Blog

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

10 Ways to Help Children Remember Loved Ones Who Have Died

Over the years, many adults have shared concerns with our staff that their children will forget their loved one who died – or that memories of that special person will greatly diminish over the years. Here at Sunset View Cemetery & Mortuary, we understand the healing that… Read More

Getting Through Mother’s Day without Mom

When Mother’s Day is approaching, and your mother is not around for any number of reasons, it can be incredibly painful. Many on our team here at Sunset View Mortuary & Cemetery know exactly what this feels like. Whether you’ve lost your mother to death or estrangement, or… Read More