Straight Talk

Featuring Venetia Moor

We were fortunate enough to get to know Venetia Moor late in 2021. Venetia had previously worked as a Medical Office Administrator for Dr. Adrian Verburg up until his retirement and had also worked...
By Nathan McKinlay
In Straight Talk
Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Featuring Sherry Burri

Sherry Burri has been working at the Funeral Home for over 20 years. She began her career at the Funeral Home with Jon Ford at J.L. Ford Funeral Home in Blenheim. When we purchased the Blenheim Fun...
By Nathan McKinlay
In Straight Talk
Sunday, November 19, 2023

Pets

How do we cope with the loss of a pet? As Funeral Directors, we are often asked to give presentations to students and volunteer organizations about many topics, most of them connected to death and...
By Nathan McKinlay
In Straight Talk
Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Tree Thank You

September is always is always a busy month for us at the Funeral Home, as it is the month we hold two of our tree planting services. CM Wilson/Skakel Conservation area is the Sunday after labour da...
By Nathan McKinlay
In Straight Talk
Wednesday, September 27, 2023

V.O.N Kid's Circle

The team at McKinlay Funeral Home has partnered yet again with the V.O.N.’s Kid’s Circle Program to interact and answer questions with children coping with grief and bereavement. The Kid’s Circle p...
By Daniel Ouimette
In Straight Talk
Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Botany Columbarium

As time goes on, there are more and more options available where cremation is concerned. One thing that has increased in popularity has been the use of the columbarium at the cemetery. A columbariu...
By Nathan McKinlay
In Straight Talk
Monday, July 10, 2023

Infant Memorial Service

This past Friday, I was honoured to be a part of the annual Infant Memorial Service held at Maple Leaf Cemetery in Chatham. It occurred to me that many people may not know about the good work being...
By Nathan McKinlay
In Straight Talk
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
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Previous Posts

Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is a special day where we get to openly celebrate our life partners. There are many who celebrate this day with energy, while many others may sooner have a quiet dinner at home. For...

Featuring Kim Pidgeon

To call Kim Pidgeon a jack-of-all-trades would be an understatement. Kim is skilled in so many areas and is an essential part of our team. Whether he is working out a plan on the parking lot, assis...

Featuring John Brennan

If he does not know you by name, he likely knows you by shoe size. John Brennan was the owner of Simply Shoes in Blenheim and Chatham before taking a much-earned retirement and joining our team. He...

Featuring Tom Aarssen

We all know those people who put 100% into everything they do. Tom Aarssen is definitely one of them. Tom came with a lot of experience, having previously worked as a Funeral Director Assistant in ...

Featuring Marg Kloostra

We were very fortunate to get to know Marg Kloostra over the years. We would see her working regularly at Rossini’s restaurant in Chatham, and she would often work our staff parties when we tried t...

Featuring Brian Rumble

Brian Rumble is one of those guys that everyone seems to know. He worked for most of his career at Canpar before retiring and trying his hat at car sales at Chatham Nissan for several years. Whethe...

Featuring Joe Driscoll

If you’ve ever lived in Ridgetown, you likely know Joe Driscoll. Joe worked with us at the Funeral Home for 7 years, before taking a 4 year hiatus. We are thrilled that he is back! Joe can often be...