Thompson Memorial Home

Veteran services at Thompson Memorial Home

Thompson Memorial Home, located in Red Bank, NJ, assists those who served and their families. In their own words: "Veterans are entitled to a burial free of charge for themselves, their spouse, and one dependent child at the Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Arnytown, NJ. Thompson Memorial Home assists with contacting the cemetery and discussing other available benefits. Families also have the option to pre-register with the cemetery to complete necessary paperwork in advance." On-site amenities include off street parking, suited to flag presentation and honors ceremonies. Published pricing lists $3,395 for basic burial and $3,423 for direct cremation. Veterans may qualify for county or federal allowances toward these costs. A modest 21 Google reviews give the firm a 5.0-star average.

Veteran-related services offered include burial, cremation, direct burials with graveside services, and direct cremations with memorial services. Each service is coordinated with the family and, where applicable, with the deceased's last unit or branch honor detail.

Published pricing at Thompson Memorial Home: direct cremation from $4,093. That places direct cremation roughly 64% above the New Jersey median ($2,495). 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 St. Albans National Cemetery in NY, approximately 29 miles from Thompson Memorial Home. Thompson Memorial Home can coordinate transport, scheduling with the cemetery's interment office, and the timing of military honors with the receiving committal shelter.

Thompson Memorial Home holds a 5.0-star rating from 21 Google reviews, indicating consistent service quality reported by families who have used the home for veteran and non-veteran services alike.

New Jersey has approximately 647 licensed funeral homes serving its population, of which a subset specifically lists military funeral honors and VA benefits assistance among their services. Thompson Memorial Home is among them.

Frequently asked questions

What sets Thompson Memorial Home apart

• Operates from a historic 1915 Colonial Revival home.
• Long-standing family-owned business tradition since the late 1800s, continued by current owner Bruce S. Thompson, a fourth-generation area resident.
• Staff includes a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP) and Licensed Cosmetologist (Victoria A. Thompson).
• Offers Funeral Celebrant services for personalized tributes.
• Provides comprehensive pre-planning services, including guidance on Medicaid eligibility and New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association pre-paid options.
• Assists families with out-of-state or out-of-country death arrangements.

Military & veteran services offered

Burial & cremation services

On-site facilities

Affiliations & specializations

Religious traditions & languages

Religious traditions accommodated: Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Episcopal, Methodist. Languages spoken at the home: English.

What families have said

Bruce and Victoria stepped in when a California funeral home refused payment during a cross-country logistics nightmare. They extended credit and coordinated the full service despite an unfinalised burial plot, proving their commitment to families over protocol.

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.