Few funeral service providers earn the prestigious Diamond Certified award, which means they’ve been independently rated Highest in Quality. Even fewer can also claim five decades of industry experience, but that’s exactly the case for Duggan’s Serra Mortuary. “Our reputation and proven track record of helping grieving families really set us apart,” says President Daniel Duggan. “Since this company was founded in 1963, we’ve been providing an unwritten warranty of customer satisfaction–if a customer is ever dissatisfied for any reason, we’ll do everything in our power to make it right.”

Duggan’s Serra Mortuary provides traditional and modern funeral services for Bay Area families of all cultures and religious denominations. In addition to handling burials and cremations, the company offers advanced funeral planning services and helps arrange indoor and outdoor ceremonies. Its Daly City facility features three outdoor reception areas and unlimited parking, and its multi-lingual staff members can perform funeral services in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese and Tagalog.

Unlike funeral service providers that are corporate-owned and focused entirely on financial gains, Duggan’s Serra Mortuary remains a family-owned and operated business whose primary concern is providing a positive experience for every client. “In recent years, a lot of family-owned mortuaries have been bought out by corporations, and those companies are usually driven to meet financial goals and perform well for their stockholders more than anything else,” explains Mr. Duggan. “Conversely, our main goal has always been to help our clients and their families during difficult times. Our compassionate, warm-hearted staff has one objective: to care for the people they serve.”

Another attribute that sets Duggan’s Serra Mortuary apart from its competition is its ability to offer first-rate funeral services at reasonable prices. “We really value our customers, so we’ve always tried to keep our pricing structure extremely competitive,” affirms Mr. Duggan. “At the same time, we never compromise on the quality of our services, so it works out well for our customers.”

Planning ahead for a funeral can make the entire process easier for everyone involved. Arranging the details of a funeral can be a difficult and inconvenient task for those grieving the loss of a loved one. That’s why it can be very beneficial to take care of such arrangements ahead of time if you’re expecting the death of a family member, a friend or even yourself.
Similar to preparing a will in advance of your untimely death to ensure a smooth process of distribution, pre-arranging the details of your own funeral will allow your loved ones to focus entirely on grieving. Such preemptive arrangements can include choosing the manner of burial and service you want, reserving a casket or urn, and taking care of financial aspects. “A lot of people pre-plan their services so their children don’t have to be burdened with those decisions,” says Daniel Duggan, president of Duggan’s Serra Mortuary in Daly City. “By handling all the pertinent details ahead of time, they’re able to eliminate ambiguity and the possibility of their children disagreeing about their final wishes.”
Writing an obituary notice
One of the first things that should be addressed following the death of a loved one is the composition of an obituary notice. However, unlike other aspects of posthumous arrangements that tend to be unwelcome distractions for grieving family members, composing an obituary can be a cathartic exercise—a way to channel grief and begin the healing process. A good obituary will give surviving family members and friends an opportunity to recall the journey of the deceased by highlighting their achievements and celebrating their legacy.
“An obituary notice is basically a synopsis of the deceased person’s life story, both encapsulating the timeline of their life and touching on significant details such as special achievements, hobbies and so on,” explains Mr. Duggan. “A well-written obituary takes thought and preparation, so that should be one of the first things you start working on following the death of a loved one.”

Q: How much does a funeral cost?

A: Our pricing varies depending on the situation, but we can give you all that information right over the phone. Also, if you call us to inquire about prices because you’re shopping around for the best value, we’ll happily answer any questions you have and give advice about the funeral process.

Q: What kind of cremation options do you offer?

A: There are a variety of cremation options available today. We can do a traditional-style service where the body is present for viewing and the cremation follows, or we can do the cremation first and follow with a memorial service without the body present.

Q: Can you help me make travel or lodging arrangements?

A: If you visit our website, you’ll find a list of a few different housing facilities and hotels that we partner with to offer bereavement rates to out-of-town travelers.

Q: Will the same person work with my family throughout the entire funeral planning process?

A: Usually, but sometimes the funeral director that handles the planning will be unavailable when the final service is performed, in which case a new funeral director will be assigned. We’re open 365 days a year, so we tell our clients that it’s more important to plan funeral services on days that are most convenient for them rather than planning around our funeral directors’ schedules.

Q: Can you make arrangements if my loved one wanted their remains sent to a different country?

A: Yes, and that’s something we do quite often. The Daly City area has a large Filipino population, so many of our clients elect to have their loved ones’ remains sent home to the Philippines. In those cases, we’ll hold a traditional service at our facility before preparing the shipment. We can arrange for your loved one’s remains to be sent anywhere in the world.