Here to serve you

Our team provides a comforting and traditional atmosphere adaptable to meet the needs of individual families in a time of grief. We find great satisfaction in the number of clients who are referred to us by other families, and we are dedicated to serving every family with compassionate professionalism.

At Whitehurst, our hallmark is listening. We are honored to truly get to know the lives of those we celebrate, so that we can craft a memorial experience that genuinely reflects the life, times and passions of the individuals we serve.

Cremation services

We specialize in cremation services that honor loved ones in personalized ways, and families love our transparent pricing. With expertise in scattering ashes and a friendly team who pays attention to every detail, we provide service that is second to none.

More and more people are choosing cremation over traditional burial, but most aren’t familiar with the many options:

• a cremation without a funeral or memorial service of any kind.
• a funeral with your loved one present, followed by cremation.
• a cremation followed by a scattering, cemetery memorialization or celebration of life—or all three.

For those who wish for a more momentous memorial, Neptune Memorial Reef is an underwater cremation garden off the coast of Florida. A Celestis Memorial Spaceflight takes ashes into space for a little while or forever.

There are many options for cremation—and they're not all equal. Here's what you can expect when you choose us for your loved one's cremation:

• Custody of care guaranteed. Our custody-of-care program helps safeguard the identification of your loved one from the time we bring them into our care until the time we return them to your family. We check, cross-check and check again, every step of the way.
• Exclusive custody of your loved one. We use only crematories owned and operated by Dignity Memorial^® providers or trusted partners. Once your loved one is in our custody or that of a trusted partner, they’re in our care until they’re returned to your family.
• Licensed, certified, conscientious staff. All Dignity Memorial crematory operators are licensed and certified by Cremation Association of North America, or CANA. Only one person at a time is cremated, and the cremation chamber is thoroughly cleaned before the next person is cremated.

Read more about our cremation services.

We honor veterans

At Whitehurst Sullivan Burns & Blair 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 veteran's memorial service that truly honors the life and sacrifice of your loved one.

Trusted provider

We're proud to be a member of the Dignity Memorial^® network of funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers. Our client families receive hometown service from a local team that personally understands Central California.

Whether we assist you with an immediate need, guide you on a tour of our beautiful facility or a discussion about final arrangement planning options, we are honored to serve you.

History

Whitehurst, Sullivan, Burns & Blair Funeral Home traces its tradition of caring, thoughtful service back to 1929. Originally founded as Sullivan, Burns & Blair, the funeral home initially operated in the Romaine Mansion in the heart of downtown Fresno. One of the original owners of the funeral home was California Senator Hugh Burns. Eventually, Senate duties took too much time away from the management of the Chapel, and the company was sold to the Whitehurst family.

Honoring traditions of all faiths

Founder Joel A. Whitehurst began offering funeral services in 1911. Together with his wife Anne, he purchased a partnership in the Stockton and Ives Funeral Chapel in Los Banos in 1921. The Whitehurst family bought out Mr. Ives, and eventually the Whitehurst brothers, Joel II and Bill, expanded the funeral home. In 1958, they took over management of Sullivan, Burns & Blair. As they became the premier provider of Fresno-area funeral services serving all faiths, they outgrew their downtown location. In 1964, Whitehurst built a state-of-the-art, full-service funeral home in the Fig Garden area of North Fresno.

Commitment to you

For nearly a century, Central Valley families have counted on the Whitehurst team. Our motto has always been, “Our commitment to serving you comes first.” Longtime employee Donald Cardell and his supporting team continue to uphold the Whitehurst tradition of exceptional service, “often imitated, never duplicated.” Today, we are proud to be a member of the Dignity Memorial network of funeral, cremation and cemetery providers, offering our clients an even higher level of quality and satisfaction.