Heights Funeral Home

A comfortable, welcoming place to remember

Located on tree-lined Heights Boulevard, Heights Funeral Home blends historic character with modern comfort. From the moment you arrive, you’ll find a setting offering peace of mind during a difficult time and a professional staff ready to listen.

With warm lighting and traditional pew seating, our spacious chapel seats up to 275 guests. Two visitation rooms—including the cozy, living-room–style Waltrip Room—provide comfortable spaces for you to gather with family and friends to share stories and support one another. And there’s plenty of parking for your guests.

No matter what type of service you’re planning, Heights Funeral Home considers every detail—so you and your family can focus on remembering your loved one.

Honoring veterans and their families

At Heights 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 memorial service that truly honors the life and sacrifice of your loved one.

We believe in giving back

We care deeply for the Heights and the Greater Houston community and always look for ways that bring people together, provide comfort and create opportunities for growth.

One of the ways we do this is by supporting those who are grieving. Through our partnership with the LIFT Support Group, we host a monthly lunch where widows and widowers can share a meal, connect and find encouragement in one another’s company. We also support Bo’s Place, a grief support program that helps young people who have experienced the loss of a sibling, giving them a safe space to share and heal.

Our staff also takes part in causes close to our hearts. We support diabetes awareness through events such as the Tour de Cure, raising funds and cheering on cyclists riding to make a difference.

As longtime neighbors, we stay engaged with local organizations, including the Heights Rotary Club, Knights of Columbus, Chamber of Commerce and Heights Civic Association. Together with the Rotary, we’ve even hosted a used book sale to help raise money for the nearby library—just one small way we can invest in our community’s future.

We’re always glad to open our doors when there's a need. Our funeral home is more than a place for services—it’s a gathering space for meetings, events and causes that matter to our neighbors. If your organization could use a helping hand or a place to come together, please reach out.

The history of Heights Funeral Home

The story begins in 1926, when Robert E. Waltrip purchased the only funeral home in the Heights. Robert E. and his mother, Mrs. S.P. Waltrip, moved into the funeral home at 1317 Heights Boulevard, living upstairs and guiding grieving families from the first floor.

In 1951, Robert E. passed away unexpectedly. His son, Robert L. Waltrip—known as Bob—stepped away from college to return to the funeral home and help his mother manage the business. Though he was only a junior at Rice University, he later completed his degree at the University of Houston.

With a visionary spirit, Bob led Heights Funeral Home into a new era and began to expand the business. He purchased a funeral home on Hyde Park Boulevard and built a new one, Waltrip Funeral Directors, in Spring Branch in 1962. That same year, he founded Service Corporation International (SCI) as a parent company to support the growing company. By 1969, he took SCI public; in 1974, it joined the New York Stock Exchange.

Bob’s impact extended well beyond business growth. In 1992, he established the National Museum of Funeral History as a place to honor the funeral profession’s heritage and educate future generations. He also contributed significantly to the community, including supporting Rice University.

A well-respected pillar of the community, Bob continued guiding SCI as chairman emeritus until his passing in 2023.

Throughout this journey, Heights Funeral Home has remained a personal, welcoming presence in Houston Heights. We treat families who walk through our doors as neighbors: When you come to Heights Funeral Home, you’re treated like one of us, because you are.