Samaritan Funeral and Cremation Services — Consumer Profile

Samaritan Funeral and Cremation Services is an independently owned cremation and funeral provider operating two Phoenix-area locations, distinguished by consistently high customer ratings and a stated commitment to transparent, affordable pricing. The McDowell Road location holds a 4.8/5 rating across 241 Google reviews, with third-party platforms reflecting similarly strong feedback. The provider offers customizable direct cremation packages alongside full funeral and memorial services, and supports online pre-need arrangements through its parent platform, Altogether Funeral.

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Locations

Primary Location — Central Phoenix

• Address: 1505 E McDowell Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85006
• Phone: (602) 346-9944
• Hours: Office hours Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–5:00 PM; 24/7 answering service available
• Facility notes: Reviewers on MapQuest describe the facility as clean and well-maintained, with on-site space available for receptions/repasses following services.

Second Location — Ahwatukee/South Phoenix

• Address: 4647 E Chandler Blvd, Suite 6, Phoenix, AZ 85048
• Phone: (480) 400-8948
• Notes: This location specifically markets direct cremation plans with private gathering spaces, priority return of cremated remains, and a selection of urns and memorial keepsakes, per MapQuest.

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Services

Samaritan offers the following services across its locations, as described on the provider website:

• Cremation services — including direct cremation and customizable cremation packages
• Funeral and memorial services — both religious and non-religious traditions accommodated
• Burial services
• Pre-need planning — available online through the Altogether platform, including the ability to complete arrangements and purchase plans digitally
• Veterans services — at least one reviewer specifically noted coordination of military funeral honors and escort to a national veterans cemetery
• Catered/reception events — on-site repass hosting referenced in both website content and customer reviews
• Obituary assistance — multiple reviewers note staff help preparing and submitting obituaries

The website notes familiarity with a broad range of religious and non-religious traditions. No on-site crematory or owned cemetery is mentioned in the available data.

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Pricing

No General Price List (GPL) data was available for inclusion in this profile. The provider's website and third-party listings consistently reference affordable and customizable package options, with Yelp reviewers noting that costs were "very reasonable," and the MapQuest listing describing the business as offering "direct cremation plans that you can customize to suit your needs and budget." The BirdEye profile references "several low cost packages for burial and cremation."

Families should request the GPL directly from the funeral home or ask for itemized pricing online before committing. Under FTC Funeral Rule requirements, providers are obligated to furnish a GPL upon request.

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Reviews

Samaritan carries a 4.8/5 rating based on 241 Google reviews. Yelp lists 24 reviews, and TrustAnalytica reflects a 4.9/5 aggregate. Across platforms, three themes emerge consistently:

1. Compassionate, personalized staff care Multiple reviews across platforms single out specific staff members by name. Sonia (identified as a funeral director) is mentioned repeatedly for her hands-on guidance and emotional support. One reviewer wrote: "Sonia and her staff were the best. My wife passed away and Sonia took great care of us. Explaining everything and took us through everything. During the most difficult time of my life she made everything bearable." Eddie Lopez is also named on both Yelp and BirdEye for attentive family care. Staff member Joanna is highlighted on TrustAnalytica for providing meaningful support.

2. Transparent, straightforward pricing Reviewers specifically appreciate the absence of pressure and hidden fees. Jeff Hodge noted: "I liked Samaritan because they were up front with me with no nonsense and no hidden charges." This theme appears consistently across Google and Yelp.

3. Responsiveness and communication Families dealing with cremation arrangements, in particular, credit staff for timely updates and accessibility. Yvonne Blea wrote that staff were "very good at being responsive to any questions I had and keeping informed of all that was being done."

Veterans coordination is a secondary strength noted in reviews, with at least one family crediting Sonia for arranging military honors and a full escort to the national veterans cemetery.

Notable negatives: One Google reviewer (Jeff Hodge) mentioned a paperwork error during their arrangement process, though he noted it was corrected promptly when raised. No patterns of unresolved complaints, pricing disputes, or service failures are evident in the available review data.

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Ownership

Samaritan Funeral and Cremation Services is listed as independently owned. It operates as part of a small family of locations serving the Phoenix metro area under the Samaritan name, and its online arrangements are facilitated through the Altogether Funeral platform. No founding year, ownership history, or generational family details were available in the provided data. Families who want to confirm whether Altogether Funeral represents a larger corporate affiliation or is simply a technology/marketing platform should ask the funeral home directly.

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Accreditations

• BBB: Neither the McDowell Road location nor the Ahwatukee location holds BBB accreditation. No BBB rating or complaint count was visible in the available data.
• No professional association memberships (e.g., NFDA, CANA) or state licensing details were present in the provided data.

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Conclusion

Samaritan Funeral and Cremation Services occupies a mid-range, value-oriented position in the Phoenix market, appealing to families who want attentive, personalized service without premium pricing. Its strongest assets are the consistency of its staff — particularly named directors Sonia and Eddie Lopez — and a transparent approach to pricing that reviewers across multiple platforms specifically praise. Families should note that no GPL pricing data is publicly available through this profile, and the BBB accreditation status for both locations is absent; requesting an itemized price list before making arrangements remains advisable.