McMillan Center—our Gardena funeral home

Located on West 164th Street, Lighthouse Memorials & Receptions McMillan Center combines elegance and service excellence. With a chapel and reception room, families can seamlessly transition from ceremony to catered gathering. Refreshments are available before, during or after a visitation, funeral or memorial.

The McMillan Center chapel features state-of-the-art sound and video and comfortably seats up to 140 guests. The reception room accommodates more than 100 guests and has granite-topped serving counters, a caterer’s kitchen, and an adjoining trellised patio with seating. Professional catering is available for everything from a breakfast buffet to a seated dinner. In addition to catering packages, we are always available to take requests. If you’d like grandma’s pound cake or dad’s barbecue sauce on the menu, just ask.

Specializing in personalized memorials and outdoor events

At Lighthouse Memorials & Receptions, we believe that every service should be as unique as the life lived. We capture the essence of your loved one to create an event that honors your special person and gives friends and family a chance to come together and remember.

Whether you want to arrange a traditional funeral or modern celebration of life, large gathering or more intimate service, we work with you one-on-one to ensure your needs and budget are met. From casket or urn selection to floral arrangements, music selections, decor, mementos and more, we guide you through your choices with care.

An innovator in funeral services since 1927, Lighthouse Memorials & Receptions helps families create truly unique and meaningful ceremonies at places of worship, our funeral homes, on the beach, at parks and private clubs, and more. Even prior to the pandemic, our experienced staff was pioneering highly personalized outdoor events and helping families celebrate life in settings both comfortable and familiar.

Beaches

For a family member who loved surf and sand, a California beach can be a beautiful place of remembrance. We apply for permits and insurance and set up the desired beach with seating, sound and video equipment, and everything else needed for a ceremony by the ocean. We oversee every detail to ensure the memorial is absolutely captivating.

Parks and backyards

Choose a park that’s close to your home or has a special connection to your loved one. The Lighthouse Memorials & Receptions staff will bring in seating and sound and video equipment. Special touches include dove and butterfly releases, live music, catering and so much more. We can do the same in your or a friend’s backyard.

Lodges and private clubs

Your lodge or private club might be the perfect place to celebrate. We coordinate with a facility’s event staff to find the perfect outdoor space, set up our equipment and add personal touches that reflect a loved one’s personality and favorite activities.

Botanic gardens

Fragrant botanicals make for a stunning backdrop for a service. Our caring team will work with a garden’s team to find the exact right spot to set up and coordinate every detail, from live music to catering and more.

Cremation in Gardena

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

• 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.

There are many cremation providers from which to choose. Here’s what you can expect when you choose Lighthouse Memorials & Receptions 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 own and operate our own crematory, located on the grounds of Pacific Crest Cemetery. Once your loved one is in our custody, they’re in our care until they’re returned to your family.
• Licensed, certified, conscientious staff. All Dignity Memorial^® crematory operators in California are licensed and certified by the 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.

We can also arrange for your family to attend your loved one's cremation, if that’s your wish.

Expertise in scattering ashes

Our team can help your family plan an ashes scattering ceremony at a location of your choosing or simply advise on handling a loved one’s ashes. Special services* include:

• Scattering at sea in which family and friends board a boat in King Harbor or Marina del Rey and cruise out for a memorial ceremony. Ashes are placed in a basket, covered with flowers and lowered into the ocean. As ashes disperse, the boat circles, allowing everyone to reflect and bid a final farewell.
• Aerial sea scattering over the Southern California mountains.
• Aerial land scattering off the coast of an area beach.

*Restrictions may apply.

Special ceremonies

Our special ceremonies honor tradition, observe religious rites, share memories and celebrate a life well-lived. Let us personalize every detail for a tribute ceremony. Here are just some of the possibilities.

White bird release

A white bird release is a symbolic way to say goodbye. Twenty to 50 white birds can be released at a cemetery, chapel church or other outdoor location. Family members or friends may participate by releasing the first birds.

Candle lighting

Lighting a candle to honor the memory of a loved one can be a simple but meaningful way of remembering a special life. In this ceremony, each participant lights a candle from one main candle, signifying the light that their loved one created in them.

Flower placement

Family members and guests place flowers one by one on a loved one's casket, near the urn or near a tribute photo, as a gesture of honor and respect.

Military honors

We deeply appreciate those who have sacrificed for our freedoms and feel privileged to honor veterans and their families in need of funeral and cremation services. A military honors ceremony is available to all honorably discharged United States veterans. It includes presentation of the American flag and the playing of Taps. A horse-drawn carriage is also a popular choice for veterans funerals. We offer special pricing on veterans services. Your funeral director can tell you everything you need to know.

Grief support and aftercare

The loss of a loved one can be devastating, and many people don’t know where to turn or how to cope. We’re here to help you during difficult times—you aren’t alone. Though the experience of grief can be very isolating, the articles in our grief library can make a difference in your day-to-day life, and families who plan services with us get access to our 24-hour Compassion Helpline^® (services provided by Charles Nechtem Associates).

Funeral planning in advance

In addition to assisting with an immediate need, Lighthouse Memorials & Receptions specializes in working with families to make final arrangements in advance. When you plan ahead, you relieve your family from financial and emotional burdens while ensuring your wishes are fulfilled. We offer in-person and virtual consultations, as well as a free Personal Planning Guide.

Lean on us

The caring and dedicated team at Lighthouse Memorials & Receptions provides exceptional, compassionate service at one of life’s most difficult times. We honor the opportunity to serve you and your family. We consider it a great responsibility when families entrust to us the care of their loved ones.

We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please reach out, day or night, if we may assist with funeral or cremation arrangements in Gardena, or if you would simply like a tour of the funeral home. Contact us.