Reviews

Pat and Sean, Thank you for making our parents and our day special. We are very grateful, and we will always remember what you have done.
Have a great day.
~ Marla

Dear Captain O'Connor, Thank you very much for the dignified service for my brother Kevin. The group was pleased with your work and appreciated your compassion. I hope you have a chance to visit Switzerland, it's a beautiful place.
Best,
~ Jack

Dear Mr. O'Connor, I wanted to thank you for going out of your way to help me, and my friend Cherylyn, (whom your organization also scattered at sea 10-03-22 through Chapman Funeral Homes) to provide a dignified and beautiful service for her mom, Shirley. Your services provide so much comfort to families.
God bless you and your family,
~ Mary

Dear Pat, We at Scott McAulay family want to thank you for serving our families. You go above and beyond with the Certificates for them. Again thank you for your professionalism and care.
Sincerely,
~ Scott McAulay Family New Options

Dear Pat, I'm so grateful to you for taking such care to spread the ashes of my dear friend Charles. I received your touching letter and certificate. Thank you for all do to be there to take on such responsibility.
Forever grateful,
~ Robin

Pat, Thank you for taking us out on the water today Appreciate all your service.
Warm regards,
~The Hur family

The Angel's Ashes Thank you for honoring our sister Rita in the way that you did. It was done in a very respectful way.
Thank you,
~ Georg and Krista

Hi Pat, My family and I would like to thank you and Sean and your organization for helping us coordinate such a lovely service for my mother last Monday, November 21. Sean was awesome and took such good care of our group and ashes. We'll even give you all credit for the great weather, perfect sea conditions, and the rainbow that appeared during our time. We will certainly spread great word about your organization and look forward to meeting you again if we have some boating needs.
Thanks again,
~ Jason

Dear Pat and Sean, We wish to take this op[opportunity to express our sincere thanks for the you provided for our family in the spreading of our dear Linda's ashes. Your kind and cooperative attitude meant so much, especially given the fact that we had to re-schedule the service due to illness in the family. The cruise out to the site was calm and enjoyable, and your instructions were very helpful. You are to be commended for your professionalism and compassionate manner. Again, on behalf of all our family, thank you so much!
Sincerely,
~ Robin

Dear Patrick, I do hope your rotator cuff has healed and you can go back to playing your guitar. We would have loved to hear you play at sea…how special is that! Thankfully, Sean was able to solve my problem by assuring the play list I had hoped to play connected to your equipment and saved the day. My equipment was left in the ca mistakenly and realized it just as we pulled offshore.
Every part of the celebration of life Keith was uniquely special and oh so beautiful. The set up with your roses and our extra flowers was so perfect. The glo of the ashes in the water was dreamlike.
Of course it was initially difficult to say good bye but comforting knowing Keith is now part of the ocean. Waves coming to shore now have a new meaning. Thank you so very much Patrick and Sean for creating such a glorious and dignified celebration of life for Keith and Kristi especially.
All of us onboard were very much moved we shared on your yacht 'Orion'. Thank you for your professionalism and thoughtfulness ton create an unforgettable afternoon with respect to Keith and Kristi and our friends bound together with mutual love.
Sincerely,
~ Nancy

Dear Pat, On behalf of my family, I want to thank you very much for a good scattering of ashes service and for the extraordinary experience we had yesterday in Long Beach. The bouquet of flowers were very much appreciated as well and that made it more special. You become part of a memory that we will always remember. You and Sean did an efficient and professional service of scattering the ashes that was beautiful! You made it easier for is.
With gratitude,
~ Cristina and Maricris

Pat went the last mile to ensure that our ceremony was respectful and well organized. He went out of his way to meet me at the harbor several days in advance to personally walk me through all the steps and meeting points.
The actual ceremony itself (we did a "view from the pier") was respectful, memorable, and proper. Captain Pat is such a kind and thoughtful gentleman - thank you so much for your empathy and professionalism!
Highly recommended!
~ Wolf H

I am so incredibly grateful that I found Captain Pat. I highly recommend going with Angels Ashes. He has such a calming way about him. He really makes you feel calm during a stressful time. It was a beautiful day and service. I can't say enough great things about him! My father was a veteran, and he will put you in touch with someone so that your loved one will receive honor guard services before or after the ocean service. It was beautiful and I was honored to be a part of that. Thank you Pat!
~:) Julie M

Our Uncle tragically passed away in Long Beach, and we wanted to honor him by putting him to rest in the waters he loved to fish in. Captain Pat was so awesome, gracious, and patient with us. What a beautiful way to honor a loved one. We will definitely be coming back when need be. Thanks so much Pat.
~ Georgia R

I always knew that my chronically ill partner would be cremated and scattered at sea, but when the time came I didn't know where to go. After two months of research, I landed with The Angel's Ashes. They were among the least expensive and seemed to provide the most service. I was very satisfied with my choice. Captain Pat played host for us while his son, Captain O'Connor, piloted the vessel. Both gentlemen were fantastic. Captain Pat is kind, gentle, and knowledgable with lots of resources to help plan the perfect funeral. Captain O'Connor steered us along while keeping my 6-year-old granddaughter engaged and answering a million boating questions from my son. They were very flexible and provided us with lots of choices. It was a lovely burial, and we all walked off the Orion feeling uplifted and at peace. This family-run business felt like family for sure. My partner would have approved. Some things I would recommend: although the Orion can accommodate up to 12 guests, we were a group of 7 and that felt a little much, so if you're not used to close quarters limit your group to 6. Also, beverages are plenty but snacks are light, so bring extra if you don't eat first or if you're bringing children.
~ JM

