C.L. Curry Funeral Services Ltd.

'In Times of Need'

The roots of Chuck Curry’s business reach back over 100 years ago to the town of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. In 1908, his grandfather, William Curry established the family’s funeral business. In those days, the parlour of the deceased person’s home served as the gathering place for grieving friends and relatives, as well as the headquarters for the undertaker’s work. An ornately decorated horse-drawn hearse was used to transport the remains to the burial site. Although much has changed in the funeral business since the time of William Curry, three generations of his family have followed in his footsteps, providing compassionate and professional service to many Nova Scotia families in their time of need.

What began as a six-month assignment to operate Curry’s Ambulance Service in Antigonish, an extension of the family’s Cape Breton funeral home business, evolved into a life-long career for Chuck Curry. Under his management, Curry’s Funeral Home opened in Antigonish in 1966. His brother Frank later joined him, and they operated Curry Brothers Funeral Directors until 1997, when Chuck and his wife Joanne bought Frank’s share of the business and initiated a name change the following year. C.L. Curry Funeral Services Ltd. has been serving the people of the area ever since.

Funeral planning and arrangement is an emotional endeavour. There are myriad decisions to be made, and the experience can seem overwhelming to those who are coping with their loss. “We provide everything that they require,” says Curry. “Every family is different, and their needs are different. Our role is to be there for them, to find out what types of services they would like to have, provide those services, and help them to put a meaningful ceremony in place to memorialize the deceased.”

The staff at C.L. Curry Funeral Services – Chuck, his wife Joanne, son Patrick, and long-time employee Frank Cormier – also alleviate some of the stress by directing family members to the resources they need. They offer advice on accessing pension funds and death benefits, help place obituaries, locate grief support, and co-ordinate other services on behalf of the families.

“For a lot of people, when they first come into the funeral home, especially if they’ve never done a funeral arrangement before, there is a lot of trepidation there, on top of their grief. It is a good feeling to see them become more at ease as we talk more,” says Patrick Curry, who represents the fourth generation of funeral service professionals in the family. Chuck Curry adds, “There are a lot of details, and things that we can do to make it easier for that family at that particular time.”

The C.L. Curry Funeral Services facility was designed by the Curry family with the comfort and convenience of their clients in mind. The spacious single-story building in central Antigonish provides three large visitation areas, ample parking, a 100-seat chapel and a coffee lounge to accommodate those mourning and paying their respects.

While many people come to the funeral home to express their sympathy to the family, there are others who wish to connect with the family, but cannot be there in person. This is where the C.L. Curry website plays an important role. “As a tool for us, it is invaluable. It is a wonderful addition to our business,” Chuck Curry says of the site. Initially, he was surprised at the positive response to the website, and notes that now it regularly generates over 12,000 hits per month.

“People away from here use it to send condolences to people they know. We provide copies of messages sent through our website to families, and for a single visitation, there might be 30 or 40 of these messages come through our website.” With so many families spread out across the country and around the world, Curry sees the activity on the C.L. Curry Funeral Services website as an indication of Nova Scotians’ desire to stay connected to home, and to offer support to one another even from great distances.

Patrick Curry understands all too well that desire to stay connected to family and friends back home. After several years working in funeral service in Ottawa, he recently returned to Nova Scotia to join his mother and father at C.L. Curry Funeral Services. “I went away just to get a different perspective, but it was always with the intention of eventually coming back in this direction,” he says.

Now that he is back, Patrick has a renewed appreciation for Nova Scotia. “The pace is more relaxed here,” he offers. “Even when it’s rushed, it’s a more relaxed rush.” Then, with a warm hint of laughter in his voice, he adds, “I like the proximity to the ocean. The proximity to lobster is also good.”

For Chuck Curry, having his family actively involved in the business provides considerable peace of mind. The close personal and professional relationships of everyone involved create greater stability and understanding at work, and at home. “A successful business takes hard work and commitment,” he says. “And I think that you can achieve that through family, and loyal employees.”

Funeral service is an on-call profession that entails guiding people through a profoundly emotional experience, but the Curry family is honoured to be of service to their clients, and finds balance in the time spent together enjoying Nova Scotia’s best qualities.

Chuck Curry notes the co-operative spirit among the province’s funeral service professionals and communities in general, as well as the easy access to everything from scenic rural roads to urban conveniences. “I’ve travelled this country, and have been in every province, and you just can’t beat what we have here.” Patrick agrees, pointing out, “The people in this area are fantastic to be around, to work with, and to work for.”

The people at C.L. Curry Funeral Services are proud to be carrying on a family business with a long tradition of helping people through difficult times. That’s a tradition Nova Scotia itself is proud to carry on, as well.