Greenwood Memorial Park & Mortuary

Experience the Difference

Having established itself long ago as San Diego’s most prestigious funeral home and cemetery, Greenwood Memorial Park, Mortuary and Crematory is truly a place like no other.

Built in 1907 on a slight hill with an ocean view, Greenwood’s appeal began with its location. Over the years, it has expanded to include several chapels, a mortuary, crematory, three mausoleums, a collection of international and rare vegetation and statuary.

Many prominent San Diego residents are laid to rest here and many of the markers tell a fascinating story. For those unfamiliar with Belle Benchley, for example, it might come as a surprise to stumble across a grave marker depicting the face of a gorilla. Known as The Zoo Lady, Benchley was the director of the San Diego Zoo from 1927 to 1953, and guided its expansion from a small collection of animals to an innovative, world-class zoo.

At Greenwood, we understand that losing someone you love is one of life’s most difficult experiences, and that’s why it’s so important to us that our clients feel like an extension of our own family. Our incredible team of professionals have many years of experience, and as we comfort families in times of loss, we work tirelessly to ensure they’re all treated with compassion and respect.

Learn More

News

Can Movies Help with Grief?
Grief is an intensely personal emotion experienced in many different ways by different people. Some counselors recommend movies as a way to ease the pain and process the grief. Movies that are full of emotion can be cathartic. They can also provide an opportunity for discussion and may help people to process their own feelings, which can be beneficial not only for adults but for children too. Seeing
Read More >>

The Loss of John McCain: Grieving a National Hero
August saw the loss of Senator John McCain, and our nation grieved. A longstanding and sometimes controversial figure in American politics, McCain was well-respected across the aisle and celebrated as a national hero for his service to our country during his lengthy military career. No one was surprised by the news of his death because
Read More >>
Suffering from SAD when You’re Sad
Winter is approaching, and with it the winter blues. Seasonal Affective Disorder affects between 10 and 20 percent of Americans, causing people to feel depressed or hopeless, disinterested in normal activities, and sluggish or fatigued. If you’ve recently suffered a loss, Seasonal Affective Disorder can be a double blow, intensifying those feelings of grief. The symptoms of grief and SAD
Read More >>

What Happens to Your Facebook when you Die? (And other social media questions)
Most of us have a social media presence. In fact, about 73% of online adults have at least one social media account, and that includes 57% of the baby boomers who have an online presence. Social media is wonderful for keeping in touch with friends and family, sharing photos, thoughts, events, and more. Sure, there
Read More >>
Ancient Traditions Around Death: Lessons We Can Learn
Modern medicine and contemporary funeral practices have made many of us far removed from death. Things tend to be much more sanitized than they were in the ancient world, and death typically happens out of sight, with the body handled by professionals and whisked away from view. There’s also a push to “get it over with” and rush past death, which means that some people choose to skip the funeral in order to
Read More >>

Who’ll Care for Mom? Helping One Parent After the Loss of the Other
People in loving, lengthy marriages are always doing little things for each other throughout the day, whether it’s bringing a cup of coffee, checking the oil in the car, or any of the countless other small tasks that get taken for granted. As they grow older and one partner begins to fail in some way, the other tends to compensate for it, often subconsciously. Some couples may not realize the extent of their interdependence. For others, one might become the
Read More >>
From Mendelssohn to Mariachi: Choosing Unique Funeral Music
When you think of funerals you’ve attended, does the music stand out? What do you remember? Hymns played on an organ? Amazing Grace, sung by the gathered mourners? If that sort of service doesn’t fit with your personal style, you’re not alone. Today, you can choose your own music for your funeral. With certain religious traditions, there are restrictions
Read More >>

Leaving a Legacy: Establishing a Charitable Fund
If you’ve written a will, you may have designated many beneficiaries. Most of us have financial assets and personal belongings that we want specific people to have. Remembering your friends and family in your will is a great place to start dispersing your assets, but what if you also want some of your estate to be used to support worthy
Read More >>
Crystal Remembrance: Treasuring your Loved One’s Memory
When a loved one dies, we naturally want some tangible way to remember that person. For many years that touchpoint was the gravesite, but with the growing popularity of cremation, people are finding interesting and creative ways to hold a loved one’s memory close. At Greenwood Memorial Park, we provide a wide range of cremation
Read More >>

How Millennials Could Change Funerals Forever
It’s estimated that millennials will make up about 75% of the workforce by 2030, and many of these young people are working in the funeral industry already. In fact, this tech-savvy, hyper-connected generation could change the funeral profession forever. Millennials tend to think differently than previous generations. They’re typically more flexible and less attached to tradition. They tend to resist doing things a certain way just because that’s the way it’s always been
Read More >>

