125 Years – Our Legacy

The O’Connor family legacy is tremendous. We have served tens of thousands of families in Southern California since we opened our doors in 1898. Since then, we have grown to become one of the premier funeral homes in the country.

Our team is guided by our mission of Healing Hearts, Inspiring Trust, and Comforting Souls. This committed, holistic approach to funeral service is what sets us above and beyond.

A breakdown of this mission statement looks a little like this:

Healing Hearts – we know that stories need to be told and we make sure that we are there to listen. The art of listening is something our team practices to ensure we understand the unique life story and circumstance of each family coming through our doors. Listening is one of the greatest acts of healing we can offer.

Inspiring Trust – we prize transparency, professionalism, and attention to detail in every step of our service. We know that people in pain are in uniquely vulnerable states and we seek to support and guide them according to their needs as best we can.

Comforting Souls – there is nothing like what we do. We are a bridge for families where the journey with us takes them from one way of living into another. We can’t change anything about what happened – we are what we are because the worst has happened – and so, we look at what matters most and do whatever we can to bring meaning, healing and care to the souls in our doors.

Those are the beautiful intangibles that describe some of what goes on here at O’Connor.

What are some of the practical ways we ensure that O’Connor stands apart? It’s not something that comes up often, but since we are celebrating 125 years, we are taking the moment to shine the light on these unique efforts.

• We are a family owned and operated funeral home and have been so continuously since our founding in 1898. The O’Connor family has been at the helm of our company for 4 generations. We take tremendous pride in our ownership – it’s something that inspires us to always put our best forward.
• We are a member of the exclusive group, Selected Independent Funeral Homes. This group is strictly comprised of family owned and operated funeral homes. Annually, we gather with our colleagues from across the country to share best practices, learn from each other, and find ways to improve the service and skills of our team.
• We are coached by the Graystone Associates – an independent company that gathers surveys from our families to reflect back to us how well we are doing. Every family has a voice and every comment comes back to us. We pride ourselves on our standards of excellence and Graystone is one of the ways we measure and hold ourselves accountable to them.
• We have grief educators on our team. Becky Lomaka and Molly Keating (me!) pursued and obtained their Certificates in Thanatology (the study of death and dying) from the Association of Death Education and Counseling. Having grief experts on our team gives our care a depth of understanding, a modern awareness of grief discourse, and challenges us to keep up with the times.

A testimony to the incredible work of our team can easily be found in our stunning online reviews. Below are some of the reviews that have absolutely blown us away just this year:

I wanted to share with you the most wonderful and amazing experience we had from O’Connor Mortuary when my son recently passed away. I can’t imagine going through this extremely tough time and experience without the love and guidance of the staff at O’Connor Mortuary. Katelyn, Mary, and all the staff were absolutely wonderful and so caring through the entire process. They felt like family. And they followed up with everything and provided emotional support as well after the services were done. I hope if you ever have to experience a loved one passing, you will let O’Connor help you through it. They will make it easier for you ❤️. Thanks Katelyn, Mary, and everyone. We will never forget what you did for us.

 

The amount of service and care my family receives from O’Connor Mortuary is excellent. Since 2020 three members of my family have passed and O’Connor Mortuary handled all three. The experience was complete and all encompassing. Everything is handled so well. With excellent communication during the whole experience. O’Connor Mortuary goes out of their way to make it a beautiful experience.

 

My father’s sudden death came as a complete shock and I had no experience how to handle it. I chose O’Connor Mortuary because it was closest to my home, without knowing what to expect. This was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for my father. O’Connor provided the utmost attention and were incredibly patient and understanding about internal family dynamics. I can’t rave enough about Teresa, Rosemary, Mary, and everyone else, who sympathized and ensured my father’s legacy. O’Connor taught me a lot during a difficult time and I intend to use them for my own after-life care.

My mother passed away 9/12/22. O’Connor Mortuary truly partnered with us as we planned her funeral and services. Without exception, some of the best customer service I have ever enjoyed. From the first meeting to the gathering after services, every detail was perfect. The employees at O’Connor were compassionate and caring and provided a safety net for us during the most difficult of times. They truly do God’s work. I highly recommend their services.

There are so many stories like these and they inspire us daily to do the hard work that we do. It is our highest privilege and honor to walk with families in the early days and weeks of loss. We are committed to doing our best because we so deeply want the best for our families.

Thank you for allowing us to serve our community for 125 years. Our legacy is the experience of every family we serve – it is something that truly cannot be measured. Our legacy is you.