Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home

Veteran services at Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home

Veteran families in Canal Winchester, OH can turn to Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home for honors and benefit coordination. In their own words: "Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home offers specialized funeral services tailored to honor military service members and veterans. Staff member Keith Ebright is a U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Reserves veteran and a member of American Legion Post #283. Founder Dwayne R. Spence is also affiliated with American Legion Post #283 and Motts Military Museum. The nearby Franklin Hills Memory Gardens, which serves Canal Winchester, also features a Veteran's Garden of Honor." On-site amenities include large chapel and reception lobby, suited to flag presentation and honors ceremonies. Published pricing lists $6,430 for basic burial and $4,090 for direct cremation. Veterans may qualify for county or federal allowances toward these costs.

Veteran-related services offered include cremation services, memorialization, pet cremation, and veteran funeral services. 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 large 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 Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home: direct cremation from $4,090. That places direct cremation roughly 100% 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 Dayton National Cemetery in OH, approximately 77 miles from Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home. Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home can coordinate transport, scheduling with the cemetery's interment office, and the timing of military honors with the receiving committal shelter.

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. Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home is among them.

Frequently asked questions

What sets Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home apart

• Over 50 years of continuous operation, established in 1969.
• Founder Dwayne R. Spence's extensive leadership, including serving as President of the National Funeral Directors Association (2002) and Ohio Funeral Directors Association (1996).
• Offers pet cremation services.
• Provides live streaming capabilities for funeral and memorial services.
• Features a Comfort Canine, Gilda, who joined the team in late 2023.
• Maintains a dedicated Post-Service Coordinator for after-care support.

Military & veteran services offered

Burial & cremation services

On-site facilities

Affiliations & specializations

Religious traditions & languages

Religious traditions accommodated: Methodist, Catholic, Lutheran, Nazarene. Languages spoken at the home: English.

Branches of service supported

Based on the home's stated services and specializations, Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home has documented experience supporting the following branches:

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.