Can Movies Help with Grief?
Grief is an intensely personal emotion experienced in many different ways by different people. Some counselors recommend movies as a way to ease the pain and process the grief. Movies that are full of emotion can be cathartic. They can also provide an opportunity for discussion and may help people to process their own feelings, which can be beneficial not only for adults but for children too. Seeing Read More >>
The Loss of John McCain: Grieving a National Hero
August saw the loss of Senator John McCain, and our nation grieved. A longstanding and sometimes controversial figure in American politics, McCain was well-respected across the aisle and celebrated as a national hero for his service to our country during his lengthy military career. No one was surprised by the news of his death because Read More >>
Suffering from SAD when You’re Sad
Winter is approaching, and with it the winter blues. Seasonal Affective Disorder affects between 10 and 20 percent of Americans, causing people to feel depressed or hopeless, disinterested in normal activities, and sluggish or fatigued. If you’ve recently suffered a loss, Seasonal Affective Disorder can be a double blow, intensifying those feelings of grief. The symptoms of grief and SAD Read More >>
What Happens to Your Facebook when you Die? (And other social media questions)
Most of us have a social media presence. In fact, about 73% of online adults have at least one social media account, and that includes 57% of the baby boomers who have an online presence. Social media is wonderful for keeping in touch with friends and family, sharing photos, thoughts, events, and more. Sure, there Read More >>
Ancient Traditions Around Death: Lessons We Can Learn
Modern medicine and contemporary funeral practices have made many of us far removed from death. Things tend to be much more sanitized than they were in the ancient world, and death typically happens out of sight, with the body handled by professionals and whisked away from view. There’s also a push to “get it over with” and rush past death, which means that some people choose to skip the funeral in order to Read More >>
Who’ll Care for Mom? Helping One Parent After the Loss of the Other
People in loving, lengthy marriages are always doing little things for each other throughout the day, whether it’s bringing a cup of coffee, checking the oil in the car, or any of the countless other small tasks that get taken for granted. As they grow older and one partner begins to fail in some way, the other tends to compensate for it, often subconsciously. Some couples may not realize the extent of their interdependence. For others, one might become the Read More >>
From Mendelssohn to Mariachi: Choosing Unique Funeral Music
When you think of funerals you’ve attended, does the music stand out? What do you remember? Hymns played on an organ? Amazing Grace, sung by the gathered mourners? If that sort of service doesn’t fit with your personal style, you’re not alone. Today, you can choose your own music for your funeral. With certain religious traditions, there are restrictions Read More >>
Leaving a Legacy: Establishing a Charitable Fund
If you’ve written a will, you may have designated many beneficiaries. Most of us have financial assets and personal belongings that we want specific people to have. Remembering your friends and family in your will is a great place to start dispersing your assets, but what if you also want some of your estate to be used to support worthy Read More >>
Crystal Remembrance: Treasuring your Loved One’s Memory
When a loved one dies, we naturally want some tangible way to remember that person. For many years that touchpoint was the gravesite, but with the growing popularity of cremation, people are finding interesting and creative ways to hold a loved one’s memory close. At Greenwood Memorial Park, we provide a wide range of cremation Read More >>
How Millennials Could Change Funerals Forever
It’s estimated that millennials will make up about 75% of the workforce by 2030, and many of these young people are working in the funeral industry already. In fact, this tech-savvy, hyper-connected generation could change the funeral profession forever. Millennials tend to think differently than previous generations. They’re typically more flexible and less attached to tradition. They tend to resist doing things a certain way just because that’s the way it’s always been Read More >>

Recent Obituaries

Oliver Schutte

April 3, 1926 - November 14, 2018

Homer R. King

April 22, 1938 - November 12, 2018

Pastora Asbill

October 19, 1934 - November 7, 2018

Upcoming Events

13 Dec

Candlelight Service

Light a candle in memory of your loved ones at our annual Candlelight Service. Enjoy holiday music by harpist Naomi Altar and the Full Measure Carolers with special guests. Have your picture taken with Santa & Mrs. Claus and enjoy refreshments before the ceremony. We encourage you to bring a toy or non-perishable food items

15 Dec

Wreaths Across America

Place Wreaths to Honor Servicemen and Women Join us for our fourth annual Wreaths Across America celebration. The event remembers our fallen heroes, honors those who have served and their families, and teaches our children about the value of freedom. Wreaths Across America places wreaths on graves as a tribute to all servicemen and women.

Guiding you
with knowledge

today, tomorrow and beyond.

Experience the Difference

News

Can Movies Help with Grief?

The Loss of John McCain: Grieving a National Hero

Suffering from SAD when You’re Sad

What Happens to Your Facebook when you Die? (And other social media questions)

Ancient Traditions Around Death: Lessons We Can Learn

Who’ll Care for Mom? Helping One Parent After the Loss of the Other

From Mendelssohn to Mariachi: Choosing Unique Funeral Music

Leaving a Legacy: Establishing a Charitable Fund

Crystal Remembrance: Treasuring your Loved One’s Memory

How Millennials Could Change Funerals Forever