A Greek Orthodox funeral home in Chicago should understand Orthodox customs like the Trisagion prayer service, coordinate directly with your parish priest, and know how to schedule around the church’s calendar. Demeros Funeral and Cremation Services, based in Chicago’s Edison Park neighborhood, is owned by Arthur Demeros, an active member of a Greek Orthodox parish in Niles, and personally coordinates every detail with your church.
If you’re searching for this right now, you might be trying to plan a funeral that gets every detail right while your family is grieving, or you might just be thinking ahead so nobody has to guess later. Either way, you’re asking the right question.
Not every funeral home in Chicago understands what a Greek Orthodox family needs, and that gap can add stress at the worst possible time.
Arthur Demeros, the owner of Demeros Funeral and Cremation Services, has more than 10 years of experience in funeral service, and he’s an active member of a Greek Orthodox parish himself. This article will walk you through what to look for, and what to expect, when you reach out.
What to Look for in a Greek Orthodox Funeral Home
A funeral home that truly serves Greek Orthodox families does more than agree to hold a service. It understands the order of events: a Trisagion prayer service the evening before the funeral, an open casket for the wake and the church service, and another Trisagion at the graveside. It knows the funeral itself typically takes place in the church, not the funeral home, with the priest leading chanted hymns and prayers according to the church’s own calendar and restrictions. Greek Orthodox funerals, for example, are not held on Sundays.
It also knows how to prepare your loved one for an open casket in a way that respects the tradition, coordinate timing with the church and cemetery, and handle every detail so your family can focus on each other instead of logistics. That is the standard behind Greek Orthodox funeral services at Demeros.
Coordinating With Your Parish, From the First Call
When you call Demeros Funeral and Cremation Services, you speak directly with Arthur Demeros, not a call center or a rotating staff member. Arthur handles the scheduling himself, working with your priest to set the Trisagion, the funeral liturgy, and burial timing so nothing conflicts with the church’s calendar. He also coordinates flowers, an icon for the casket, and any other detail your priest requests, so your family isn’t relaying messages back and forth between two places.
If you don’t have a parish yet, or you’re new to the Chicago area, Arthur can help connect you with a Greek Orthodox church nearby. Chicago and its northwest suburbs have a long-established Greek American community, so there are parishes close by. Whether you already know your priest well or you’re meeting one for the first time, the goal stays the same: a service that honors your faith exactly as it should be honored.
A Funeral Director Who Shares Your Faith
Arthur Demeros earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mortuary Science and Funeral Service from Southern Illinois University. He’s a Chicagoland native with more than 10 years of experience in funeral service, and he’s also an active member of Holy Taxiarhai & St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church in Niles.
That means Arthur isn’t learning Greek Orthodox customs from a manual. He’s lived them, attended them, and understands why each part of the service matters to the families he serves. You can read more about Arthur and Demeros and how the funeral home came to be owner-operated. When you work with Demeros, you’re working with someone who already understands what your family needs, often before you have to explain it.
Honoring Greek Orthodox Traditions From Wake to Memorial
A Greek Orthodox funeral unfolds in stages, and each one carries meaning. The Trisagion prayer service is usually held the evening before the funeral, often with the casket open so family and friends can say goodbye and pay their respects. The funeral service itself takes place in the church the next day, with chanted hymns and prayers led by the priest. At the cemetery, the priest leads the Trisagion once more before the burial.
Afterward, many families gather for a Makaria, a memorial meal shared in honor of their loved one, and hold additional memorial services at set intervals over the following weeks, months, and years. If any of this is new to you, or you simply want to understand what to expect before the day arrives, our guide to Greek Orthodox funeral traditions walks through each stage in more detail.
A Funeral Home for the Whole Chicago Community
While Greek Orthodox families are a meaningful part of who we serve, Demeros Funeral and Cremation Services works with families of every faith and background across Chicago and the northwest suburbs, including Niles, Park Ridge, Skokie, and Norwood Park. We offer traditional funeral services, cremation services, memorial services, and veteran funeral honors coordination, and we can arrange options like green burial when a family requests them.
Every family brings its own religious and cultural traditions to a service, and the same personal attention applies no matter what those traditions look like: one phone call, one owner, and a service built around your family.
How to Reach Arthur When Your Family Needs Us
Grief doesn’t wait for business hours, and neither do we. Demeros Funeral and Cremation Services is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and Arthur is the one who answers when you call. You can reach him directly whether you need help right now or you’re planning ahead for a service down the road.
Frequently Asked Questions About Greek Orthodox Funeral Homes in Chicago
What makes a funeral home Greek Orthodox friendly?
A Greek Orthodox friendly funeral home understands the order of a traditional service: a Trisagion prayer the evening before, an open casket wake, a church funeral led by a priest, and a Trisagion again at the graveside. It coordinates scheduling with your parish, respects restrictions like no Sunday funerals, and prepares the body and casket the way your priest expects. Demeros Funeral and Cremation Services handles each of these details personally.
Does a Greek Orthodox funeral require an open casket?
An open casket is traditional at most Greek Orthodox wakes and funerals, allowing family and friends to pay their respects and often to kiss an icon placed near the deceased. It is not a strict requirement, and some families choose otherwise for personal reasons. Your priest and funeral director can talk through what fits your family, and Demeros will prepare your loved one with care either way.
How soon after death does a Greek Orthodox funeral usually take place?
Most Greek Orthodox funerals happen within a few days of death, often with the wake and Trisagion service the evening before the funeral itself. Funerals are not held on Sundays or certain feast days, so your priest and funeral home work together to find the next available date. Demeros coordinates this timing directly with your parish so nothing is left to guesswork.
Can Demeros work with any Greek Orthodox parish in Chicago, not just one church?
Yes. While Arthur Demeros is an active member of a parish in Niles, Demeros Funeral and Cremation Services coordinates with Greek Orthodox churches throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. If your family belongs to a different parish, Arthur will work directly with your priest to plan every part of the service according to your church’s own traditions.
Does Demeros only serve Greek Orthodox families?
No. Demeros Funeral and Cremation Services serves families of all faiths and backgrounds across Chicago, offering traditional funerals, cremation services, memorial services, and veteran honors coordination. Greek Orthodox funeral service is simply one area where Arthur brings personal, lived experience in addition to his professional training.
Whenever you’re ready to talk this through, Arthur is here, day or night. There’s no pressure and no obligation, just a conversation about what your family needs. Call Demeros Funeral and Cremation Services anytime at (847) 302-7176. We’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and we’ll meet you wherever you are in this process.
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