Green Acres Mortuaries & Cemeteries, Inc.

Green Acres Mortuary & Cemetery, located at 401 North Hayden Road in Scottsdale, Arizona, has been a cornerstone of the community since its founding in 1957. The business began when Lisle and Ruth Hawkins, along with their sons, moved from Montana and transformed 40 acres of farmland into a serene cemetery. The funeral home was added in 1962, creating Arizona's first combined funeral home and cemetery—a pioneering concept that allows families to handle all arrangements in one location. Today, Green Acres is part of the Dignity Memorial network, blending local heritage with the resources of a trusted national provider.

The funeral home has undergone modern renovations, featuring a light-filled, spacious facility ideal for both large and intimate gatherings. The Chapel of Light comfortably seats over 200 guests and is equipped with flat-screen televisions for video tributes and a premium sound system for personalized playlists. Two visitation rooms accommodate smaller services, and a dedicated reception room offers full catering options—from taco bars to sushi dinners—to ease the burden on grieving families.

Green Acres serves a diverse community, welcoming families of all faiths and backgrounds, including Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, nonreligious, and nondenominational traditions. The staff specializes in creating unique celebrations of life that reflect the personality and passions of the deceased—whether a colorful Hawaiian luau or a Monopoly-themed memorial. For cremation needs, the facility operates a private, on-site crematory and offers witness cremation. Options range from direct cremation to scattering ashes, cemetery memorialization, or even spaceflight memorials through Celestis or underwater reefs through Neptune Memorial Reef.

The cemetery spans 15 verdant gardens with ponds and water features, offering traditional burial, mausoleum entombment, and cremation memorialization. Notably, it is home to the first nonvisitation mausoleum west of the Mississippi—Peace Mausoleum, built in 1973—followed by Heritage Mausoleum (1980) and Serenity Mausoleum (1995). These provide affordable yet dignified entombment options. The cemetery also features private family mausoleums with custom bronze doors and stained glass, as well as Gan Ohav Shalam, a garden dedicated to Jewish families with sections reserved for local temples. Notable interments include figures from entertainment, such as actors from The Wizard of Oz and The Little Rascals.

Green Acres also offers comprehensive preplanning services, allowing individuals to lock in prices and relieve their families of future burdens. Veterans are honored with special services and community events. With a 4.8-star rating from hundreds of reviews, Green Acres Mortuary & Cemetery remains a trusted provider of compassionate, personalized end-of-life care in Scottsdale.