What is a Columbarium?

This is a question we get all the time, for obvious reasons. As a "cremation-only" cemetery, we only offer final placement options within our unique columbarium.

The columbarium at Starlight was designed to match the existing aesthetic of the historic Casa Chavez in Tempe, Arizona. Our unique columbarium was created by Homecoming Inc.

What makes it' unique? Well, first, we should start with the looming question: What is a Columbarium?

A columbarium is a structure where you can place urns holding cremated remains. Oftentimes, these structures are made entirely out of granite or marble and carry an incredibly large carbon footprint.

Our columbarium is unique because it is made from the only thermodynamic plastic that can be reheated and recycled. This makes the structure a lot stronger, but lighter than other columbarium designs. Moreover, our columbarium unit fits into a housing structure which not only gives us more flexibility in our design, but it also means that our columbarium can be removed from the housing structure and moved to another location.

Cremation is already a greener option for final disposition when compared to most in-ground burial options so why not choose a greener end-of-life placement option too? Consumers are increasingly, and understandably, concerned with the environmental impact of deathcare.

At Starlight, we are committed to more affordable, accessible, and environmental end-of-life care so a columbarium seemed like the ideal way to help us achieve that goal.

Our columbarium provider, Homecoming Inc., has been in operation for more than 40 years and holds an exemplary service record. More importantly, because we want to maintain the existing aesthetic of the historic grounds on which we're situated, Homecoming's design allowed us to create a housing structure that matched the adobe home for a visually fluid incorporation of the memorial space.

Homecoming columbarium created for a church memorial garden in Lafayette, Louisiana.