Oak Hill Funeral Home & Memorial Park

A chapel for every service

At more than 20,000 square feet, Oak Hill Funeral Home is among the larger funeral homes in the area. Its 2 waterfalls—1 at each entrance—have a calming effect on all who enter. With 7 chapels, 8 viewing rooms and 3 reception rooms, the funeral home accommodates services of all sizes. The smallest chapel seats about 70 people, while the largest accommodates up to 300.

Built in 1933, Chapel of Roses—the most notable building on the property—is an English-style Tudor cottage with all the charm of the English countryside. Inside the chapel, you can hear the steady trickle of an indoor water wall.

Chapel of the Oaks is the largest individual chapel. It is home the world’s largest replica of Michelangelo’s "Pieta" statue. Made with marble from Carrara, Italy, it depicts Jesus and Mary.

Sunshine Chapel is the newest chapel option. Designed with an Asian influence, Sunshine Chapel is specially equipped for many Asian funeral customs. It encompasses 4 smaller chapels that can open up into 1 large chapel, depending on the size of the service.

Asian funerals in the Santa Clara Valley

The team at Oak Hill Funeral Home is quite experienced at conducting Asian funerals. For Buddhist services, there are multiple chapels with ventilation for burning incense, including the Sunshine Chapel. If you have roots outside of the United States, we can arrange transfers to other countries, including the Philippines, Mexico and Vietnam. Our associates make sure your loved one is transported with dignity and care.

On-site crematory

Oak Hill Funeral Home has an on-site crematory, which means we can handle all your cremation and funeral needs without ever having to leave our funeral home. We are glad to accommodate those who want a witness cremation with a traditional service.

Oak Hill Memorial Park cemetery

Oak Hill Memorial Park sprawls across 350 beautifully maintained acres, making it the largest cemetery in the area. The San Jose property has sweeping views of the Santa Clara Valley and is the only cemetery in the Bay Area with views of Silicon Valley.

With an array of oak, sequoia, cedar and pepper trees, the cemetery is a wildlife habitat. The memorial park's natural beauty—including a river that runs through the property—draws locals for activities such as picnics, jogging and wedding photos. The serenity felt throughout the grounds has a calming effect on cemetery visitors.

Many types of memorials

Oak Hill Memorial Park has diverse and interesting terrain. The cemetery offers many types of ground burials, with upright markers, flat markers and monument ledgers. The latter (a slab of granite that covers the burial site) is quite popular with the Asian community. Whatever your wishes for a final resting place—even a custom-built gazebo with carousel horses—we can make it happen.

Cremation interment options

Those who choose cremation have many options at Oak Hill Memorial Park. The single-acre Nature Garden is filled with ponds, waterfalls and trees, and was the 1st cremation garden to open in the area. Other options include cremation boulders that sit alongside the running river, columbaria with a Sacred Heart statue of Jesus and glass-front niches in 1 of the grand mausoleums. From the glass-front niches you can see the Santa Clara Valley below. Private cremation estates are located alongside a pond with beautiful city views. This is an ideal place for loved ones to visit and recall fond memories.

Noteworthy marble statues

Oak Hill Memorial Park features numerous mausoleums, memorials and monuments. There are roughly 30 statues throughout the grounds, most of which are made of Carrara marble. Some of the more notable marble statues include the 12 Apostles, the Virgin Mary that overlooks the City of San Jose and a 30-foot cross overlooking the entire valley.

Environmentally friendly cemetery

As Californians, we take water usage seriously. Oak Hill Memorial Park is 1 of the larger users of reclaimed water, and the cemetery’s landscaping is designed for lower water consumption. Astroturf near the Chapel of Roses also helps reduce water usage.

We Honor Veterans

At Oak Hill Funeral Home & Memorial Park, we understand the unique needs of America’s veterans and their families. As a Level Four Founding Community Partner with We Honor Veterans, we are honored to serve our nation’s heroes and take this responsibility seriously. We have taken steps to ensure our staff is knowledgeable of all the benefits available to military veterans and their families.

In addition, we host community events annually in honor of our veterans and work closely with local veterans organizations. 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.

Committed to the community

We at Oak Hill Funeral Home & Oak Hill Memorial Park are active participants in the community, through others' events and events of our own. We always look for ways to make a positive impact on the Santa Clara Valley. Our community involvement includes participating in the Kohl’s Cares for Kids program, which provides clothes and school supplies for local children. We also help revamp elementary school gardens and regularly make charitable contributions to the fire department and Sean M. Walsh K-9 Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit that provides police dogs to law enforcement.

Holiday and community events

We also host events that are open to all members of the community, including those on Mother's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day, Día de los Muertos and other events throughout the holiday season.

For Memorial Day, the final resting place of each known veteran is decorated with an American flag. Keynote speakers from around the country are invited to join us for a special ceremony, and the U.S. Air Force band provides music for guests to enjoy. We also display military vehicles throughout the cemetery.

In remembrance of 9/11, one of America's most horrific days, we invite the community to visit our 9/11 Memorial located at the corner of Monterey Road and Curtner Avenue to honor them and remember the sacrifice of those who fell that day. 

On Día de los Muertos, we host a memorial mass and celebration, highlighted by traditional sweet bread, champurrado, live music and ceremonial dancers.

During the holiday season, the community is invited to our Service of Remembrance and candle-lighting ceremony. Families who have lost loved ones bring photos and notes to place on our Christmas trees, while enjoying live music and refreshments.

We also host an Angel of Hope memorial service every year, honoring children who have passed away. This is always a gentle and heartfelt way for families to remember and includes a monarch butterfly release.

History

Oak Hill Memorial Park is the oldest non-secular cemetery in California, dating back to 1839, when it was known as Pueblo Graveyard. It is the final resting place for many of the settlers who influenced the formation of San Jose.

On December 6, 1858, the cemetery was renamed Oak Hill Cemetery. Later, the name changed again, to Oak Hill Memorial Park.

Many people come to Oak Hill Memorial Park to explore the history of San Jose. The cemetery’s monuments and private mausoleums represent the city’s rich historic past and ethnic diversity.

Improvements to better serve

The Hocking family (former owners) made many improvements to the cemetery property. A.J. Hocking was the driving force behind the construction of an on-site crematorium to better serve those who select cremation. A.J. was also responsible for the huge addition to 1 of the mausoleums.

Arch L. Hocking Jr. built the funeral home in 1957 and Chapel of the Oaks in 1971. His impact on the cemetery property can still be seen today, even from afar, as he commissioned the large cross on the hill, visible for miles across the valley.