Owens Funeral Home

“If I could give Owen’s Funeral Home zero stars, I would. What should have been a respectful, organized process to lay my grandmother to rest became a deeply distressing and mishandled experience marked by poor communication, repeated errors, and a lack of compassion. Services were originally scheduled for Saturday but were canceled at the last minute due to weather, despite family members already traveling from multiple states. No clear plan or meaningful alternatives were provided, leaving our family confused and scrambling during an already painful time. Because of this, everything became disorganized and backwards. The repass occurred first, the funeral service happened later, and the burial—originally planned for Saturday—was delayed to another day. To make matters worse, the burial ultimately took place on my aunt’s birthday, forcing her to bury her own mother on that day. The lack of communication throughout this process was unacceptable. Calls were not returned as promised, questions were avoided, and basic information was not clearly explained. This uncertainty caused unnecessary stress and emotional harm to our family. The funeral programs and obituary contained serious errors, including listing my grandmother’s date of death incorrectly by an entire month and duplicating incorrect information across pages. These materials were never reviewed with the family prior to printing. When concerns were raised, accountability was avoided and responsibility was shifted rather than addressed. We were told the programs would be corrected, yet no corrected versions were provided. When asked about this, Mr. Owens stated, “I didn’t know you wanted them corrected. I thought you wanted your money back,” in front of multiple family members and witnesses. This response was dismissive and contradicted what had already been communicated. Throughout this experience, compassion was noticeably lacking. We heard statements such as “that’s not my job,” and there was no sincere apology to the entire family. A private apology was offered to only one daughter, despite the impact on all of us. From the moment we walked in, there was no “sorry for your loss”—only rushed instructions and a cold, transactional tone. Funeral services require empathy, care, and professionalism. Unfortunately, that was not our experience. Weather-related issues can be understandable. Repeated miscommunication, lack of accountability, and disregard for grieving families are not. This experience caused unnecessary stress and emotional harm while we were trying to lay our grandmother to rest peacefully. I strongly advise anyone considering Owen’s Funeral Home to proceed with extreme caution”

— Natia

“Review of Owens Funeral Home – 216 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10027 We came to this funeral home during one of the most painful moments of our lives, simply wanting to lay our mother to rest with dignity, peace, and care. Instead, we were met with cruelty, carelessness, and a complete lack of compassion. The day before our mother’s funeral, I received a cold and disrespectful phone call informing me that the service was being canceled because it was going to snow and the funeral director did not want to make the drive. There was no concern for our family, no understanding of the fact that many of us were traveling from out of state. I was already preparing to fly in from Florida. That call felt devastating and deeply hurtful at a time when we were already grieving. From that moment on, it became clear that we were not being treated with empathy or respect. Communication was dismissive and unkind, and it felt as though our grief was an inconvenience rather than something deserving of care. Even basic details were handled poorly. Our mother’s obituary was printed incorrectly, with duplicate information, adding unnecessary pain and frustration. The staff appeared untrained and unprepared, which only added to the chaos. All we wanted was a peaceful goodbye. We did not want conflict or confusion. What should have been a single, coordinated day was instead broken into three separate days, the funeral, burial, and repast, forcing us to relive our loss over and over again. The most traumatic moment came at the burial. The hearse dropped off our mother’s casket and then drove away, leaving us standing there in shock. We had to call the funeral home and find someone else to transport her to the burial site. That moment was emotionally scarring and something our family will never forget. Saying goodbye to our mother was already heartbreaking. This experience made it far worse and left lasting emotional wounds. No family should be treated this way during such a vulnerable time. I would not recommend this funeral home to anyone.”

— Sharon Williams

“The passing of a loved one is never easy, so when it’s compounded with ineptitude and apathy it makes the experience all the more gut wrenching. My sister and I sat down with Mr. Owen, the director of the funeral home, prior to my mother’s passing to make arrangements for her home going services so that when the time came those details and decisions would already be in place. What followed was an excellent example of a complete and utter disaster. The customer service included programs printed incorrectly, which can happen. But, the problem came when the attendant told my sister, “it wasn’t his job to make sure they were right.” This argument is happening in front of my mother’s casket at the end of the isle. Inclement weather caused the services to be postponed, this was unfortunate. Again, the problem came from Mr. Owen telling me, “he wasn’t going to put his life in danger to come and bury my mother” and that, “things like this happen all the time” only served to make this experience insurmountable. When things were all said and done, he offered his condolences and apologies for how things played out, but it all fell on deaf ears and broken hearts. I don’t know about anyone else, but she was the only mother I had to bury and it was one emotional kick in the gut after another. My mother was finally put to rest on December 30, 2025, which coincidentally also happens to be my birthday. So, when the time comes to bury your loved one, do them a great honor by taking them some place else.”

— Tamiko Williams