It’s forty years since Easington funeral director, or undertaker as he would have been known then, Douglas Delanoy passed away.
It was he, the fourth generation of the Delanoy family in the funeral business, that really shaped the future of the business as it is today.
It’s his legacy that lives on through Delanoy Funeral Services, which is owned and managed by his son John and his partner Julie Stout.
John said: “The Delanoy funeral business can be traced all the way back to 1897, when my great, great, great grandad Reuban Delanoy officially opened it.
“It was then passed down through the generations until my dad, Douglas, was handed the business from his father Ronald.
“This was in 1983 and I was six years old, when my grandad passed away.
“Sadly my dad only had the business for three years before he too passed away, so it was down to my mam Sheila to run it.”
The business, as it is now, was based from Easington Village. And in 1993 John Delanoy first became involved with his family’s business, albeit on a small scale to begin with.
John added: “I was fresh out of school so did a bit of work for my mam, but also had another job as well, with another funeral business to get some experience.
“Then, around 20 years ago, I became part of Delanoy’s fully, and was the fifth generation of my family to do so.
“I ran the business with my mam until she passed away 12 years ago, and things stayed that way until Julie came in six years ago.”
In 2019, just before the Covid-pandemic, John was introduced to marketeer Julie Stout from Peterlee.
After a few months of working alongside each other they decided to join forces and open up a branch at Peterlee. And Delanoy Funeral Services was born.
Julie said: “We shared a lot of the same visions and ideas.
“John was keen to modernise his family business, to provide better and more long-lasting memories for people saying goodbye to their loved ones.
“I came in with a marketing background, a had lots of ideas that I felt would transform the way funerals are conducted.
“We knew we were the right fit for each other and honestly, we’ve never looked back.
“Our approach is unique. It’s about giving people the send-off they want and deserve, and providing their loved ones with lasting memories that they will cherish forever.”