Lyons Funeral Home

Veteran services at Lyons Funeral Home

Lyons Funeral Home serves veteran families in Danvers, MA with military funeral planning. In their own words: "C.R. Lyons & Sons Funeral Directors provides comprehensive support for veterans and their families, including assistance in securing applicable benefits (such as Presidential Memorial Certificates and Governor’s Memorial Certificates). They coordinate military honors, including 'Taps' and American Flag presentations at the ceremony location, and offer the option to hold ceremonies at local War Memorials. The funeral home assists with all required Veterans Administration paperwork and offers special cemetery discounts. They are experienced in working with all branches of the military to arrange flag ceremonies, color guards, trumpeters, or final gun salutes." On-site amenities include on-site chapel and reception center, suited to flag presentation and honors ceremonies. Published pricing lists $3,695 for basic burial and $3,120 for direct cremation. The non-declinable service fee is $3,295. Veterans may qualify for county or federal allowances toward these costs.

Veteran-related services offered include traditional burial, cremation, memorial services, graveside ceremonies, veteran honors, and direct 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 on-site 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 Lyons Funeral Home: direct cremation from $2,980. That places direct cremation roughly 11% above the Massachusetts median ($2,677). 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 Massachusetts State Veterans Cemetery - Winchendon in MA, approximately 56 miles from Lyons Funeral Home. Lyons Funeral Home can coordinate transport, scheduling with the cemetery's interment office, and the timing of military honors with the receiving committal shelter.

Massachusetts has approximately 579 licensed funeral homes serving its population, of which a subset specifically lists military funeral honors and VA benefits assistance among their services. Lyons Funeral Home is among them.

Frequently asked questions

What sets Lyons Funeral Home apart

• Four generations of family ownership and operation since 1925
• C.R. Lyons III is a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP) and one of the first Certified Cremation Specialists (CCS) in the U.S.
• Extensive personalization options including Certified Celebrant services, bagpiper services, memory tables, and life tribute memorial videos
• Dedicated on-site chapel with seating for over 100 guests and an organ
• Comprehensive assistance with veteran benefits and coordination of military honors

Military & veteran services offered

Burial & cremation services

On-site facilities

Affiliations & specializations

Religious traditions & languages

Religious traditions accommodated: Catholic, Methodist, Congregational.

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.