McAlister-Smith Funeral & Cremation James Island

Having to unexpectedly plan a funeral within a week, McAlister-Smith made it extremely easy for me. The 2 women who came to the house with the hearse were very professional, soft spoken, kind and considerate, letting me have all the time I needed. There was also no rush going through every detail of the service at the funeral home, and they were most professional in the office as well as at the graveside. The entire staff is wonderful, caring and compassionate. As disoriented as I was given the circumstances, it was such a relief to have them present everything to me in a calm and orderly fashion, and with kindness and understanding. I highly recommend having them handle everything from beginning to end when you sadly have to.

Trustworthy. Compassion. Worthy. These are the three words that comes to mind for McAlister-Smith.

We purchased a pre-planned cremation package several years ago. When the time came they jumped into action.

They delivered what was agreed to and then followed through afterwards. They were compassionate and understanding. Patient during our trying time. They even called after the fact to check if I was okay.

They are good people and worthy of your consideration.

On February 6, 2020, we had a Memoriable service for my mom, Florence McCants. The service was held on James Island, Folly Road.
It takes a lot of preparation in making these arrangements happen.
McAlister- Smith made it possible to take care of our needs and provide a well organized service for my mom.

During our time of making mom's arrangements, our family consulted with McAlister- Smith on James Island and McAlister- Smith West Ashley.
I can say with confidence, the entire staff at both locations gave us support and MADE SURE all of our needs were met.

I would highly recommend McAlister-Smith to anyone in need of burial or cremation. They also can take care of your fur babies.

Our total experience was par Excellant!!!

Thank you ALL at McAlister-Smith for a Beauitful tribute to my mom, Florence McCants.

Sincerely,

Sandra McCants

At a time when you don't want to make decisions and you need someone to help get you through some of the toughest days of your life, McAlister-Smith Funeral & Cremation on James Island is the right place to turn. Thank you to all the staff!

Cory Braatz and the entire staff of McAlister-Smith (Folly Rd, James Island) served our family with compassion, kindness, and professionalism during our recent loss. Every detail of our father’s funeral was handled with care. Cory and his colleagues coordinated with our parish priest and church for the service, connected us with our chosen cemetery, and arranged for military honors at the gravesite. A sad, difficult time for us was made so much easier knowing that our father was treated with dignity and respect, and our entire family with courtesy and understanding. Thank you to McAlister-Smith.

My family and I were fortunate to have Cory Braatz as our funeral director. He was by our side every step of the way after the sudden death of my Husband. His leadership was warm, patient, insightful and brilliant. Cory went out of his way to insure that my thoughts and ideas for the funeral to honor my late husband were put into action, even beyond my expectations. The funeral tribute and graveside service were simply beautiful. The McAlister-Staff was just as helpful, kind and warm with us including several follow up calls as well as providing resources for when the healing begins.

They did a superb memorial service for my husband so l chose them to take care of my needs when I die. They are compassionate and caring while taking care of all the details associated with services and care of the family during a very sad time.

I have worked with McAlister-Smith twice in the past 3 1/2 years and both times the professionalism and care have been excellent. The staff are supportive and informative. I was comforted by their knowledge and caring.

McAlister-Smith’s employees went above and beyond to provide comfort while maintaining professionalism during such a difficult time. Corey helped us through every step, and made it very easy for us to make the arrangements that we were looking for.

My name is Lilia Quinones. My mother passed away on 6/28/2023. It was very unexpected and sad. The comfort and care given to us by McAlister Smith Funeral and Cremation was outstanding. They have reached out to me several times including on my mom’s birthday. I highly recommend this funeral home to anyone who has lost a loved one. Blessings to all at McAlister Smith on behalf of myself and my family.

