Lawrence Funeral Home

Veteran services at Lawrence Funeral Home

Lawrence Funeral Home, located in Darien, CT, assists those who served and their families. In their own words: "Lawrence Funeral Home provides information and resources for veterans, directing families to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website for details on headstones, markers, medallions, burial allowances, and relevant forms." On-site amenities include chapel, suited to flag presentation and honors ceremonies. Published pricing lists a quoted rate for basic burial and $3,040 for direct cremation. Veterans may qualify for county or federal allowances toward these costs.

Veteran-related services offered include funeral and graveside service on the same day, visitation and graveside service, graveside service, immediate burial, traditional cremation, and contemporary cremation. 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 Lawrence Funeral Home: direct cremation from $4,650. That places direct cremation roughly 50% above the Connecticut median ($3,106). 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 Long Island National Cemetery in NY, approximately 22 miles from Lawrence Funeral Home. Lawrence Funeral Home can coordinate transport, scheduling with the cemetery's interment office, and the timing of military honors with the receiving committal shelter.

Connecticut has approximately 304 licensed funeral homes serving its population, of which a subset specifically lists military funeral honors and VA benefits assistance among their services. Lawrence Funeral Home is among them.

Frequently asked questions

What sets Lawrence Funeral Home apart

• Lower Fairfield County's oldest continually operated funeral home, established in 1893
• Four generations of family ownership (Lawrence family) before current owners
• New owners Kevin M. Lesko and Erika A. Cueto bring additional multi-generational funeral service experience
• Offers comprehensive pre-need counseling and funding options, including irrevocable trusts up to $10,000 and revocable burial plot allowances
• Extensive personalized service options, including photo displays, DVD tributes, custom music, and memento integration
• Provides detailed guidance on legal matters post-death, such as wills, probate, and executors

Military & veteran services offered

Burial & cremation services

On-site facilities

Affiliations & specializations

Religious traditions & languages

Religious traditions accommodated: Non-denominational Christian, Methodist, United Church of Christ (Congregational), Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Hinduism (accommodated for cremation), Jainism (accommodated for cremation), Sikhism (accommodated for cremation), Buddhism (accommodated for cremation), Islam (cremation forbidden, implying burial accommodation), Orthodox Judaism (cremation forbidden, implying burial accommodation), Other sects of Judaism (accommodated for cremation). Languages spoken at the home: English.

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.