Patrick Halvey is the director of Riverview Funeral Home by Halvey in Beacon, which last month purchased and closed the Libby Funeral Home.
How has your business changed over the years?
When my grandfather started the business in 1933, many funerals were held in people’s homes. Everyone had a “funeral parlor” because you were laid out in the home. For that reason, my grandfather didn’t have a funeral home; he rented an office in a house. Services transitioned out of people’s homes, and in the 1940s, he bought a building. In the 1950s, he bought 24 Willow St., and we were there until 2017. Now it’s evolved from funeral home or church services to often having no religious affiliation. Church services are a bit on the decline. We see more non-denominational, personalized services at the funeral home. It reached the point where Willow Street wasn’t big enough, so we moved here to Beekman Street, a bigger location with parking.
What do people need from you when they’re planning a funeral?
Compassion, a shoulder to lean on, to guide them through a very tough time. That was instilled in me by my grandfather, father and brother, who is a funeral director in Wappingers Falls. We have a lot of experience navigating loss and dealing with various entities. People ask us about banking, insurance, lawyers — things many people have no idea about. I tell families, “There’s nothing I can say that’s going to make this any easier, but we’re going to walk you through the process and make it as comfortable as we can.” But there are no magic words to make this perfect.
Did you know from a young age this is what you wanted to do?
I was always attracted to it, although I thought about other things. I liked history, so I thought of becoming a teacher. But working with my father and my brother, helping out with the family business — it intrigued me to see how they were able to help people. That’s a big draw, that we’re able to help people at a difficult time. There’s personal satisfaction in that.
How do you recharge after work?
In a small town like this, you’re on call all the time. But my wife and I have three young kids, and spending time with them is rewarding and reenergizing, to say the least. They’re excited when I walk through the door. I was taught by my father that you have to leave work at work. Otherwise, it’s going to bother you. You have to leave things at work and focus on the immediate.
What happens when a family can’t afford a funeral?
My grandfather and father taught us that it doesn’t matter what families do or don’t have; everyone should be treated the same. Everyone deserves a respectful funeral. Everyone deserves the opportunity to say goodbye to someone they love. There are programs through Dutchess County that we help families with, to see if they qualify for assistance. But we never turn anyone away. Even if the county says no, a lot of times we’ll do it for what the county would have paid, which is a lot less than the actual cost.
