A family-owned funeral home is one where the people who care for your family answer to the family that owns it. That is the simple difference. At Larkin Mortuary, that family has served Utah families since 1885, and the care is still dedicated, personal, and held to the quality of the work itself.

When a death occurs, or when you are quietly planning ahead, you are asked to trust someone with a person you love. Heritage matters because that trust is not handed to a name on a sign. It stays with people who expect to be here for the next family, and the one after that.

What family-owned and operated actually means

Family-owned means the Larkin family still owns the funeral home. Family-operated means members of that family still lead the work. Decisions about your service are made here in Utah, by directors and staff you can speak with, not by a distant office that bought the name and left.

Dedicated service is what that looks like on an ordinary hard day. The same funeral home answers the phone at night. The same staff stay with the care of your loved one. You receive a complete written General Price List before you are asked to decide anything. No one is hurried toward a choice that does not fit your family.

The quality of that service is the family's own standard. Larkin's mission, printed in Our Legacy, has been the same for over a century: genuine care, exceptional service, quality facilities, and a pledge of integrity and respect. Those are not slogans added for a brochure. They are the promise a family has to keep if it intends to keep its name.

A heritage you can follow by name

Seven generations of the Larkin family have carried this work. The story is specific, and it is written down.

George William Larkin emigrated from Cambridge, England, and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1863. He cut stone for the Salt Lake Temple, rode for the Pony Express, and was later appointed to oversee the Ogden cemetery. In 1885 he began arranging funerals for families in Ogden. That is the year Larkin marks as the start of this tradition of care.

In 1912 his son, Alma J. Larkin, opened a Larkin Mortuary in Salt Lake City. In 1925 the mortuary moved into the Hagenbarth Mansion at 260 East South Temple, where families are still welcomed. The house still has its hand-crafted woodwork, original fixtures, and stained glass. Alma led the funeral home until his death in 1946. His sons, Alma J. "Jay" Larkin Jr. and Max S. Larkin, then managed the company.

Robert "Bob" Larkin became president in 1984. Lance Larkin later led as president and now serves as chairman of the board. Robert Larkin, Jr. is the current president. Younger members of the family still grow up in the work, in the cemeteries, in the flower shop, and alongside the staff. A fuller account is on our legacy page and in the legacy booklet.

Why that continuity changes the care a family receives

A company that expects to be locally owned for another generation keeps its buildings, its grounds, and its word. Larkin did not stop at one chapel. The family added places where families could gather close to home:

  • Downtown Salt Lake City, in the Hagenbarth Mansion at 260 E South Temple. Phone (801) 363-5781, answered 24 hours a day.
  • Larkin Sunset Lawn, 2350 E 1300 S, Salt Lake City, on 12 acres, with a chapel, viewing rooms, an indoor mausoleum, and a cremation center. Phone (801) 582-1582.
  • Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 E 10600 S, Sandy, on 76 acres beneath the Wasatch Mountains, with a mortuary, cemetery, mausoleum, flower shop, and monument design center. Phone (801) 571-2771.
  • Larkin Mortuary - Riverton, 3688 W 12600 S, with space for services, memorial gatherings, funeral luncheons, and an on-site flower shop. Phone (801) 254-4850.

There is also a monument and vault company, and Le Jardin, the garden venue in Sandy for celebrations of life. One family standing behind the mortuary, the cemetery, the flowers, and the monument means fewer handoffs on a day when handoffs are the last thing you want.

Heritage also means the funeral home already knows the rites families bring with them. Larkin serves Latter-day Saint families and is not an LDS-only funeral home. Catholic, Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and secular families are served with the same respect. Services can be held at your own church, at a Larkin chapel, at home, or outdoors.

The family is still here, in public

A heritage funeral home is not only a history. The people in it still show up. Each year the Larkin family and staff gather for a charity golf classic that benefits SafeUT, the same gathering pictured on the homepage. It is a small proof of a larger fact: the family is still together, still in Utah, and still using the funeral home's name for something other than a transaction.

What you can expect when you call

You can expect a person, not a call center that cannot answer a question about your loved one. You can expect the General Price List in writing before decisions. You can expect the care to stay with Larkin's own staff and facilities. And you can expect the same family to still be answerable after the service, including grief support and the therapy dog program.

If you want to talk through what family ownership will mean for your own arrangements, the staff at Larkin Mortuary will sit with you. Call (801) 363-5781 at any hour, or contact Larkin Mortuary when you are ready.

Frequently asked questions

Is Larkin Mortuary family-owned?

Yes. Larkin Mortuary is owned and operated by the Larkin family. The family has served Utah families since 1885, and a member of the family, Robert Larkin, Jr., is the current president.

How long has the Larkin family provided funeral care in Utah?

George William Larkin began arranging funerals in Ogden in 1885. His son opened a Salt Lake City mortuary in 1912, and the funeral home has been at 260 East South Temple since 1925. Seven generations of the family have carried the work.

Does a family-owned funeral home serve every faith?

Larkin serves families of every faith and of no faith, including Latter-day Saint, Catholic, Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and secular families. The service can be held at your own house of worship, at a Larkin facility, at home, or outdoors.

What does dedicated service mean on the day you call?

It means a person answers, including at night on (801) 363-5781, and that you receive a complete written General Price List before you make decisions. The care of your loved one stays with Larkin's staff and facilities.

Where can I read the family history?

The short history is on the legacy page. The longer booklet is the PDF, Larkin Mortuary: Our Legacy.