MILFORD — Between the two funeral homes they have nearly 200 years of experience in the city.
And now, with the sale of the Smith Funeral Home business to the Gregory F. Doyle Funeral Home of Devon, they will meld into one business.
Winthrop and Bonnie Smith announced the sale of the Smith Funeral Home, which was founded by George J. Smith, and has operated in the Milford community on the Green since 1886.
In Devon, Dorothy and Gregory Doyle established the first funeral home in that section of Milford in 1951. It is now operated for the third generation by their granddaughter, Moriah Doyle Monsif.
Dorothy Doyle said she grateful to the Smiths for entrusting her staff with caring for the families the Smiths have served.
“To the greater Milford community, our friends, and neighbors; my husband Gregory and I have strived to maintain excellence and compassion for all our families,” Dorothy Doyle said. “We know that Moriah will continue to carry on that tradition for all who call on us in their time of need.”
Monsif noted the generations of family tradition the two businesses have.
“Smith Funeral Home has been in business for 134 years and we are going on our 60th year. We’ve always had a good relationship with the Smiths,” Monsif said. “They were in the middle of town, we were here in Devon, each of us providing the best service we could provide. It made the most sense for them to partner with us. We are staying with traditional funerals and cremations.”
The Smiths also sold the Affordable Cremations business to the James T. Toohey & Son Funeral Home in Shelton.
“It is a very demanding career and I got a golden handshake,” said Bonnie Smith. “This is wonderful. My husband is going to be 84 in July and I’m 73. Working 14 hours a day, 7 days a week, I feel we are entitled (to move on).
Bonnie Smith said part of the appeal is that “Smith and Doyle are independent” businesses.
“We wanted Smith to go to someone that isn’t corporate. We felt we wanted our families to go to someone who was independent, works from Milford and supports Milford,” she said. “Same thing goes for Toohey Funeral. Ed is an independent who has worked for me the last 31/2 years. He knows our families.”
Monsif said said the purchase of the Smith Funeral Home means, “We are buying the name, the great reputation, and the business.”
“They are entrusting us with their families and their contracts as well. Gregory Doyle will be there for everyone,” Monsif said. “We just refurbished and had renovations. It is a bigger space. Everything is handicap accessible. Hopefully, in the next year or two we will be expanding our parking lot as well.
“It should be a seamless process. We have the staff to handle the increase in calls. There hasn’t been an overlap,”Monsif said.
Monsif joined the family business at Doyle in 2010, after the sudden death of her mother Colleen Doyle Britt.
“When she passed away in 2010, I had just graduated from mortuary school,” said Monsif, who graduated from Lauralton Hall school, earned a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Lehigh University, and graduated with honors from American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service. “I’ve been able to add staff to those that both my mom and my grandparents had on.”
Monsif will be joined by her colleague Andrea Blackwood, a Milford resident, who has been a funeral director for over two decades. Both look forward to servicing the Smith Funeral Home families.
“Growing up in the area, it feels good to be able to serve the local communities and be there for those who were there for me growing up,” Monsif said.
A new era
Smith has been looking for a buyer the past 15 years.
“It is hard to find someone, because funeral homes don’t do all the big full funerals anymore,” Bonnie Smith said. “The Affordable Cremations we sold does two to three times as many calls as the funeral (home) does. It is the way of the world.”
Bonnie Smith said her husband “is upset because it has been Smith Funeral Home for 134 years” and she understands that, but “because it is such a hard profession, none of our (nine total) children wanted to become funeral directors. There isn’t another generation to hand it down to.
“The time was just right, and I feel that the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders,” Bonnie Smith said. “My husband was always there, but his workload has cut down the last 10 to 15 years.
“It is just time. I’ve lost a lot of friends to COVID-19. It is here, it is true.” she said. “I don’t want my husband compromised with it, and I’m not sure if I would survive. Now we will be there again for each other at home.”
George J. Smith ran the family business until his death in 1951. Smith's son, Winthrop A. Smith, then took over the funeral home and remained involved to see his own son, Winthrop S. Smith Sr., join the funeral home in 1961.
The Smith Funeral Home has occupied several locations but came to rest in 1935 at its current location at 135 Broad St. The home is the former residence of Simon Lake, who is known to many as the father of the submarine.
“Winthrop feels like he is letting down the people of Milford, because he has been there his whole life,” Bonnie Smith said. “I feel bad too. I’m very proud that we have been in business for 134 years. I feel that we did the best job we could for the people of Milford.”
Bonnie Smith said she wanted to address concerns regarding the transfer of ownership that some residents might have, noting contracts would be honored.
“If you have a pre-paid funeral trust, Doyle has all the Smith records and Toohey has all the affordables,” Bonnie Smith said. “No one should panic. I understand the confusion. There are certified letters going out to each individual that has a pre-paid trust. I want to assure all our customers, over all these years, that we have enjoyed being able to provide this service for them and that everything is safe.”
But Smith also saod those with a pre-paid funeral trust with any home, “at any point, you have the right to change it to another one. So even though Doyle is taking Smith and Toohey is taking Affordable Cremations, if you don’t want to use them for any reason, you can transfer to another funeral home.”
“They will honor every contract. No one will be charged say $500 more. That is not going to happen. This is who we are and want to make sure our customers are aware,” she said.
william.bloxsom@hearstmediact.com Twitter: @blox354
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