Brown-Forward Funeral Home

Veteran services at Brown-Forward Funeral Home

Brown-Forward Funeral Home in Shaker Heights, OH supports veteran families with military funeral arrangements. In their own words: "Brown-Forward Inc. provides dedicated services for veterans, assisting with specialized arrangements and honors." On-site amenities include chapel and reception hall, suited to flag presentation and honors ceremonies. Published pricing lists a quoted rate for basic burial and $3,700 for direct cremation. Veterans may qualify for county or federal allowances toward these costs. What feedback exists is encouraging: 4.8 stars across 20 reviews.

Veteran-related services offered include cremation services, veterans services, memorial service, and graveside service. Each service is coordinated with the family and, where applicable, with the deceased's last unit or branch honor detail.

On-site facilities of note include chapel. These spaces accommodate full military honors details, family gatherings before and after the service, and the placement of the United States flag during the visitation period.

Published pricing at Brown-Forward Funeral Home: direct cremation from $3,875. That places direct cremation roughly 89% above the Ohio median ($2,050). Veterans who served on active duty for at least 24 months may qualify for VA burial allowance to offset funeral costs — this home accepts assignment of those benefits where eligible.

The nearest VA national cemetery is Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery in OH, approximately 35 miles from Brown-Forward Funeral Home. Brown-Forward Funeral Home can coordinate transport, scheduling with the cemetery's interment office, and the timing of military honors with the receiving committal shelter.

Brown-Forward Funeral Home also accommodates Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Secular Humanist, and Lgbtq Affirming traditions for veterans whose religious or cultural observance shapes the service. Military honors can be integrated into the family's tradition with no conflict — the honor detail observes the family's pace.

Brown-Forward Funeral Home holds a 4.8-star rating from 20 Google reviews, indicating consistent service quality reported by families who have used the home for veteran and non-veteran services alike.

Ohio has approximately 1,266 licensed funeral homes serving its population, of which a subset specifically lists military funeral honors and VA benefits assistance among their services. Brown-Forward Funeral Home is among them.

Frequently asked questions

What sets Brown-Forward Funeral Home apart

• One of Ohio's oldest continuously operating funeral homes, established in 1825.
• Fourth-generation family ownership and operation by the Forward family.
• Explicit specialization in serving diverse cultures and religions, including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, and Native American religions.
• Offers a therapy dog (Shelby, a Golden Retriever in training) for comfort to families.
• Staff includes Master Funeral Directors and Embalmers with extensive experience and community involvement, such as military service and local ministry.

Military & veteran services offered

Burial & cremation services

On-site facilities

Affiliations & specializations

Religious traditions & languages

Religious traditions accommodated: Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Native American religions. Languages spoken at the home: English.

What families have said

A clergy member coordinated over 100 funerals here in 20 years and called Brown-Forward one of the best funeral homes. Rob, Judy, and Brad Forward have consistently served multiple family generations with responsive care.

How honors are coordinated

Military funeral honors are guaranteed at no cost for any veteran discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. The funeral home arranges the honors detail by contacting the deceased's last unit or the nearest active-duty installation of the appropriate branch and submitting the DD-214 to verify eligibility.

For requests less than 72 hours from service time, families can call the Department of Defense's expedited honors line at 1-877-MIL-HONR (1-877-645-4667). See the full honors protocol.