Orlando-Donsante Funeral Home

Veteran services at Orlando-Donsante Funeral Home

Veteran families in Wickliffe, OH can turn to Orlando-Donsante Funeral Home for honors and benefit coordination. In their own words: "The funeral home offers specialized veteran services, including assistance with veteran benefits, headstones, and burial flags. The founder, Louis R. Orlando, was a U.S. Navy veteran." 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 $1,045 for direct cremation. Veterans may qualify for county or federal allowances toward these costs.

Veteran-related services offered include cremation services, veteran funeral services, memorial services, and burial. 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 Orlando-Donsante Funeral Home: direct cremation from $1,800. That places direct cremation roughly 12% below 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 46 miles from Orlando-Donsante Funeral Home. Orlando-Donsante 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. Orlando-Donsante Funeral Home is among them.

Frequently asked questions

What sets Orlando-Donsante Funeral Home apart

• Over 70 years of continuous operation at the same location, founded in 1954.
• Multi-generational ownership transition, from founder Louis R. Orlando to nephews, and then to current owner Anthony Previte.
• Owner Anthony Previte is a second-generation funeral director with extensive local professional and community affiliations, including multiple Catholic churches and Italian-American clubs.
• Offers a year of daily grief support messages via email, extending care beyond the immediate service.
• Historically operated an ambulance and invalid car service, demonstrating deep community support from its early days.

Military & veteran services offered

Burial & cremation services

On-site facilities

Affiliations & specializations

Religious traditions & languages

Religious traditions accommodated: Catholic. Languages spoken at the home: English.

Branches of service supported

Based on the home's stated services and specializations, Orlando-Donsante 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.