Blog

Honoring Our Military All Year Round

At Sunset View Cemetery & Mortuary, we count it a deep privilege to honor the sacrifices made by military men and women around the country. Our staff cannot overstate the importance of paying tribute to these heroes, who give so much of themselves to protect the ideals… Read More

Top 10 Reasons to Preplan your Funeral

You might be surprised how many strong opinions you have about your own funeral, memorial service, and final resting place. Our Sunset View Cemetery and Mortuary staff has found this to be true for most El Cerrito families we’ve talked to over the years. While… Read More

The Physical Effects of Grief

When Diane’s mother died after a long battle with cancer and Alzheimer’s, Diane felt both grieved and relieved. For years, she had juggled caregiving for her mother, a demanding job as a nurse, and parenting two teenagers. It was an exhausting combination. Diane figured that after her mother’s… Read More

How to Get Your Affairs in Order

Our staff at Sunset View Cemetery and Mortuary meets with families in the San Francisco Bay Area every day who have stories like these: Jean’s Story Jean and her husband, Jerry, recently celebrated 60 years of marriage. Jerry has always managed their money, but Jean is concerned… Read More

Do You Have Preferences About Your Own Funeral?

Every day, our care team at Sunset View Cemetery & Mortuary helps families with funeral planning, and every day we’re reminded of this: Expressing preferences about your own end-of-life arrangements is one of the most significant gifts you can give to your family. Why do we… Read More

How to Show Care to Someone Who is Grieving

“When my mother died, I had no idea how much the condolence cards I received would mean to me. Some included stories about my mother and others had encouraging words that truly helped me through a difficult time in my life. Now, when I hear that a friend has lost… Read More

Responding to a Friend Who is Grieving

All of us in the El Cerrito, Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, Pinole, and El Sobrante communities have been touched by loss. Even if you haven’t lost someone very close to you, you probably love someone who has. So, what happens when a friend is in the grips of grief? It… Read More

3 Common Misconceptions About Preplanning

Raise your hand if this has happened to you: You attend a funeral only to find yourself thinking about your own funeral in the days that followed. Or maybe you’ve heard a friend talk about how they put their funeral arrangements in writing, but you haven’t taken the… Read More

Why Grief Often Heightens During Spring and Summer

“Every May, my mom helped me plant a garden. She died last fall and I tear up even thinking about shopping for flowers without her.” “When the weather would warm up, my grandpa made his famous BBQ chicken just about every weekend. Now that he’s gone, even the smell of… Read More

4 Special Ways to Celebrate your Loved One’s Life in the Years After their Death

In talking to El Cerrito, Oakland, Berkeley, and Richmond families over the years, many have described how grief has a tendency to “sneak in” after losing a loved one. Our staff at Sunset View Cemetery & Mortuary can relate. Something as simple as hearing a… Read More