Troy-Based Funeral Home Brings Closure To Families For 100 Years

TROY, MI — The family that owns a Troy-based funeral home has seen a century of changes in how people say goodbye to their loved ones. In 1917, when A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Home was founded in Highland Park, three days of mourning and callers

That still happens, but today’s services are often shorter, but what hasn’t changed is the family’s commitment to meeting the needs of families. The Golden Rule — “treat others as you want to be treated” — has guided the business through the years.

“This statement defines the Desmond family culture,” Terry Desmond, president of the family business, said in a news release to The Oakland Press.

“My father told me stories of how, during the early years, Mr. McInnes, the firm’s founder, would ride the streetcar line (an electric trolley) to a deceased’s home where families would receive callers over what many times was a two to three day period followed by a religious service, then burial,” Desmond said.

“Today, traditions and families’ wishes are very diverse. Services are likely much shorter,” he said. “What has not changed is the need to carefully consider the needs and wishes of the deceased’s family. And the need to help families deal with the grief that follows a loss.”

The funeral home has three locations — at 2600 Crooks Road and 3725 Rochester Road, both in Troy, and at 32515 Woodward Ave. in Royal Oak — and employs 41 people.

Family members involved in the business include Desmond’s children — Kathleen Desmond Barr, Margaret Desmond and Kevin Desmond — and his brother John and his wife, Eileen.

Services offered include traditional funeral services, cremations and memorial services, as well as bereavement support groups and seminars.

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