Alhiser-Comer Mortuary,the oldest continually operating business in Escondido and the oldest family-owned funeral home in San Diego County, celebrated its 125th anniversary November 5 with a community-wide celebration, complete with food, tours, raffles and local/congressional recognition.

Since its founding in 1897, the funeral home has been owned by six families and has operated under different names. The Comer family acquired the business in 1989 and for the last 33 years has continued its commitment to the City of Escondido to provide dignified, compassionate support to families.

Megan Comer, third-generation owner, her sister, Nicole Comer-Postma, and the funeral home staff have received considerable recognition for service to the community, including being Escondido’s Chamber of Commerce 2017 recipient of the Family-Owned Business of the Year Award. The firm’s extensive contributions to the community include serving as a Life Changer sponsor in the Boys and Girls Club of Greater San Diego and as a corporate sponsor of Palomar Medical Center. In 2013, the firm donated a room to the hospital that is considered the “family viewing room,” a place for families to see their loved ones once they’ve passed.

Alhiser-Comer Mortuary’s resourceful response to the restrictions placed on public gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic set it apart in the funeral industry. The firm implemented innovative ways for families to honor their loved one by providing online funeral arrangements, setting up tents in the parking lot to hold services outside, arranging virtual services and offering Hugs of Hope, whereby families and friends share words of love and support by leaving a message of condolence, which is then handwritten and attached to a balloon or a flower placed in the chapel during the service. These alternatives remain available, giving families more options when celebrating the life of a loved one.

Alhiser-Comer remains a large part of Escondido’s treasured heritage, but it’s also an integral part of the city’s progressive future. alhiser-comer.com.