The Tribune

The family, staff, friends and professional colleagues of Bethel Brothers Morticians and Crematorium recently gathered at the Balmoral Clubhouse for a special reception as part of several events planned in honour of their 75th anniversary.

Other activities included training and leadership development initiative for all employees, the dedication of the chapel at the funeral home in honour of the late Jane Bethel, and participation in a church service at St Mary the Virgin.

Guests enjoyed a special viewing of a documentary on the company - "Bethel Brothers Morticians: Bridging the Past, Present and Future" - which features interviews from former apprentices, past and present employees and notable public figures. The full documentary will be shared with the public next month.

The company also used this occasion to pay tribute to Neville Bethel, co-founder and brother of Marcus Bethel Sr, and Sidney Sawyer, the general manager, who celebrates 45 years with the funeral home.

CEO and president of the company, Owen Bethel, said: "We have inherited a great legacy from our parents, and the professionalism and dedication of management and staff, as exemplified by Mr Sawyer, ensures that the high standard enshrined in the motto of the company, 'Service above Self', continues to be the hallmark of the company to its clients, the community and nation at large."

Bethel Brothers Morticians was established in 1943 by Marcus Hercules Bethel. Mr Bethel attended and graduated from the Renouard Training School for Embalmers of New York City. Upon his return to Nassau, he became the first professionally trained embalmer and funeral director in the country. Shortly thereafter he established and opened the doors to the funeral home, assisted by his brother, Neville Bethel.

Mr Bethel remained at the vanguard of the funeral industry, setting a high standard of professionalism, until his untimely death in November 1967.

His widow, Jane Fitzroy Bethel (née Butler), took on the reins of the business and propelled the operation forward with the assistance of friends and family.

Mrs Bethel's commitment to continue and build on the legacy of her husband is displayed in the incremental growth of the business and the ultimate accomplishment in 1989 of the completion of construction and opening of the new extension of the funeral home in January of 1990. Designed by renowned Bahamian architect Jackson Burnside, the new structure gained immediate national recognition, being awarded the Governor General's Award (Commercial Division) of the Institute of Bahamian Architects.

Mrs Bethel remained at the helm of the business until her death in April of 2010. In 2017, the funeral home witnessed further expansion with the commissioning of a state-of-the-art crematorium.