Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary

Personalized funerals

The knowledgeable team at Fairhaven Memorial Park Mortuary designs customized funerals and memorial services that celebrate life. We care about every detail that goes into a service and reception. We start with your stories and carefully craft a memorable memorial service. How this plays out is as unique as the person being celebrated.

Maybe it's a motorcycle as transportation for Grandma's urn from the funeral home to the cemetery. Maybe it's flowers displayed in work boots instead of vases and a farm stand display of Grandpa's prized produce. It could be superhero costumes for everyone on our funeral home team or a elegant brunch with guests all in hats. In short, personalization is our funeral home’s specialty.

Cremation services

Not everyone knows that there are many cremation options. If you are interested in cremation, the funeral home team can explain the process and different options. Whether it's a direct cremation without a memorial service, a witness cremation, a full funeral service (before or after the cremation) or something else entirely, we'll help you understand this increasingly common choice—and handle all of the cremation arrangements. If you wish, cremated remains can be placed at Fairhaven Memorial Park.

Funeral planning for peace of mind

Removing the uncertainty and anxiety around your final wishes can provide relief to everyone involved—especially your family. Knowing you’ve established a relationship with us also removes some of their fears and doubts. Let us design a plan with you that provides that peace of mind.

We understand the more personal the funeral is, the better the sense of closure it provides. Making certain decisions and completing vital paperwork ahead of time allows your family to focus on what’s really important: reflecting fondly on a life.

We are here for you

Whether you need immediate help planning a funeral or want to talk about planning ahead, we are here for you. Call us anytime, day or night.

History

Early in Orange County’s history, Oliver Halsell saw the need for a beautiful cemetery to serve the growing population in and around Santa Ana. On August 28, 1911, he and other local businessmen, including Horatio Forgy, created Fairhaven Memorial Park. Fairhaven was established as a memorial park, rather than a cemetery. Flat markers, as opposed to upright monuments, would distinguish the grounds, so visitors would feel as if they were enjoying the quiet solitude of expansive green lawns and mature shade trees.

Forward thinking and film history

Oliver was also responsible for developing one of the first mausoleums in Orange County in 1916. During the last phase of construction on the Historic Mausoleum in the 1930s, he had the foresight to install a crematory there, making it one of the first crematories in Orange County. This mausoleum is the final resting place for many of Orange County’s founding families. During the mid-'50s, the Historic Mausoleum made Hollywood history when Charlton Heston chose it to record parts of his dialogue as Moses in the film The Ten Commandments, reportedly due to the “God-like quality of the acoustics.”

Modern updates

After Oliver’s death in the mid-'50s, his foundation constructed Waverley Church to commemorate him, his wife, Della, and his mother, Susan. The church’s architecture mimics that of English churches. Historically, if a building remained incomplete, no taxes would have to be paid on it, so many churches left off the steeple. That explains Waverley Church's distinctive square tower and almost fairytale setting amid the cemetery’s emerald green lawns. Waverley Church is used frequently for weddings as well as committal ceremonies.

In 1976, the funeral home and florist shop were built on the cemetery property. The funeral home has a chapel that seats approximately 80 people, and until 1995 it was furnished with sofas and chairs instead of pews for a home-like atmosphere. To offer families more choices for services, Rose Window Chapel in the Historic Mausoleum was updated with curtains and padded seating.

Today, Fairhaven Memorial Park Mortuary and Fairhaven Memorial Park are members of the Dignity Memorial® network, the largest provider of funeral, cremation and cemetery services in North America.

Fairhaven Memorial Park cemetery

The 73-acre Fairhaven Memorial Park was imagined as a place for the living, where families could come and visit their loved ones amid the splendor of majestic trees such as Chinese elm, Hollywood juniper and the rare gingko. In a state without traditional seasons, visitors flock to the cemetery property to walk among the large, pale yellow leaves that fall from the gingko trees in autumn.

Many locals enjoy walking dogs or pushing baby strollers around the cemetery property. We've heard stories about people learning to drive on the cemetery’s quiet roads or having their 1st kiss beneath one of the stately trees. Fairhaven is also home to dozens of bird species, which makes it a favorite destination for bird-watchers too.

Fairhaven Memorial Park has a place for you or your loved one, no matter the type of memorialization—traditional or modern, austere or elaborate, individual niche or family estate. The cemetery has expanded as the community has grown, so there are many burial options to explore.

Beautiful cremation garden

One of the cemetery’s more recent—and exquisite—additions is Eternal Springs, which was designed using feng shui principles. The cremation garden’s curved walls bend toward the energy flowing from a meandering stream, and the Bridge of Memory arches gracefully over the water. Ornamental grasses and flora attract monarch butterflies.

Families can select a cenotaph marker for their loved one’s memorial or perhaps a tree plaque or ground marker. Our team members and visitors favor Eternal Springs as a place where they can meditate or just be.

More notable cemetery areas

Serenity Court is our newer mausoleum, the 3rd phase of an expansion that began in the '90s. The mausoleum contains plenty of space for cremation niches or crypts, as well as state-of-the-art equipment for music during committal services. A pool with a fountain creates a visual counterpoint to the sleek, modern lines of the building.

Willow Garden, a newer area of the cemetery, features the same stone quarried in 1916 for the nearby Historic Mausoleum.

Oxford Gardens, named for the famous English university, includes 2 cremation courts bordered by lush lawns and beautiful white stonework. Within each there are cremation niches and bench estates, as well as whimsical statues depicting The Thinker and The Whiz Kid, symbolizing perhaps the teacher and student, or past and future.

Fairhaven Memorial Park also has a section devoted to veterans called Garden of Valor.

Visit us

Photos tell a great story, but we invite you to visit the cemetery for yourself. You are welcome to drive or walk through anytime, or call us to set up a guided tour. We are happy to show you around.

Year-round community involvement

We believe it’s important to stay engaged with our Orange County community throughout the year, which is why Fairhaven Memorial Park Mortuary and Fairhaven Memorial Park host events open to the public. For Easter, we host a sunrise service for 800-1,000 people. During Memorial Day weekend, Fairhaven Memorial Park opens to more than 4,000 visitors for a special presentation honoring fallen military members, including a flyover of World War II fighter planes.

Summer is the perfect time for us to screen movies in the park. We also hold a rockabilly concert with a classic car show and swing dancing. Local theater groups perform Shakespeare down by the Historic Mausoleum.

For Día de los Muertos, we offer colorfully decorated altars to place around your loved one’s marker, as well as face painting for the kids.

We hope to see you at these events, or you can stop by anytime for a tour of the funeral home or cemetery.