Santella Funeral Home

Veteran services at Santella Funeral Home

Santella Funeral Home serves veteran families in Altoona, PA with military funeral planning. In their own words: "Santella Funeral Home provides specialized services for veterans, including assistance with obtaining veterans' headstones and burial flags. They also offer guidance on navigating Blair County Veteran Affairs resources and can help eligible veterans and their widows obtain up to 10 free death certificates with proper discharge paperwork (DD-214)." On-site amenities include family chapel and chapels, suited to flag presentation and honors ceremonies. Published pricing lists $2,545 for basic burial and $2,500 for direct cremation. The non-declinable service fee is $1,900. Veterans may qualify for county or federal allowances toward these costs.

Veteran-related services offered include veterans information, traditional burial, cremation, and memorial 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 family chapel, chapels, urn garden, columbarium, and scattering gardens. 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 Rocky Gap Veterans Cemetery in MD, approximately 56 miles from Santella Funeral Home. Santella Funeral Home can coordinate transport, scheduling with the cemetery's interment office, and the timing of military honors with the receiving committal shelter.

Pennsylvania has approximately 1,623 licensed funeral homes serving its population, of which a subset specifically lists military funeral honors and VA benefits assistance among their services. Santella Funeral Home is among them.

Frequently asked questions

Does Santella Funeral Home publish funeral prices?

Santella Funeral Home has not posted a full price list online. Under the FTC Funeral Rule it must provide itemized pricing on request — call (814) 943-0971, and ask how VA burial benefits apply.

Where is Santella Funeral Home located, and can it coordinate a veterans cemetery burial?

Santella Funeral Home is located at 1106 8Th Avenue in Altoona, PA. You can reach the home at (814) 943-0971. Staff can coordinate burial with nearby VA national and state veterans cemeteries.

What services does Santella Funeral Home offer veteran families?

Santella Funeral Home provides grief support, veterans information, pre-arrangements, traditional burial, cremation, and can arrange military funeral honors for eligible veterans.

Does Santella Funeral Home help veterans with VA burial benefits?

Santella Funeral Home provides specialized services for veterans, including assistance with obtaining veterans' headstones and burial flags. They also offer guidance on navigating Blair County Veteran Affairs resources and can help eligible veterans and their widows obtain up to 10 free death certificates with proper discharge paperwork (DD-214).

Which faith traditions does Santella Funeral Home accommodate?

Staff coordinate services for Catholic families, among others.

What sets Santella Funeral Home apart

Free tours and presentations on local history, offered by Mr. and Mrs. Santella, showcasing community appreciation and historical significance.
Collection of antique cars, including Guido Santella's restored 1956 Cadillac Fleetwood Limo and 1958 Cadillac Fleetwood Hearse, and a 1966 Fleetwood Cadillac from the late Leslie E. Axe.
Owners Guido and Deborah Santella are both licensed funeral directors, working together in the profession since 1977.
Guido J. Santella's active involvement in scouting, having received the Eagle Scout Award, and serving as Assistant Scout Master with Troop 49.
Partnership with Homesteader’s Life Company, with Mr. and Mrs. Santella being licensed insurance agents to offer pre-funded funeral arrangements.
Partnership with Treasured Memories Community Funding to help families create free fundraisers for funeral expenses.

Military & veteran services offered

★Veterans Information

★Memorial Service

Burial & cremation services

Burial

· Traditional Burial

Cremation

· Cremation

On-site facilities

· Funeral Home

· Family Chapel

· Viewing Rooms

· Chapels

· Limousines

· Hearses

· Urn Garden

· Mausoleum

· Columbarium

· Scattering Gardens

Affiliations & specializations

Industry affiliations

· Keystone Funeral Director’s Association
· Pennsylvania Funeral Director Associations
· National Funeral Director Associations
· Blair County Historical Society
· Blair County Antique Auto Club
· Mary Queen of Angels Secular Franciscan Fraternity
· Homesteader’s Life Company
· Treasured Memories Community Funding

Specializations

· Veteran Services
· Pre-Need Cremation Arrangements
· Pre-Funding Funerals
· Antique Car Displays
· Local History Education
· Fundraising Assistance

Religious traditions & languages

Religious traditions accommodated: Catholic. 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.