JAMES "SONNY" STINSON

JAMES "SONNY" STINSON of Pompano Beach, FL died January 8, 2013 at the age of 89. He was the former owner of Stinson Funeral Homes in Detroit and Southfield, MI. When he was 12, his parents opened the funeral home on the first floor of their home on Tillman Street. It was considered to be the second-oldest family owned funeral home in Detroit. In 1944, he became a licensed funeral director. In 1948, they expanded and moved to a new location on West Grand Boulevard, two other locations would follow. In 1996, he created Liberty Service Corp, which serves African Americans at locations in a dozen states. He later sold the companies, retiring in 2000. He attended Wayne State University School of Mortuary Science.