By Staff Reporter

Copyright theleader

On Thursday evening, Orihuela Costa’s first funeral home was officially inaugurated, marking the end of a lengthy five-year process led by one of the region’s most respected firms, Pompas Fúnebres Samper.

The company, which has operated for more than three decades from its base in nearby Pilar de la Horadada, has long been recognised for its professionalism and compassion.

The ceremony was attended by more than a hundred guests, including local politicians, business leaders, and residents. The ribbon was formally cut by Orihuela’s Councillor for Social Welfare, Agustina Rodríguez, who was accompanied by Pilar María Samper and councillors from Pilar de la Horadada, Asunción Sánchez Martínez and María del Mar Sáez Martínez.

Following the inauguration, guests assembled in the main chapel, where Company Director Francisca Samper, joined by her mother, Francisca Navarro, and sisters Pilar María, Fini, and Gemma, welcomed attendees. Speaking with evident pride, she highlighted her family’s commitment to bringing a long-requested facility to Orihuela Costa.

She paid tribute to her late father, the company’s founder, whose vision shaped the firm since inheriting it in the 1970s, and extended gratitude to her staff and all those who had supported the project through its many challenges.

The event included a blessing by local religious leaders, followed by a moving performance of Hallelujah by Francisca Navarro. Guests were then invited to tour the new facility, concluding on the rooftop terrace with refreshments and music by The Crystal string trio.

Councillor Rodríguez praised the project, describing the new funeral home as “a much-needed service on our coast, offering families a nearby and dignified space where they can find comfort in the most difficult moments.” She commended Pompas Fúnebres Samper for its more than 70 years of service, noting the company’s enduring “commitment to quality, respect, and humanity.”

A Long and Complex Project

Located in Villamartín Sur, at the corner of Calle Diamante and Amatista near La Zenia’s Leroy Merlin, the funeral home brings an end to the need for residents to travel to Torrevieja, Pilar de la Horadada, or San Pedro del Pinatar for wakes and funeral services.

The project faced a lengthy and complicated approval process due to strict health regulations requiring a 250-meter distance from residential buildings, compounded by delays during the COVID-19 pandemic. Initiated in 2019, it took three years to secure permits, despite the land being zoned for such use. Construction began in September 2023 with an anticipated completion time of 18 months, though the timeline ultimately extended.

The result is a 1,500-square-metre facility that includes a columbarium, allowing families to place ashes in illuminated niches designed to provide a dignified space for remembrance. While Orihuela Costa lacks its own crematorium, the new funeral home offers cremation services with temporary ash storage and live-streaming options for families abroad.

These services, tailored to the area’s large international community, also include arrangements for wakes and memorials.

The Unresolved Question of a Cemetery

Despite this milestone, Orihuela Costa continues to face a long-standing demand for its own cemetery. For two decades, residents have been obliged to travel 35 kilometres to Orihuela town to bury their loved ones.

With 30,000 registered residents, a population that rises to 90,000 for much of the year and as many as 150,000 during the summer months, the case for a local cemetery is widely acknowledged.

Local associations and political parties have repeatedly raised the issue. Unidos por la Costa included it in its electoral platform, while the Partido Popular pledged in its 2023 municipal program to establish a civil cemetery for both people and pets. However, progress has been hindered by the lack of designated land.

Orihuela currently operates a single cemetery, owned by the Church, which has already reached capacity. A municipal plan drawn up in 2014 to construct two secular cemeteries—one in Orihuela town and another on the coast—has yet to advance. Experts note that updating the General Urban Development Plan, which still dates back to the 1990s, is essential to make land available for such critical infrastructure.

The inauguration of the new funeral home represents a significant step forward for Orihuela Costa, providing a long-awaited and essential service. Yet the absence of a local cemetery remains a pressing concern for a community whose population continues to grow and diversify.