West Laurel Hill Cemetery & Funeral Home

Veteran services at West Laurel Hill Cemetery & Funeral Home

West Laurel Hill Cemetery & Funeral Home in Bala Cynwyd, PA supports veteran families with military funeral arrangements. In their own words: "Laurel Hill Funeral Home offers services for veterans and first responders. This includes assistance with burial at sea for veterans and their families, as determined by the Chief of Naval Operations." On-site amenities include chapel of peace and reception hall, suited to flag presentation and honors ceremonies. Published pricing lists $4,835 for basic burial and $3,195 for direct cremation. Veterans may qualify for county or federal allowances toward these costs.

Veteran-related services offered include cemetery property selection, cremation, green burial, jewish funeral & burial, veterans & first responder services, and in-ground cremation 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 of peace, outdoor sculpture garden, display gardens, rock garden, and telford garden niche benches. 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 West Laurel Hill Cemetery & Funeral Home: direct cremation from $3,445. That places direct cremation roughly 45% above the Pennsylvania median ($2,375). 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 Washington Crossing National Cemetery in PA, approximately 25 miles from West Laurel Hill Cemetery & Funeral Home. West Laurel Hill Cemetery & 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. West Laurel Hill Cemetery & Funeral Home is among them.

Frequently asked questions

What sets West Laurel Hill Cemetery & Funeral Home apart

• Operates within a 265-acre accredited arboretum and outdoor sculpture garden, featuring over 8,500 trees and shrubs.
• Offers green burial services and is Green Burial Council certified; Nature's Sanctuary is SITES Gold certified.
• Specializes in Jewish funeral and burial arrangements, including a dedicated three-acre section (Makom Shalom).
• Provides on-site crematory services, ensuring continuous care for loved ones.
• Offers pet services, including a dedicated pet cemetery.
• Historic setting with two cemeteries founded in 1836 (Laurel Hill East) and 1869 (Laurel Hill West).

Military & veteran services offered

Burial & cremation services

On-site facilities

Affiliations & specializations

Religious traditions & languages

Religious traditions accommodated: Jewish.

Branches of service supported

Based on the home's stated services and specializations, West Laurel Hill Cemetery & 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.