Gately Funeral Home

Gately Funeral Home Since 1889, Gately Funeral Home has provided funeral, burial and cremation services to Melrose, MA. There is no single proper funeral service.

At Gately Funeral Home, we encourage families to create very personalized services. It is important to acknowledge that life that has been lived and to offer to the community a way in which to celebrate that life. By offering services and memorializing features that are personal and special a unique life can be remembered and honored in an individualized way that is comforting to the family and friends. Since 1889, Gately Funeral Home has been dedicated to providing the people of Melrose and the surrounding area funeral services unsurpassed in caring and quality. When death comes many families are not prepared emotionally to handle all the details of the funeral service. Please call upon the funeral directors of Gately Funeral Home to provide comfort and practicality during this trying time. A funeral represents a purposeful opportunity to reflect on the meaning of a life that has been lived and to determine the impact of that meaning for the family and friends. It is a time for human sharing in its deepest sense. You and the ones you love are at the very center of the process and the choices you make will determine its significance for you. As you participate in the planning of the funeral service, you help create a meaningful experience for everyone. It is the goal of Gately Funeral Home to help people complete the relationship with the one who has died and to provide a climate that encourages each person to give and receive emotional support. During the funeral service, family and friends have the opportunity to relate to each other at the deepest levels and find mutual strength. Traditionally, the funeral will be a Complete Funeral Service. This includes a family or public viewing of the deceased. Following this will be a service typically in the church or at the funeral home. This would be followed by the earth or above ground burial of the casketed remains. Caskets selected may cost from several hundred dollars to several thousands of dollars depending on the material the casket is constructed of. Many cemeteries require that a minimum grave liner be used to encase the casket when earth buried. These minimum liners are constructed of concrete and are designed to hold the weight of the earth maintaining the cemetery property. A sealed vault may also be used. The vaults are also constructed of concrete and are designed to not only protect the grave site but are manufactured with inner liners that not only restrict the entrance of grave side elements (water and earth) but increase the strength of the vault. The Graveside Service can be another selection. This many times would follow a time of visitation at the funeral home. The casketed remains would then be transferred to the cemetery where a grave side ceremony could take place followed by the burial. The Complete Cremation Service is another type of selected offering. This service will be just like a Complete Funeral Service except cremation will follow instead of the casketed burial. This can be accommodated by the use of a cremation casket (casket that is designed to be cremated) or even a rental casket may be used. Following the viewing, service or ceremony and eventual cremation the cremated remains can be buried properly scattered or returned to the family for safe keeping. Urns are used to hold the cremated remains. Urns can be constructed out of basic materials like cardboard or plastic or constructed out of more protective materials like basic and semi-precious metals, ceramics and woods.

Holiday movies are a familiar way to gather family together for some entertainment. But hy not *listen* to a classic hol...
12/13/2025

Holiday movies are a familiar way to gather family together for some entertainment. But hy not *listen* to a classic holiday story on your favorite platform? Most of the audio platforms offer audio versions of classic holiday stories, such as A Christmas Carol and The Gift of the Magi. Search for "holiday stories" or even "holiday podcasts" on your source of choice, and listen with kids and older adults. Maybe do a holiday puzzle while you listen, as well.

Good Grief offers many simple and excellent ways to help grievers. For this time of year, that includes tips for navigat...
12/12/2025

Good Grief offers many simple and excellent ways to help grievers. For this time of year, that includes tips for navigating the holidays, a holiday gratitude journal, and a list of holiday rituals and traditions. See the website for PDF files on these and many other topics related to grieving.
https://good-grief.org/resources/

In this short article, the author takes another angle on analogies for grief and life. "Grief seasons" may be more appro...
12/10/2025

In this short article, the author takes another angle on analogies for grief and life. "Grief seasons" may be more appropriate, and life is more like a garden than a journey.

In grief - and life in general - we seem to aspire to the idea of forward momentum. We often talk about "journeys" and "taking steps," but lately I've been asking myself: where exactly are we heading? I guess when you're young, it makes sense. Every year, there's […]

Do you have unused coats in your closet? For quite a few years, Gately Funeral Home has held an annual coat drive. Thank...
12/08/2025

Do you have unused coats in your closet?
For quite a few years, Gately Funeral Home has held an annual coat drive. Thanks to you, hundreds of bags full of coats have been given to those who might have gone without. This year, we are once again calling on your kindness to help spread warmth in our community. From November 1 through December 31, you can donate your clean and gently used coats, in both adult and children's sizes, by dropping them off at Gately Funeral Home -- 79 West Foster St., Melrose, MA. We appreciate your help in meeting local needs!

