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About

Woodlawn Funeral Home & Memorial Park are sister locations devoted to compassionate care and celebrating life. The funeral home and crematory opened on the cemetery property in 2006, adding vital convenience and simplicity when planning final arrangements.

The non-denominational funeral home and crematory serves people of all cultures, religions and backgrounds. The cemetery is a beautiful final resting place. 

Personalized funeral services

Woodlawn Funeral Home is 12,000 square feet in size and has 3 chapels. The largest chapel holds about 100 people, while the smallest holds roughly 50. Each chapel has a hospitality room with a kitchen for a catered reception before or after a service.

We believe unique lives deserve unique celebrations. Our experienced staff knows just how to create your vision or bring your loved one's final wishes to reality. We offer everything from a traditional funeral to a modern celebration of life.

Personal touches can be small—photo displays and speeches by friends are common—or more elaborate. We could hang a cross behind the casket, have a kayak at the front door, give out cotton candy at the end of the service or wear the jerseys of a person's favorite sports team. And if it's a grand celebration of life that you're looking for—a modern gathering with themed decor, live music, favorite food and drinks, and a send-off that reflects the personality and passions of yourself or your loved one—that's our speciality.

All we need is a little inspiration and we handle all the details from there. Let's imagine something special together.

On-site crematory

Not everyone knows that there are many cremation options. If you are interested in cremation, the funeral home team can explain the process and the different memorial and burial options. From a direct cremation without a memorial service to a full funeral service before or after the cremation and more, we help you understand this increasingly common choice.

For people who choose the time-honored tradition of cremation, our full-service funeral home has a private crematory on the property. This gives Woodlawn Funeral Home complete control of a cremation from start to finish and means your loved one never leaves our care. If desired, cremated remains may be buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park.

Your friend and neighbor

Signage at Woodlawn Memorial ParkWest of Chicago, in Forest Park, Woodlawn Funeral Home and Woodlawn Memorial Park are located at the corner of West Cermak Road and Des Plaines Avenue, in the North Riverside neighborhood. Our locations can be easily reached via Interstate 290, Illinois Route 43 and U.S. Route 45.

Woodlawn Funeral Home and Woodlawn Memorial Park are part of the Dignity Memorial® network of funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers. We are always here for you when you need us.

Woodlawn Memorial Park cemetery

Veterans section at Woodlawn Memorial ParkSpread over 100 acres, Woodlawn Memorial Park features rolling green lawns and beautiful monuments. The first burial took place here in 1912. Today, the cemetery offers a variety of in-ground and above-ground burial options, including 2 large community mausoleums, one of which, the Des Plaines Mausoleum,  holds 75 people for committal services. Our cremation choices include ground burial and mausoleum niches.

We Honor Veterans level 3 badgeWe honor veterans

At Woodlawn Funeral Home and Memorial Park, we understand the unique needs of America’s veterans and their families. As a Level Three Founding Community Partner with We Honor Veterans, our staff is knowledgeable in the benefits available to veterans and their families. With respect, integrity and dignity, we will walk you through the steps of creating a veteran's memorial service that truly honors the life and sacrifice of your loved one.

At the entrance to the cemetery sit several military pillars. These pillars represent all branches of the military and are engraved with the names of the many veterans we have served over the years.

Showmen’s Rest

Landscaping at Woodlawn Memorial ParkOne of the more famous areas of the cemetery property is Showmen’s Rest, a 750-plot section reserved mostly for circus performers. In 1918, the Showman’s League of America designated a portion of Woodlawn Memorial Park as the final resting place for approximately 60 members of the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus, who were killed in a train wreck. Five statues of elephants with lowered trunks surround the area (although no elephants are buried at the cemetery). To this day, many circus performers still choose to be buried at Showman’s Rest at Woodlawn.

Visit us

Photos convey a lot, but we invite you to come see the cemetery for yourself. Please visit anytime or call to set up a guided tour. We are happy to show you around. For Mausoleum hours please call 708-442-8500.

Community events

The teams at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Woodlawn Funeral Home take pride in serving families not only in their time of need, but throughout the year. We host a variety of events for Forest Park and the surrounding communities, including an Easter egg hunt, Mother’s Day weekend activities, Memorial Day services, a 9/11 tribute for first responders and a holiday service with luminary lighting.

Amenities

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100% SERVICE GUARANTEE

At Dignity Memorial, we take our promises seriously. That’s why we offer a 100% service guarantee. We strive to get every detail right the first time, every time. If for some reason we don’t and you’re dissatisfied with any aspect of your service, we will remedy it quickly and fully.

Learn about our Dignity Difference benefits.

Every Detail Remembered

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An experience like no other, carefully crafted by our caring planning team.

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Our Venues

Our welcoming and comfortable event spaces can be customized to fit your needs.

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Cemetery & Cremation Property

A final resting place that reflects a unique life and legacy for generations to come.

Pricing Starts At 1,595
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Personalized Catered Receptions

From desserts and appetizers to a sit-down meal, we can arrange it all.

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Our Collections

A lasting remembrance as unique and special as the individual it represents.

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Recent Obituaries

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Remember the one you love

Honor the memory of your loved one with cemetery flower placement. You choose the flowers. You choose the months. We do the rest.

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Remember the one you love

Honor the memory of your loved one with cemetery flower placement. You choose the flowers. You choose the months. We do the rest.

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Remember the one you love

Honor the memory of your loved one with cemetery flower placement. You choose the flowers. You choose the months. We do the rest.

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Unable to find an obituary?

Not finding what you are looking for? Search for your loved one's obituary across any of our other locations.

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Ratings & Reviews

Verified Customer Reviews

Since 2005, many of our customers have taken the time to tell us how we did each year via our Voice of the Customer program. Our star ratings and comments from families come directly from these surveys.

"My Uncle Enrique Hernandez was prepared for services and looked great for viewing and burial. I thank Alicia, Salma and Monica for being very attentive during the time of preparing for arrangements and both days of service. GREAT TEAM WORK!!! This is my second Funeral in 2yrs with Woodlawn and will continue to come back and will refer friends & family."

jd-power-verified-checkmark Verified Burial & Memorial Service Customer

March 2021

"The funeral director got my mom's hair perfectly. It was nice and looked like my mother. My mom would be happy the way she looked. Thank you. Death certificate came sooner than expected. The lady in charge of cemetary grounds , Shelby, stopped by the grave site when making her rounds of the cemetary when she saw me to ask if there was anything that I needed. The Cemetary and Funeral staff went out of thier way from start to finish."

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January 2021

"Arranging services in advance with Dignity was the best possible experience a family could have. When the time came to use their services, very few decisions had to be made, and their personnel knew just what to do. The family did not have any stress on the final arrangements for our mother."

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December 2020

"No pressure. Phenomenal customer service. Incredible staff."

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December 2020

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