Hood Mortuary

Veteran services at Hood Mortuary

Hood Mortuary, located in Durango, CO, assists those who served and their families. In their own words: "Hood Mortuary provides specialized services for veterans, assisting with military discharge papers, VA insurance claims, and coordinating appropriate memorial arrangements." On-site amenities include chapel, suited to flag presentation and honors ceremonies.

Veteran-related services offered include cremation, 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 and columbarium. 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.

The nearest VA national cemetery is Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado in CO, approximately 114 miles from Hood Mortuary. Hood Mortuary can coordinate transport, scheduling with the cemetery's interment office, and the timing of military honors with the receiving committal shelter.

Colorado has approximately 240 licensed funeral homes serving its population, of which a subset specifically lists military funeral honors and VA benefits assistance among their services. Hood Mortuary is among them.

Frequently asked questions

Does Hood Mortuary publish funeral prices?

Hood Mortuary has not posted a full price list online. Under the FTC Funeral Rule it must provide itemized pricing on request — call (970) 247-2312, and ask how VA burial benefits apply.

Where is Hood Mortuary located, and can it coordinate a veterans cemetery burial?

Hood Mortuary is located at 1261 East 3Rd Avenue in Durango, CO. You can reach the home at (970) 247-2312. Staff can coordinate burial with nearby VA national and state veterans cemeteries.

What services does Hood Mortuary offer veteran families?

Hood Mortuary provides cremation, traditional funeral service, memorial service, graveside service, grief support, and can arrange military funeral honors for eligible veterans.

Does Hood Mortuary help veterans with VA burial benefits?

Hood Mortuary provides specialized services for veterans, assisting with military discharge papers, VA insurance claims, and coordinating appropriate memorial arrangements.

Which faith traditions does Hood Mortuary accommodate?

Staff coordinate services for Catholic, Baptist, Episcopal, Christian families, among others.

What sets Hood Mortuary apart

Operates from the historic Amy Mansion in Durango, built in 1888, a unique architectural landmark.
Over 120 years of continuous operation, established in 1902.
Family-operated business, with the Phelps family owning it since 2005 and Ryan Phelps working there since 1994.
Maintains two distinct facilities: one in Durango and another in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
Staff includes professionals with diverse qualifications such as licensed funeral directors, embalmers, cremationists, and a certified Death Doula.
Offers an on-site columbarium at the Durango location.

Military & veteran services offered

★Memorial Service

Burial & cremation services

Burial

· Graveside Service

Cremation

· Cremation

On-site facilities

· Chapel

· Columbarium

· Gathering Space

Affiliations & specializations

Specializations

· Full service funeral home
· Cremation services
· Traditional services
· Personalization of services
· Veteran services
· Pre-planning
· Grief support

Religious traditions & languages

Religious traditions accommodated: Catholic, Baptist, Episcopal, Christian. Languages spoken at the home: English.

EverSettled · After the Veteran Funeral

The veteran's spouse may qualify for VA Dependency & Indemnity Compensation.

DIC is a tax-free monthly benefit for surviving spouses, dependent children, and (in some cases) parents of veterans whose death is service-connected. EverSettled walks veteran families through DIC eligibility, survivor pension, life-insurance claims, probate, and the federal-account paperwork that follows.

Begin Veteran Estate Settlement

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.