About Us | J. Seaton McGrath Funeral Home

The funeral home was founded in 1912 by John Henry McGrath, a native of Richfield Springs, and was originally named McGrath Brothers. The business was first located on River Street in Richfield Springs. In the early years, most undertakers worked out of their own homes or storefronts, and wakes were held in the family home. Loved ones were prepared there for services, and all the necessary items—such as caskets, drapes, chairs, and candles—were brought to the residence. Wakes generally lasted for three days. After the services were completed, all of the equipment would be packed up and returned to the place of business.

In the 1940s, the funeral industry began to change. The trend moved away from wakes in the family home and toward larger facilities that could accommodate both the wake and the funeral. This shift marked the evolution of the modern funeral home. Sometime during the 1940s, McGrath Brothers Funeral Home was relocated to a red house on Main Street—now an empty lot between the Jordan residence and the former Welcome Home—and the name was changed to McGrath Funeral Home. In 1952, John Seaton McGrath, known as Seaton, and his wife, Lib, purchased the Ward House on West James Street in Richfield Springs, establishing the J. Seaton McGrath Funeral Home.

In 1977, Charles Pannaci purchased the funeral home from John Seaton McGrath, and in 1994 he sold it to Ronald and Pamela Hess, who owned the firm until 2025. On April 1, 2025, their son, Ronald Hess Jr., became the owner of the funeral home and continues the same quality of service and personal care that his parents provided to the community.