The McGorray Staff

     McGorray Bros. Funeral Home was founded by Mark McGorray in 1873. It is one of only a few family businesses which are in their third century. Mark McGorray began his business at 3040 Lorain Ave. and it was primarily a livery stable. In those days it was not unusual for funeral directors to be linked to either a livery business or a furniture store. Mark's two son's James W. and Joseph both joined the business when they came of age. After Mark McGorray's death in 1891, the two became the "Brothers" in the name McGorray Bros.

     In about 1919 McGorray's bought the first motorized hearse in the Cleveland area. Early on, limousines, which were used by funeral homes, were 2nd owner Packards, Pierce-Arrows, and Cadillacs, which had belonged to wealthy families in the area. In these early days McGorray Bros. handled approximately 400 - 500 funerals per year. In 1892 James McGorray II was born. When he was of age, he joined in his family's chosen profession. James W. McGorray III was born in 1923 and soon became the fourth generation of family funeral directors.

     In 1934 McGorray's bought a mansion on Detroit Ave. in Lakewood, Ohio which became a branch office. The mansion was the home of the William Busse family. He was a restaurateur, having an establishment in the arcade downtown. In 1960 the building at 3040 Lorain Rd. was sold to St. Ignatius School and the business was consolidated in one location. The only remaining piece of memorabilia from the Lorain Ave. location, is today used as the corporate logo for McGorray Bros. Funeral Directors. It is the transom window from above the office door at 30th and Lorain. Today the transom window hangs in the office of the Lakewood Funeral Home, a reminder of McGorray's longevity and proud history of service. In the near future this corporate logo will hang in our new branch location currently under construction in Westlake, Ohio.

     In 1957 Mary Susan McGorray was born the third daughter of James McGorray III. Mary Susan McGorray became the fifth generation of family funeral directors in 1984. 1994 brought the passing of James W. McGorray III. Today, Mary Susan McGorray carries on the "Family Tradition" guiding the progress of McCorray Bros. Funeral Directors into the next century.

     The the funeral industry has changed greatly since 1873. Today the Federal Trade Commission and OSHA govern the conduct of business in the funeral industry. Today, pre-arranged funerals are a driving force in the marketplace. No matter what challenges or changes confront us, what has not changed is McGorray Bros. desire to provide dignified, old fashioned, quality service