THOMAS W. “TUCKER” RODAK of Coldwater, MI died May 13, 2024 at the age of 80. A funeral director, he was a named partner and worked as a manager at the Elzey-Patterson-Rodak Funeral Homes in Fort Wayne and Ossian, IN until his retirement. Tucker received his associate’s degree from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science.
CYRIL H. WECHT, M.D., J.D of Pittsburgh, PA, died May 13, 2024 at the age of 93. Dr. Wecht’ s career began as he combined his training in medicine and law and his then-rare expertise in the nascent field of forensic pathology. He served several terms as Allegheny County Coroner, where he modernized the office and made it into an...
JOHN WILLIAM FIRESTONE of McKinney, TX died May 12, 2024 at the age of 82. He was CEO and part owner of Pierce Chemical/Royal Bond and Pierce Mortuary Colleges. Firestone had worked at the family company for his entire professional life spanning 6 decades. He received his bachelor’s degree from North Texas State University in Denton at the School of Business.
ROBERT ANDREL ALLEN of Ferriday, LA died May 10, 2024 at the age of 41. A Louisiana licensed funeral director for 18 years, he and his family owned and operated Concordia Funeral Home in Ferriday.
BERNARD MARTIN O’BRIEN, SR. of Pittsburgh, PA died May 6, 2024, at the age of 76. Licensed in 1972 and a graduate of Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, he worked with his father and eventually took over as owner of O’Brien’s Funeral Home in Allegheny-West, PA.
CHARLES S. “CHUCK” BANKS JR of Clarksville, IN died May 4, 2024 at the age of 63. A licensed funeral director for over 40 years, he owned and operated Chapman Funeral Home.
BROCK TUMBLESON of Kewanee, IL died May 3, 2024 at the age of 67. A funeral director, he started working with Herman “Bud” Schueneman in 1974 at the Golnick-Schueneman Funeral Home. Tumbleson purchased the funeral home alongside Mark Schueneman in 1997. They continued to own and operate it until his retirement in 2017, making Mark the sole owner. He graduated from Southern Illinois...
THOMAS A. “TOM” MARTIN of Hot Springs Village, AR died May 2, 2024 at the age of 85. A funeral director and embalmer for over 65 years, he owned and operated the Martin Funeral Home in Wiona, MN before moving to Arkansas, where he was a manager of Roller Funeral Home in Memphis and later Gross Funeral Home in Hot Springs....
ROBERT MAXWELL LAIRD SR of Warren, OH died April 29, 2024 at the age of 83. A funeral director and embalmer for fifty years, he served his apprenticeship with Hillis Funeral Home in Zanesville. Laird Sr was a former partner with the Robert H. Roberts-Clark Memorial Home, Inc and had served as director of Reese Wynn Winyard McDermott Laird Funeral Home in...
JAMES MICHAEL LAMB of Howell, MI died April 28, 2024 at the age of 83. A licensed funeral director, he and his wife, Penny operated the Lamb Funeral Home (now Borek Jannings) together. He then purchased a second funeral home in Howell and operated both locations alongside his brother, Gary. Lamb kept his license upon retirement and helped local funeral homes when needed....