I just want to personally thank all of the staff of McAlister-Smith Funeral Home. Bob, Corey, Elizabeth, John are the most warm, welcoming and most gracious people you'll ever meet. My wife and I lost our Grandmother and we were going through a tough time yet the staff gently walked us through the entire process with sympathy and sincerity. The facility is beautiful and they are very accommodating with your budget. Even after it was all said and done, the staff checked in with us to see how we were doing and gave us resources to help us grieve. I don't write many reviews but this is well deserved. If you're deciding for a funeral home to help you in your life, look no further.

Recently we unexpectedly worked together to respect and support my family in the event of my Father’s death. I thank every single person with MCALISTER-SMITH for their 100% support for every day in working with my family to honor and take care of my Father. We have before worked with MCALISTER-SMITH, and would recommend them for our experiences in both human and the care of our furry family friends. They understand and give the respect and love we all can only hope to have in the expected and unexpected loss of a loved one. Their support is very appreciated.

My younger brother died unexpectedly and the helpful staff at McAlister-Smith (JI) walked us through the painful process of planning his service. Their patience, knowledge, and kindness made this difficult task as smooth as possible every step of the way. Bob and Cory were available to address every question or concern we had; they really went out of their way to make sure that our needs were met. Our family is so appreciative and we will be trusting McAlister-Smith with all of our family's future end-of-life arrangements.

One would think that planning your funeral would be weird and depressing, but it was neither. Darryl is experienced and knowledgeable, and he made the process comfortable for us. He was thoroughly prepared for our appointment. He answered all our crazy questions with understanding and assurance, and he assisted us in making the right decisions for us. It feels good to know that we have a plan in place, and I believe preplanning your funeral is one of the most loving things one can do for their family.

With the death of our mother we still wondered how all the funeral arrangements would be handled. We had the privilege to have parents that pre-planned and prepaid for their funeral expenses. Several months before she died we chose to have McAlister-Smith carry out those arrangements. The transition was smooth and they treated us like family. With the weather in Charleston, SC, it rained for days on end. The morning of the funeral the rain was non stop and we had to re-arrange our plans for mom’s graveside and burial from the cemetery to the funeral home. Cory was so gracious to us in our time of grief and with the changed arrangements. Cory and all of the staff recognized this was a bit overwhelming for us and our families to process. Ten days later, with the rain drying up, we were able to have mom’s burial. During that time Cory called to make sure we were still doing ok and kept us updated on the condition of the cemetery. While mom’s funeral did not go as planned, Cory and McAlister-Smith worked with us on every detail from the memorial service at the funeral home to the tents and chairs and other details at the cemetery. We are grateful to everyone there for their kindness and caring of our mother, of us, and our families.
Susan Warren and Brian Garrett

The entire staff at McAlister-Smith were so helpful during a sudden loss of a family member. They were very compassionate and professional during this time. My family will definitely be using them again.

I can not say enough good things about the staff and specifically Darryl, who guided me through the process of planning an unexpected funeral as well as a pre-planned funeral. He and the staff took care of every detail from the planning stages to organizing the funeral services. In difficult times they were able to ease the burden of making arrangements.

My daddy passed away unexpectedly on Thanksgiving morning. McAlister-Smith was so amazing!!! They called us first thing that morning. They walked us through everything, made suggestions and really helped us to find the perfect way to have the funeral. They made us feel very comfortable, they made us laugh and I can't tell you how I loved working with everyone! Cindy, Todd, Frank, and Bernie were AMAZING!!!! Cindy always got back to me in a timely manner. Todd and Bernie kept us laughing hysterically. Frank makes the best cookies ever! Seriously, these folks were the best and I cannot thank you all enough for your support, thoughts and prayers! Chantel M.

Mandy and everyone were easy to work with and very responsive. We had the unfortunate problem of having to arrange for our father’s cremation remotely (from out of town) but they walked us through all the the steps and were very helpful. I can’t say enough about how much I appreciated all their help at this very difficult time for our family.

Had a wonderful experience during a challenging time. Cory was amazing in a very difficult situation! Care was amazing.