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About

Whitehurst, Sullivan, Burns & Blair Funeral Home provides funeral and cremation services to families in Fresno and the Central San Joaquin Valley in a tradition dating to the turn of the 20th century.

Here to serve you

Our team provides a comforting and traditional atmosphere adaptable to meet the needs of individual families in a time of grief. We find great satisfaction in the number of clients who are referred to us by other families, and we are dedicated to serving every family with compassionate professionalism.

At Whitehurst, our hallmark is listening. We are honored to truly get to know the lives of those we celebrate, so that we can craft a memorial experience that genuinely reflects the life, times and passions of the individuals we serve.

We honor veterans

At Whitehurst Sullivan Burns & Blair Funeral Home, we understand the unique needs of America’s veterans and their families. As a Level One 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.

Trusted provider

We're proud to be a member of the Dignity Memorial® network of funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers. Our client families receive hometown service from a local team that personally understands Central California.

Whether we assist you with an immediate need, guide you on a tour of our beautiful facility or a discussion about final arrangement planning options, we are honored to serve you.

History

Signage at Whitehurst Sullivan Burns & Blair Funeral HomeWhitehurst, Sullivan, Burns & Blair Funeral Home traces its tradition of caring, thoughtful service back to 1929. Originally founded as Sullivan, Burns & Blair, the funeral home initially operated in the Romaine Mansion in the heart of downtown Fresno. One of the original owners of the funeral home was California Senator Hugh Burns. Eventually, Senate duties took too much time away from the management of the Chapel, and the company was sold to the Whitehurst family.

Honoring traditions of all faiths

Founder Joel A. Whitehurst began offering funeral services in 1911. Together with his wife Anne, he purchased a partnership in the Stockton and Ives Funeral Chapel in Los Banos in 1921. The Whitehurst family bought out Mr. Ives, and eventually the Whitehurst brothers, Joel II and Bill, expanded the funeral home. In 1958, they took over management of Sullivan, Burns & Blair. As they became the premier provider of Fresno-area funeral services serving all faiths, they outgrew their downtown location. In 1964, Whitehurst built a state-of-the-art, full-service funeral home in the Fig Garden area of North Fresno.

Commitment to you

For nearly a century, Central Valley families have counted on the Whitehurst team. Our motto has always been, “Our commitment to serving you comes first.” Longtime employee Donald Cardell and his supporting team continue to uphold the Whitehurst tradition of exceptional service, “often imitated, never duplicated.” Today, we are proud to be a member of the Dignity Memorial network of funeral, cremation and cemetery providers, offering our clients an even higher level of quality and satisfaction.

Amenities

Cremation

Service

Religious & Cultural

Other

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.

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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.

"Eric did an exemplary job explaining everything, taking one step at a time. He kept me posted when I asked where my husband was prior to cremation. He was gentle and understanding with my kids who had just experienced the sudden passing of their dad. I asked for a quiet classy service and that's what I got."

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

December 2020

"It is always difficult to lose a love one. It will be a great relief if we can see our love one leaves us with a good funeral arrangement. Overall experience with Whitehurst was very good. It is not supper easy to serve a family that just suffer from a big lost because everyone in the family would be very sensitive at the moment. But Whitehurst did very well, I think it must due to its long term of business experience."

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

December 2020

"Made us feel comfortable during an uncomfortable time"

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

November 2020

"Treated us at all times with courtesy and with empathy for her loss very professional"

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

November 2020

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