The Mount Hood Nutcracker ChallengeSaturday, December 13, 2025 | Race & Walk start at 12 PMMount Hood Golf Club area & M...
12/08/2025

The Mount Hood Nutcracker Challenge
Saturday, December 13, 2025 | Race & Walk start at 12 PM
Mount Hood Golf Club area & Melrose Fish & Game Club, 100 Slayton Rd., Melrose
Join runners and walkers from across Greater Boston for the 19th annual Mount Hood Nutcracker Challenge, a festive and uniquely challenging 3.5-mile cross-country race over the rolling hills of Mount Hood Golf Club. The course changes every year and includes fairways, paved paths, short wooded sections, and road crossings. Participants compete individually or as part of a team, with the top finishers vying for the coveted Nutcracker figurine awards. A non-competitive 2-mile walk offers a lighter option while still supporting this year’s beneficiaries: Housing Families, Inc. and the Melrose High School cross-country teams. Come out and warm up this month with our Melrose Community.
https://runsignup.com/Race/MA/Melrose/TheMountHoodNutcrackerChallenge

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is tomorrow. While very few of the survivors are still living, we still honor the memories ...
12/06/2025

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is tomorrow. While very few of the survivors are still living, we still honor the memories of the thousands who were directly affected by the attack in Hawaii 84 years ago.

As the holidays approach, we hope your weekend is filled with peace and happiness.
12/05/2025

As the holidays approach, we hope your weekend is filled with peace and happiness.

Intro to Tai Chi: Bone Health WorkshopWednesday, December 10, 2025, 6:00 – 7:00 PMBody Mind Systems, 263 Main Street, St...
12/03/2025

Intro to Tai Chi: Bone Health Workshop
Wednesday, December 10, 2025, 6:00 – 7:00 PM
Body Mind Systems, 263 Main Street, Stoneham
$25 per person | Open to the public
As it gets colder, take time to check in with yourself and stay active. Learn how gentle, low-impact Tai Chi and Qigong movements can help support bone density, balance, and overall well-being. This workshop introduces weight-bearing exercises and bone-tapping techniques designed to promote long-term bone health in a safe and accessible way.
https://members.melrosechamber.org/communitycalendar/Details/intro-to-tai-chi-bone-health-workshop-1563491?sourceTypeId=Website

December In-Person Book Group MeetingThursday, December 18, 2025, 7:00–8:30 PMLower Level Meeting Room, Melrose Public L...
12/02/2025

December In-Person Book Group Meeting
Thursday, December 18, 2025, 7:00–8:30 PM
Lower Level Meeting Room, Melrose Public Library

Come out for December’s discussion of Time of the Child by Niall Williams, a moving novel set in 1962 in the small Irish village of Faha. The story follows Dr. Jack Troy and his daughter Ronnie, whose quiet lives change when they discover an abandoned infant at the village Christmas fair. Caring for the baby—whom Ronnie names Noelle—forces both father and daughter to confront long-held secrets, unresolved grief, and the meaning of family. Williams’ poetic writing and evocative descriptions of rural Ireland make this a rich and memorable winter read. Don’t miss out on this month’s holiday read and discussion — register online today:

https://melrosepubliclibrary.org/melrose-public-library-book-group/

Address

79 W Foster Street
Melrose, MA
02176

Telephone

+17816651949

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Personalized, Comforting Services

At Gately Funeral Home, we encourage families to create very personalized services. It is important to acknowledge that life that has been lived and to offer to the community a way in which to celebrate that life. By offering services and memorializing features that are personal and special, a unique life can be remembered and honored in an individualized way that is comforting to the family and friends.

Since 1889, Gately Funeral Home has been dedicated to providing the people of Melrose and the surrounding area with funeral services unsurpassed in caring and quality. When death comes, many families are not prepared emotionally to handle all the details. Please call upon the funeral directors of Gately Funeral Home to provide comfort and practicality during this trying time. We can also assist with preplanning your services to relieve stress from your spouse or children.

Why Have a Funeral? A funeral represents a purposeful opportunity to reflect on the meaning of a life that has been lived and to determine the impact of that meaning for the family and friends. There is no single proper funeral service. It is a time for human sharing in its deepest sense. You and the ones you love are at the very center of the process and the choices you make will determine its significance for you. As you participate in the planning of the funeral service, you help create a meaningful experience for everyone.

It is the goal of Gately Funeral Home to help people complete the relationship with the one who has died and to provide a climate that encourages each person to give and receive emotional support. During the funeral service, family and friends have the opportunity to relate to each other at the deepest levels and find mutual strength.