(Newswire.net — May 15, 2013) James Island, South Carolina — McAlister-Smith Funeral Home & Cremation has opened the doors to its fourth area chapel located at 347 Folly Road on James Island, SC 29412. With this renovation of the former James Island Medical Center, James Island residents no longer have to leave the island when planning funeral services.
Mark M. Smith, co-owner of McAlister-Smith, explained, “With the opening of our newest chapel, McAlister-Smith is excited to be the first funeral home located on James Island. We’ve received a warm reception so far as both residents and business neighbors have dropped by to welcome us to the Island. People are enthusiastic about having a ‘hometown’ funeral home staffed by their friends and neighbors.”
The company will hold an Open House on Sunday, May 19, 2013 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. All are invited to attend. The official dedication ceremony will be held at 2:00 p.m., featuring a ribbon cutting with local dignitaries, blessings by local clergy, and a special dedication of the flag pole in honor of US Veterans by American Legion Post 147 of James Island. There will be continuous tours of the facility throughout the afternoon from 1:00p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
With the move to James Island the company is also a step closer to those families on the peninsula who planned their arrangements at their former Wentworth Street Chapel. Originally known as “McAlister Brothers: Undertakers and Practical Embalmers,” the legacy of this local funeral provider began in 1886 when John McAlister opened his livery and boarding stables at 169 Meeting St. In 1960 they moved the funeral home to 150 Wentworth St. The company closed the Wentworth St location in 2008 in favor of more spacious facilities and parking in West Ashley on Bees Ferry Road.
McAlister-Smith’s James Island Chapel has been designed to take memorialization and celebrations of life to a new level, creating a beautiful and versatile venue for services and special events. In addition to its two staterooms that can transform into a chapel seating 150, the building features a reception room, giving families the option of having a catered gathering preceding, during or following services. The reception area opens onto a large well-appointed gathering room. The facility also houses state-of-the art audio and visual systems, including web-casting capability, allowing family and friends who are not able to attend the services, often due to distance, poor health, or military obligation, to participate through a secure website.
“We have gone the extra mile to try to anticipate and accommodate the needs of everyone in this community,” Smith expressed. “No matter what faith someone is, no matter how traditional or contemporary their ideas are, regardless of cremation or burial choice, public or private, large or small, extravagant or simple — we have the staff, facility and programs to meet their needs.”
McAlister-Smith has even provided for the beloved four-legged members of the family with their Faithful Forever Pet Loss Care, a service that provides the family who has lost a pet the opportunity to have their pet cremated or interred. They include special urns, memorials and services, as well as a dedicated crematory, exclusively for pets.
In addition to its new James Island facility, McAlister-Smith currently operates three other chapels at Rifle Range Rd. in Mt. Pleasant, St James Avenue in Goose Creek and Bees Ferry Road in West Ashley.
Contact:?Kathy Sweeney?Kathy@McAlister-Smith.com
www.McAlister-Smith.com
McAlister-Smith Funeral Home
347 Folly Road
James Island, SC 29412
843-614-8494
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