For Middletown's Daniels & Hutchison, it’s ‘families first’

By Craig Anderson

MIDDLETOWN — Call it a 100-year run or a century of continuous service.

Either way, the family-owned Daniels & Hutchison Funeral Home has been going strong since 1924.

Brothers Owen Hutchison, 33, and Cole Hutchison, 30, are now the fourth-generation leaders, and they sound committed to sticking around.

“In a town that’s growing so much and having a lot bigger businesses and big box businesses coming in, we want to grow with the town, in terms of being able to accommodate and serve the families that have moved into this budding metropolis,” Cole said.

Owen added, “We want to stick to our core values on what this business was founded on. It’s families first, and to be in business for 100 years means we have a pretty good foundation to keep that going.”

The elder Hutchison serves as the business’s general manager, while Cole is its licensed funeral director. The facility has 12 full- or part-time employees, including the brothers.

Daniels & Hutchison’s 10 decades of work began with founder G. Lester “Ted” Daniels, who passed the enterprise to his adopted son, Robert “Bobby” Hutchison Sr., then to Robert Hutchison Jr. and now the brothers.

It all started in Townsend, and a second location at 212 N. Broad St. in Middletown opened about 1944. The first site closed around 1980, while the second remained in the downtown area.

During that time, Owen said, the funeral home has served four or five generations of some families, averaging about 200 annually.

“For a lot of people, it is the worst days of their lives when they lose a loved one, so we’re here to do whatever we can to make things easier for them if we can and treat them with the respect and kindness during some of the most difficult times of their lives,” he said.

Such bonds have been significant as the family business developed, Robert Hutchison Jr. said.

“I think, any time you have a father-son working relationship, it’s very unique, and I’m very blessed to have that,” he said. “With my dad, I had 30-some years with him, and that means a lot.

“I think the last thing I said to him before he died was ... I thanked him for making me the person that I am, and I said we helped a lot of people over the years. He squeezed my hand, so at least he heard me.”

And, as far as his own sons go, Robert said, “just like my dad, we have our moments, and it’s not always smooth sailing, but that’s true in any family business. They’re doing a very good job, and I feel confident that they’ll be able to carry it on.”

The Middletown funeral home was renovated and enlarged in 2004, with the chapel now accommodating 150. Off-street and valet parking are available.

For information, visit its Facebook page or daniels-hutchison.com or call 302-378-3410.