Chester Township funeral home's expansion doubles facility's footprint
Apr 13, 2018People tended to be more somber and traditional in how they sought closure and camaraderie in the wake of losing a friend or a family member. But, in recent years, thanks in part to technology and changing attitudes about decorum and how to commemorate people’s personalities and what they did with them on Earth, the definition of a funeral has evolved dramatically, said Jay Jones, funeral director at Gattozzi & Son Funeral Home.Jones took some time Jan. 4 to show The News-Herald and its readers how these trends have manifested themselves in the recently completed remodeling and renovation project at Gattozzi & Son’s present-day facility, 12524 Chillicothe Road in Chester Township, which opened its doors in 1972.“Families do expect, and have requested, different types of services, more personalized services, compared to what some people might call the ‘cookie-cutter’ services (funeral homes) have had for years,” Jones said. He added that people tended to stick with more traditional memorials because that’s what they knew and what others had done for so long.AdvertisementAccording to an article on the National Funeral Directors Association website highlighting changing trends in the industry, as the baby boomer generation has aged, its constituents are finding “themselves having to plan funerals for loved ones and themselves, they are making funeral choices based on values that are different than previous generations. Baby boomers see funerals as a valuable part of the grieving process and are seeking ways to make them meaningful.”A big part of that is celebrating late loved ones’ passions, quirks and personalities, commemorating their lives rather than mourning having lost them.“Today, funeral service consumers are planning funeral services that are as unique as the person who died. The idea of personalization has resulted in an explosion of unique services that reflect the hobbies, passions and interests of someone who has died,” the article reads. “Through personalization, funeral services ... (News-Herald.com)
