Rapp Funeral & Cremation Services

“I have been too grief stricken to write a review sooner but I had a rather unfortunate experience here. It was my first time planning a service for anyone, so a colleague referred me to Jeff at Advent in Northern VA. Jeff suggested I use Rapp which is owned by the same company, because it’s closer to me. He also told me he works with a cosmetologist, PJ, who could do my loved one’s hair & makeup. Later that week, I met with Heather at Rapp & she was confident she could help, after I told her I was concerned about the hair/makeup being good for the viewing because of a delay in embalming my loved one, that had nothing to do with the funeral home. I decided to sign with Rapp. I later asked Heather would she be doing the makeup or would the make up artist Jeff told me about. She seemed irritated & said she didn’t know that person and she would do it herself & she’s done a lot of difficult jobs. Heather later advised it may be best to buy hair extensions or a wig because of excessive shedding of my loved one’s hair so I found a wig specialist who was kind enough to come visit the funeral home & make sure to size it on my loved one. We came to the Rapp lobby & Heather made no eye contact with me & didn’t acknowledge me & I thought it was odd. The hair stylist later said Heather was friendly & chatty with her. 3 days before the service Jeff called me to tell me Heather contacted him to say my loved one’s makeup could not be done because of decomposition. Jeff had never seen my loved one because he mainly worked at another location. I thought it was odd he was calling me to convey this info and not Heather. He also shared some other concerning, unfounded predictions Heather made. I told Jeff I cannot decide on having a viewing on the eve of the service until I know what kind of condition my loved one will be in. I said to hire the other makeup artist because I still needed to see my loved one, one final time & he said he would. The morning of the service I went to Rapp & my loved one’s makeup was done very well. If I knew it would turn out so well, I would have allowed my immediate family to come with me. I was concerned to bring any family with me due to Heather’s comments to Jeff. One of my relatives later expressed disappointment that he could not view his sibling & I told him I was told she could possibly not be viewable. My loved one’s culture doesn’t usually allow open casket services so a viewing ahead of time is the only other option. We were ROBBED of that opportunity because of the over exaggerated claims made by Heather. I understand playing it safe, but saying you can do something & then saying its impossible, is unethical. This could have been avoided had Heather recognized her limitations & advised I pay for the makeup artist that Jeff said he contracts with. She insisted she could do things herself & later said it was impossible. It WAS possible & the other make up artist’s work proved it. Fortunately, Heather was not the funeral director at the service because that was her weekend off. I can’t imagine how she would have treated me. I had some other, smaller issues such as some of the new garment on my loved one being cut by the people who dressed her. I also wished I had more direction from the director the day of because I had to act like the director when we had an issue with the church. Jeff incorrectly told me he had been to that church before & realized he hadn’t the day of. It mattered because the church had a narrow stairway the casket had to go up & we needed more pallbearers. We could have been more prepared for this. Ultimately, I wish Heather didn’t allow hubris & possible bias to affect her work. She could have at least communicated with me directly. I also wish people in this industry realize they are not only dealing with grieving people but some like me who have never gone through planning a service before. I lost the most important person in my life & it’s been a challenge to say the least. Nonetheless, I'm thankful for Jeff, Cedric & PJ. RIP to my angel.”

— Another One

“Our contact person was sensitive and kind. She was on time, gave helpful advice and was fast to respond to texts. She went out of her way to organize the schedule to accommodate our needs.”

— Ingrid Hass

“I recently had the experience of working with Rapp Funeral and Cremation Services, and I can’t recommend them highly enough. Despite facing unexpected delays from the Department of Vital Records in DC, their team was incredibly diligent and proactive in managing the situation. They kept us informed and worked to secure the necessary Certificate of Death for the cremation. Their professionalism and compassion made a difficult time much more manageable. It's clear that Rapp Funeral and Cremation Services truly cares about their clients and goes above and beyond to provide excellent service. I’m deeply grateful for their support and expertise during this challenging period. Thank you, Rapp Funeral and Cremation Services, for your outstanding care and dedication.”

— Maynard MG-Photography (Maynard)