In Greater Lawrence, the name Dewhirst is synonymous with the funeral business.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Charles F. Dewhirst founding the family business when he became a licensed funeral director in 1926. The patriarch worked with other partners for 23 years before opening his own parlor in 1949.
And while the funeral home he opened at 80 Broadway is no longer operated by the family, the legacy continues with his great-grandson Robert “Rob” Dewhirst as the fourth generation to become an undertaker. Rob was licensed in 2018 and works as a licensed funeral director. He has been working as an embalmer at Cataudella Funeral Home on Pleasant Valley Street for the past two years.
Rob is following the footsteps of his great-grandfather, who worked from 1926 until his passing in 1981.
His grandfather, also named Charles F. Dewhirst, was in the mortuary business from 1956 until his passing in 1999. Rob’s dad Richard “Rick” started in 1974 and obtained his license in 1981.
“I could not be more excited and proud that he has chosen to continue the family calling,” Rick said of his son.
Rick was co-owner of the Charles F. Dewhirst Funeral Home business with his father. He then bought the funeral home from his father in 1990 and sold it in 2017. In addition to the Methuen home, at one time he operated out of two others in Lawrence, as well as Andover, and others in Salem, N.H., and Laconia, N.H.
Rick is now a consultant – assisting fellow funeral directors, doing estate planning and working with elder-care attorneys.
Rob, 35, a 2009 graduate of Methuen High, started in the business by vacuuming and doing other chores around the family parlor and decided to go into the business on his own accord.
“Funerals are cousins of the weddings because it brings everyone together. There’s some laughter along with the tears and reminiscing,” said Rob, who graduated summa cum laude in 2018 from the Funeral Institute of New England (FINE) in Norwood. He was the salutatorian at graduation.
While at school, Rob would tutor fellow students and he transposed his school work and notes into Quizlets, virtual flash cards which students at FINE still use today.
Greg Gallagher, managing partner at Cataudella Funeral Home, said this of Rob: “He’s wonderful at what he does. The way he treats the family with compassion and cares deeply for them. … He’s meant to be in the business and a lot of it comes from his father. They’re both great funeral directors.”
Rob Dewhirst (right) is the fourth generation in his family to go into the funeral business. He is pictured with his father Rick Dewhirst. ML photo by Yadira Betances Muldoon
Charles F. Dewhirst (above) founded the family business when he became a licensed funeral director in 1926. Charles F. Dewhirst Jr., (below) was in the mortuary business from 1956 until his passing in 1999. Son Rick co-owned the funeral home with his father, then bought it from him in 1990. It was sold in 2017. Today, it’s the Dewhirst Boles Funeral Home and Cremation Service.
