A family-run funeral directors in Southeast England and one in Scotland have joined the Funeral Partners family of high-quality funeral businesses.
Geoffrey Thorne joined his father’s funeral business Kemp & Stevens in Alton, Surrey, in the 1970s and teamed up with experienced funeral director David Leggett to establish another respected name in nearby Bordon.
The pair secured a premises in Whitehill in 1991 with a shared determination to build Thorne Leggett on the principles of professionalism and making local families the number one priority.
Geoffrey and his wife Gill became sole owners after David’s retirement in 2009 and in 2012 opened a second Thorne Leggett branch in Farnham.
Funeral Partners welcomes Thorne Leggett to its family along with Kemp & Stevens, which is now run by Geoffrey’s and Gill’s sons Michael and Robin.
CEO Sam Kershaw said: “It’s truly a family affair at Thorne Leggett and Kemp & Stevens and we look forward to supporting these respected names as part of the Funeral Partners family.”
In Scotland, T&A Fyfe has been serving the South Lanarkshire community since the late 1800s, when founder Thomas H. Fyfe opened the business’ first funeral homes in Hamilton and Wishaw.
The company expanded in the 1920s upon purchasing premises on Almada Street in Hamilton, which was originally used as stables for the business’ horse-drawn carriages.
The historical funeral homes have undergone a number of transformations over the years, with the Almada Street premises being converted into Lanarkshire’s first dedicated service room in the 1960s and all three funeral homes receiving extensive renovations in 2017.
The family tradition is carried on through granddaughter of the company’s founder – Lesley Blair with husband Donald Blair, who have a combined 45 years of dedicated service to T&A Fyfe Funeral Directors.
Sam Kershaw said: “T&A Fyfe brings its rich history to Funeral Partners, having served local Lanarkshire families for over a hundred years, and we’re honoured to now be a part of it.”
“At the end of another challenging year for the funeral industry, we welcome these prestigious brands and look forward to supporting them and ensuring, through our busiest period, the teams are able to serve their clients and communities with the same level of care, dignity and empathy – the way they always have”.
