Our History

The History of our Independently-Owned and Family-Operated Funeral Homes

Our Founder, Hector Verhoeve, was born in Tillsonburg, and grew up on a tobacco farm near Mabee’s Corners. He was proud of the fact that he was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens and sent to a farm team in Seaforth, Ontario. He ended up living with a funeral director there, and began helping out at the funeral home on weekends. Although he excelled at hockey, he decided to enter the funeral industry when he finished high school. After completing his apprenticeship, Hector started Verhoeve Funeral Home (Langton) in 1958. In 1974, Hector bought the former Barrie-Armstrong Funeral Home in Tillsonburg. Both locations are well-established to this day, and have served four generations of some families.

Maurice Joseph Verhoeve, Hector’s eldest son, follow in his father’s footsteps. From the age of ten, he assisted Hector in various ways around the funeral home. Upon graduating from Annandale High School, Maurice pursued his post-secondary education at Humber College. He obtained a “Funeral Director’s Ontario License Class 1” in 1982, graduating with honours and achieving the highest marks in two courses of significance. Maurice was mentored by his late father, Hector D. Verhoeve, who had high standards of funeral service that he strictly upheld.

Following Hector’s sudden passing in 2015, Maurice has run the day-to-day operations of both funeral home locations. He formally purchased the businesses in early 2016. As the owner of Maurice J. Verhoeve Funeral Homes-Burial and Cremation Services Inc., Maurice Verhoeve continues to make every effort to treat others in the same way he would want to be treated.

Maurice’s son, Robert Hector David Verhoeve, has worked alongside both his grandfather, Hector, and his father, Maurice, since the summer of 2010. In 2016, Robert graduated from the University of Guelph with distinction, completing two Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degrees, in Criminal Justice & Public Policy and Sociology. Robert has decided, after careful consideration, to work on a permanent basis alongside his father.

In September 2017, both Robert and Krystyna (Maurice’s youngest daughter), entered Humber College - North Campus to pursue formal designations as licensed funeral directors. Having completed the formal schooling portion of their education, both Robert and Krystyna are now funeral director interns at the Tillsonburg and Langton locations.

"The funeral service is a vocation and a respected profession. It is truly an honour and a privilege to be chosen by a family that is facing the prospects of a loss."
- Maurice Verhoeve

What Makes Us Unique

We are proud to embrace traditional values, diversity and innovation in honouring the spirit and life of each person we serve. We offer a full selection of:
  1. Funeral and memorial services, ranging from traditional to uniquely innovative and personal
  2. Burial services and cremation options
  3. Celebrant Services
Letting go of a loved one is usually a very difficult process. In order to provide your family peace-of-mind, our funeral home offers complete care, so you can focus on comforting each other as you prepare to say goodbye to someone dear to you.
Although there are many decisions you may have to make, we assure you that we will guide you through the entire process every step of the way. We promise to help you:
  • Design the most fitting memorial or funeral service to honour their memory and pay tribute to their life achievements and experiences.
  • Select the most appropriate products, including a casket, burial vault, cremation urn, cemetery or mausoleum, to fit your budget and suit your needs and desires.
  • Write a fitting obituary to honour your loved one’s life experiences and social connections.
  • Assist in the publication of the obituary in the newspapers of your choice.
  • Create a Book of Memories™, a beautiful, permanent online memorial, where you and your friends can build a legacy of memories by archiving treasured photos and memories.
  • Welcome your family and friends to our funeral home for your planned services, including a viewing, visitation, funeral or memorial service.
  • Make all arrangements with regard to the services whether they are held at your place of worship, our funeral home, cemetery, or alternate gathering place.
  • Provide you with beautiful funeral print materials, including memorial folders, prayer cards and book marks. We also offer personalized note cards for you to acknowledge the emotional support you received from friends, co-workers and community members.
  • Provide an elegant hearse and funeral cars, as well as arrange for escorts.
  • Help in the selection and on-site arrangement of floral tributes.
  • Provide access to grief education and support materials, and referrals to counselling services.
  • Prepare all paperwork, including vital record statistics, permits, filing and obtaining death certificates, and assistance with life insurance, veteran’s benefits and Social Security claims.
We hope you will turn to us for compassionate care and impeccable service. Our pledge is to honour your loved one and family with dignity, respect and personal attention to every detail.
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