It could be said a funeral home in Middlefield was destined for Don Sly.While it might not be the average path in life, the journey…
It could be said a funeral home in Middlefield was destined for Don Sly.
While it might not be the average path in life, the journey to eventually own Russell Funeral Home, at 15670 W. High St., has taken Sly, 46, to unexpected places.
“My uncle?Joe, he used to work for a funeral home a long time ago in West Farmington,”?Don recalled. “I?remember I was in a high chair — I was older, but I?was sitting in the high chair probably because it was there, ya know — we were eating sardines with mustard. He told me to become a funeral director. I ignored him until I?got out of high school and went to college.”
During college, Don, who had already been volunteering as an EMT and firefighter, began working at what was then Trask Funeral Home (prior to becoming Russell Funeral Home), helping with calling hours and other duties.
“And I eventually thought, why don’t I just become a director?”?Don recalled. “I?was working like one, so I?may as well become one. So I went to school for that.”
Don, who is also a licensed em-balmer, became the funeral director at Trask, which led to another milestone — marriage.
“We met in 1996,”?said Mary?Kay Sly, Don’s wife. “I?was a paramedic. Don was a funeral director. We fell madly in love.”
When Trask was ready to sell the funeral home, Don threw his hat in the ring.
“I?did try to buy it when they were trying to sell to (Rusty)?Russell,”?Don said. “But things didn’t come into play there. It wasn’t my time.”
So Don went on to become the funeral director at Shorts Spicer Crislip Funeral Home in Ravenna for the next several years while also working at the West Farmington senior center, Mary Kay said, adding Don worked as assistant fire chief in Mesopotamia as well.
“He is charming. He’s the funniest husband, but when he works, he almost makes me cry,”?she said of Don’s personality. “His compassion and respect and dignity he gives the whole family is awesome.”
Having settled into the area, Don had no idea he’d receive a phone call out of the blue years later from Russell, who was ready to retire.
“I was shocked,”?he said. “I was not expecting that phone call. My first thought was, ‘Oh my gosh this was going to happen?'”
Two years later, the deal was sealed and Don and Mary Kay came back full circle.
“We’re back to our home away from home,”?Mary?Kay joked, adding they plan to fully move onto the premises at the beginning of June.
While the funeral home is currently called Russell Sly Funeral Home, to keep the familiarity, Don said he may consider changing it to Sly Funeral Home at some point in the future, but not anytime soon.
“As the owner, you have a lot more worries, but I’m working as hard as I would have when I was down there at Shorts,” he said of the experience thus far. “It’s rewarding it’s a different mindset than being a worker (but) I’m still the relaxed easy going kind of guy.”
When asked what drew him to the funeral business to begin with, Don’s answer was simple.
“I just like helping people,”?he said matter-of-factly. “I’ve done it all my life … I enjoy helping people through difficult times, helping people in crisis and when dealing with the loss of a loved.”