This was the most beautiful way we could have sent off my grandma. From the very beginning Captain Pat explained how the day was going to play out. He had refreshments on board & since it was a cold/rainy day the whole yacht was enclosed with plastic windows that we unzipped during the lowering of the ashes. The ride out to the site was comfortable. We brought an external speaker & played some songs that complimented the mood. We were given time to say our goodbyes, share stories, have some laughs & cries. Captain Pat put the ashes in a basket with a cloth cover & we decorated the top with flowers he provided as well as some we brought. Once they ash's we're lowered the flowers stayed floating on the surface. It was just all around a beautiful day & experience & just the way my grandma would have wanted it.
Thank you so much for everything Captain Pat!! We will never forget this day!!
~ Tara J

I was very pleased with the kindness of Captain Pat, this experience of releasing my brothers ashes was so beautiful. I think this is a wonderful way to honor a family member.
~ Dorene T

On November 1, 2015, our family spread my dad's ashes at sea. It was a beautiful yet difficult day. The crew at Angel's Ashes is professional, compassionate and helpful with tips/ideas on ceremony, making moments that have poignancy and being patient when we wanted to just drift as the ashes spread out in the ocean. My dad is a veteran and Captain Pat offered an honor guard option as part of the Last Watch non-profit work they do. Ultimately, the family wanted to keep it low key. We brought flowers of our own in addition to some they provided. The flowers were nicely arranged. As we sailed out into the harbor, Capt. Pat let us pick the spot to spread the ashes. Note: they'll record the GPS coordinates and record that in a nice certificate to memorialize the event.
Despite the solemness of the event - one can never be 'happy' - my mother was very content and gained peace with my dad's passing. I thank Capt. Pat and Mike for assisting my family with this. I would recommend Angel's Ashes to anyone contemplating a burial at sea.
~ Frank G

My dear dad, grandfather to my son and overall awesome guy, passed away after a battle with cancer and lung fibrosis.
He had lived in Long Beach until a few years after his diagnosis... as he entered hospice, we had the very difficult conversation about what he wanted to do with his remains.
Being the practical person he was, he kind of joked about me keeping ashes in an urn (not our cup of tea,) & he agreed that being scattered in the ocean was a nice idea.
Captain Pat met us on Sunday morning after our long drive from sf and everything went smoothly. He and his son provided us a lovely morning on the water and although we had no set program in mind, we scattered his ashes after about an hour on the bay. It was a touching experience.
He provided flowers and snacks for us in the morning. A few of our guests had motion sickness and they seemed to be prepared for that (I armed myself with an arsenal of anti nausea drugs myself, the ride can be slightly choppy!)
They were so great to work with, I had to prepare all of this from home so it was a relief to just have the basics taken care of by Angels Ashes.
Just a few days after the ceremony he mailed me a lovely certificate with the gps coordinates of where his ashes were scattered. A nice touch.
My son is still asking about his ojiichan almost every day. He carried the ashes to the boat for me (it was heavy!), it was symbolic and so significant that we can always look back on this lovely day.
Thank you both for this memory.
~ SF MOM Y

Captain Pat was extremely kind and understanding when we scattered the cremains of my son last weekend. We will always be grateful for his thoughtfulness and professional way he conducted the service and made sure that the family on the pier was able to participate and see the service as it happened. Thank you so much again Pat O'Connor. Also thank you for the service you provide for our homeless vets that have passed. I hope people will think of donating to support that service you do for free.
~ Tricia M

A difficult call made a little bit easier with Captain Pat's calming voice, professionalism and respect. The Angels Ashes is responsive, with no hidden costs or detailed paperwork/permits. The day we released our loved ones ashes on the vessel Orion with Captain Pat and Captain Sean was a day of peace and beauty.
~ Nick A

I can't say enough how wonderful Mr. Pat O'Connell and his son were on the day we put my father to rest this last Sunday. It was so tranquil and beautiful. They are so compassionate and just made it such a beautiful beautiful experience. I highly recommend his services. Thank you Pat for all that you did!!
~ Sara W

Our experience was very lovely and memorable. Pat O' Connor and his son, captain Sean were kind and considerate hosts. The yacht was very comfortable and it was a beautiful day to scatter my dear brother's ashes at sea. Pat gave us beautiful roses to decorate the box that held my brother's ashes. We were also given lovely roses to toss at sea where my brother's ashes were scattered. It was all done very reverently and the ash bloom was really lovely to see. Captain Sean was so nice to let my 7 yr. old grandson, "steer the yacht" for a wee bit on our way back, he'll never forget their kindness. We were also blessed to see dolphins and sea lions on our trip back. I received a Memorial certificate of burial at sea that certified the date, latitude, and longitude where my brother's ashes were scattered. That was a very thoughtful touch!
Thank you Pat and Sean for a memorable experience.
~ Lisa N

Pat and his son did a remarkable job bringing closure to a sad series of events in my family. My Grandmother, Uncle and Mother all passed away in the last 7 years. I was in charge of what to do with their ashes. After looking at the high cost of burial at a cemetery, I found The Angel's Ashes. I was not charged extra for spreading the ashes of 3 loved ones. Everything was lovely from simply being out at sea, to the roses and kind words. My 3 year old son loved being on a boat for the first time. I highly recommend for anyone looking for a dignified farewell for a loved one.
~ Heather W

Our Uncle tragically passed away in Long Beach, and we wanted to honor him by putting him to rest in the waters he loved to fish in. Captain Pat was so awesome, gracious, and patient with us. What a beautiful way to honor a loved one. We will definitely be coming back when need be. Thanks so much Pat.
~ Georgia R