What does this mean to you and your family? Quite a bit, actually. Local ownership allows a funeral home to be more responsive to your individual needs and desires. Special requests, often met with red tape and lengthy out-of-market approvals when using corporate chains, can be individually considered and quickly implemented. And since a locally owned funeral home's primary concern is serving the community, you can be sure that your satisfaction remains more important than the financial needs of its investors and stockholders. Using a locally owned funeral home also helps support the community, with the dollars you spend staying right here in Wichita.downtown and East Wichita locations.

Lahey Mortuary, founded in 1913 as City Undertaking by Charles Lahey and Earl Martin, originally operating from a storefront in downtown Wichita. The name of the business was changed to Lahey and Martin Mortuary in 1926, and then to Lahey Mortuary in 1938 when Lahey purchased Martin's interest in the firm. Thomas Lahey, Charles' son, joined the business in 1948. At the time of the merger with Downing, Lahey Mortuary also operated from an East Wichita location.

Following the merger in 1978, Lahey Mortuary closed its east location and operated from the downtown Downing facilities until the building was destroyed by fire in 1980. At that time, business offices were relocated to the firm's east location at 6555 E. Central. In 1986, Jack Morris' son, Tom, joined the firm as a funeral director and embalmer, having worked part-time for the business as a student since 1978. Tom Morris was named vice president of the funeral home in 1994, and president in 1999.

With the City of Wichita's continued expansion westward, Downing & Lahey began construction of a new west side facility in 1998. Completed in 1999, the new, state-of-the-art facility at 10515 W. Maple provides improved coverage of West Wichita.

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