionalism.

Although I am not from this area, both my grandparents passed through Alhiser-​Comer. I couldn’t be happier with the service. The staff is exceptional and really went out of their way to put a thoughtful, loving touch in what can be a very stressful experience. These are people who understand kindness, respect, and care.
From the moment we pulled into the parking lot (with a puking child… talk about needing some special assistance) ’til the moment we closed my grandfather’s tomb, they were there to guide us, answer questions, and ensure this experience would be a special one.
Thomas and Jodi (I hope I’m getting those names right) were especially helpful. First class all the way.

I lost my wonderful dad Christmas 2013. Alhiser-​Comer was very kind, patient, thoughtful, thorough and did everything my family asked. I am looking forward to attending the rememberance ceremony in December 2014 that they will host to honor love ones lost in 2013.
We had a positive experience with this company. thank you.

Note, 3 stars = A-​OK. So no guff from anyone okay? The staff was courteous, professional, and efficient. No complaints there.
I don’t know how Alhiser-​Comer compares to other mortuaries, because I never shopped around. My father passed away a few weeks ago. We knew Dad was dying, but I didn’t think about choosing a mortuary prior to his death. Big mistake, it turns out. Dad didn’t want to talk about these matters except to tell us that he didn’t want us to spend much. So… We opted not to have my father embalmed because a. it’s not necessary and b. we weren’t planning to have a viewing or an open casket at the services. We bought the cheapest casket they offer (made of fiber board) for $ 995 (later found it online for $ 650, but who shops for those things ahead of time). We didn’t order any extras, no programs or cards, etc. Only asked for the free notice in the paper. My only request was to have his hands clasped on his chest in the manner in which he always slept. (At the funeral, Roger assured me it was done, demonstrating to me with his wrists crossed over his chest. Not the pose I showed him, but oh, well.)
The other burial costs were all free (compliments of the USAF). So all that we needed was someone to dress Dad, place him in a coffin, and deliver him to the cemetery. (All of which I could have done myself, but I think there are laws that prohibit that kind of DIY.) There was no church service, just the government-​standard 30-​min cemetery shelter committal service that is somewhat graveside. We even handled the flowers on our own. The price tag? Over $ 5000, which sadly turns out to be half of all Mom’s getting from insurance. Yeah. Someone told me that if you purchase your mortuary «package» prior to death, it is generally 50% cheaper. I was always afraid to pre-​purchase such a plan, because I’ve read many «horror» stories of how people are milked for years, with funeral homes asking for more and more as the years go by, citing rising costs. I don’t know what to recommend. I’ll probably look into a plan for Mom and hope for the best.
I hope to get confirmation that the «folding cards» that we canceled were deducted from the bill. Only a savings of $ 75, but it’s something. Also, someone on their staff misspelled my father’s name when they applied for the death certificates, so we asked them to file an amendment and to re-​order the certificates, for which we paid $ 63 (the state charges $ 21 each) and we asked for 3. Another thing to wait for in getting things settled with insurance company, banks, credit cards, and Downwinder’s Claim.
On the plus side: everyone on their staff is very nice and the coffin was pretty, so much more than we expected.

Scott Pennington at Alhiser-​Comer went out of his way to make sure all was taken care of for my family after my father died very suddenly in an accident. A friend of my father’s, who had cancer and did thorough research on mortuaries in the event he died, had selected this one for himself. We were very glad we took his recommendation, as this highly ethical, caring team was very helpful at the most difficult of times.
They are also very reasonably priced in comparison to other places and have their own crematorium off site. They even kindly arranged — at no additional charge — transportation of my father’s body from the coroner in La Quinta to San Diego, as he had died on vacation. They communicated with Fort Rosecrans to arrange the ceremony there, as well. Really, once we visited, they took over for us – and the price they quoted was exactly what we paid.
It’s difficult to say one is «happy» with mortuary services, but in this case we were. Because at the time I noticed that few people often take the time to leave reviews about mortuaries, I wanted to be sure to take the time to let people know about this place.

Everyone here from the owners to the secretary, were very professional, very kind and went out of their way to make a very difficult time somewhat bearable. My family and I visited several places For my husband’s funeral and most were like visiting a car dealership, trying to take you for all you have at a time of deep pain.
At Alhiser we felt comfortable, there were no other funerals occurring at the same time like the other places would have had and a Private family area was offered at no additional cost. I would highly recommend them, it is worth the drive even if you do not live in north county.