OUR HERITAGE

The Sifton Funeral Home recently marked it's 98th year of service to the St. Thomas and surrounding area.

Upon purchasing a private residence on the existing site, the corner of Wellington Street and Princess Avenue, the funeral home was founded on November 1, 1926 by the late Leonard B. Sifton, father of the late Lyle B. Sifton, and grandfather of L. Brent Sifton.

This was the first actual 'funeral home' in St. Thomas.  Until then, families were served by 'funeral parlours' situated in the downtown business area.  Visitation was usually held in the family home, with services conducted in the home or at a church.

Len recognized the need for a central location, adequate parking and staffing to relieve bereaved families of much stress and strain.

Following his apprenticeship in Stratford and Sarnia, ON, Lyle Sifton joined the firm in 1950.  In 2000, Lyle was recognized at the annual meeting of the Western Ontario Funeral Service Association with a presentation to him marking 50 years as a licensed funeral director.

A graduate of Humber College, Toronto, ON in Funeral Service Education, Brent Sifton received his "In Service" training in London, ON, and joined his father Lyle in 1979.  Currently, Brent serves as president and managing director of the firm.

The Sifton family feel that compassion and personal attention to detail should always be priorities when serving the bereaved.  "As an independently owned, full-service funeral establishment, we have the ability to respond to each family's needs, from traditional services to contemporary simplicity," said Brent Sifton.  "Our philosophy of funeral service is the same today as it was when my grandfather founded the firm in 1926," stated Brent Sifton, "to serve others as we ourselves would wish to be served.  That's the Golden Rule."