I cannot express the gratitude i feel for Mission Mortuary in Monterey. Everyone there made the experience of losing my mother more gentle. They explained everything to me and made suggestions that helped out immensely. The viewing and funeral turned out exactly as explained and it was beautiful. Sandra was there the day of the funeral to make sure things went smoothly. I am grateful for all her hard work as well as all the staff.

I am sorry to say that our experience with Mission Mortuary was not positive when my brother passed unexpectedly. We have used Mission since my grandfather died and always had great service. This time, the woman at the office was rude. My brother was a donor, so he was gone, but his body was still being cared for so donation was possible. Nothing mattered to this woman and she kept saying that nothing could be done until they had a death certificate . We even walked into the office hoping we had misunderstood. The woman kept repeating that we needed an appointment, even though the entire building was empty except for her and an office mate. There was a continuation of her saying she would call, no calls were received by me. She denied receiving a call from the hospital even though I knew it had happened. We finally were directed to the Salinas office, where the manager was able to help us! He even picked up the ashes. If it hadn’t been for the manager stepping in I don’t know what would have happened. I won’t be doing my pre planning there unless I’m sure that woman is gone. I’m not mentioning her name, but if she is dealing with her own issues, she should take the time off to deal with them, not take them out on grieving families. I sincerely thank the manager from Salinas for his help.

Knowing what I now know and having experienced such continuously shocking behavior from Mission Mortuary, I will never allow them the privilege of caring for another loved one. Having paid for services in advance seems to be the red flag. Losing a loved one is an emotional and confusing experience and it’s ok to demand better treatment. When something doesn’t feel right, listen to your instincts. Know your rights. The only saving grace in this process has been the staff at San Carlos Cemetery, who are not connected to the mortuary. We will always be grateful for the cemetery staff’s honesty, professionalism, and care. Mission Mortuary’s behavior has been shocking and shameful, to say the least.