This sign once adorned the marble facade of our first funeral home facility at 3037 N. 22nd Street. It is now located at the rear of our Southampton Road property and is a constant reminder of our humble beginnings.
The funeral home was founded by Louis A. DiGiacomo, Sr. on February 19, 1940, in North Philadelphia, an area that bore the nickname, "Swamp Poodle".
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This sign once adorned the marble facade of our first funeral home facility at 3037 N. 22nd Street. It is now located at the rear of our Southampton Road property and is a constant reminder of our humble beginnings. |
During that time, most viewings (or wakes) were held at the home of the deceased; so the business was operated out of the DiGiacomo residence located at 2035 West Clearfield Street.
At the outbreak of WWII, Louis A. DiGiacomo, Sr. served in the U.S. Army; and Anne Berkeschuk DiGiacomo, his wife, operated the business.
 Louis A. DiGiacomo, Sr. the company's founder, circa 1943, in US Army uniform. |
People gradually chose not to have viewings in their homes anymore; they preferred to have them conducted in funeral homes. So, in 1946, Louis and Anne DiGiacomo purchased a former bakery at 3037 North 22nd Street in North Philadelphia and transformed the building into one of the areas nicest funeral homes.
 Anne Berkeschuk, the daughter of Ukrainian immigrants Wasyliana (Kofluk) and Stephen Berkeschuk, circa 1941. |
During the 1950s, the business continued to prosper; and the Stone of Fame Monument Company was formed and was responsible for the erecetion of many cemetery memorials and private mausoleums throughout Southern Pennsylvania.
 Southampton Road facility, circa 1970. |
In 1969, due to changing demographics and the need to accommodate families who had moved to the suburbs, Louis A. DiGiacomo, Sr. relocated the funeral home to 1055 Southampton Road, where it operates today. The construction of the Southampton Road facility, with a vast viewing room, lounge, and large parking area, set a standard for funeral home design well into the future.
At the death of Louis A. DiGiacomo, Sr. in 1986, his son, Louis A. DiGiacomo, assumed responsibility for the management of the funeral home. Today, Louis A. DiGiacomo and his wife, Susan Roos DiGiacomo, own and manage the company.