There’s an unparalleled bond between those who run a family business. They form a closeness that extends beyond domestic duties, dinners around the table and spending holidays together. They are trusted as coworkers to tend the till, to work late hours to get the job done, and to always ensure they treat customers with care. After years of success, the family name becomes synonymous with the business, so decisions are made carefully, with weight given to shared values, maintaining integrity and considerations for handing control over to future generations.

 

Having served the Sarasota area since 1948 with pride, honesty and compassion, the Toale Brothers name has become a long-term legacy in our community – one that is now proudly in its third generation under sisters Tiffany Toale Holsbeke and Stephanie Toale Lynch.

 

 

The Toale Brothers story began when the Toale family purchased Thacker VanGilder Funeral Home – Sarasota’s first funeral home – which operated out of 40 N. Orange Avenue. Brothers George E. Toale and John (Jack) P. Toale – along with their sister Catherine Toale Christian – ran the family business.

 

George and Jack earned their degrees from the Cincinnati School of Embalming and Catherine was the first female licensed Embalmer in the state of Florida. George and Jack Toale soon expanded the funeral home to include two locations in Bradenton and three in Sarasota. Under the leadership of the second generation, cousins David and Curt Toale, the funeral home flourished, strengthening into what it is today.

 

While most funeral homes in our region have been sold to multinational corporations, this family had a different plan. In being a very small, local, family-owned and operated company, Toale Brothers made it their mission to serve our community with a personal touch – never compromised by accountability to far-off stockholders. They are accountable to you. And that’s the legacy each generation has committed to uphold – including Tiffany and Stephanie.

 

As one would expect, there’s a marked difference between growing up and working at a family-run funeral home as opposed to a more common family venture – a restaurant or a store, for instance. But according to Tiffany and Stephanie, being surrounded by people who provide comfort and care during others’ times of need has put things into perspective and keeps them focused on what’s important in life. This realization is what propelled the two to earn their funeral director licenses and pitch in to run the operations of the family business.

 

“Being a licensed funeral director is not something everyone would want to do,” said Tiffany. “But growing up around it my entire life, I felt like it has always been a part of who I am.”

  

 

With a new generation at the helm comes a new generation of ideas, innovations and improvements. Tiffany and Stephanie started with tangible changes by updating the buildings with new carpet, exposing the original wood flooring, and painting the interior and exterior of the downtown location. The sisters also look to grow the business through technology, making it easier for people to connect with their services, ask questions, receive guidance and attend pre-planning seminars, a program established by Kathleen Toale allowing individuals to plan ahead for a loved one or themselves.

 

“We want to get out the importance of pre-arranging,” said Stephanie. “We have made some great partnerships that will help us grow this department and we are holding seminars that feature guest speakers who provide expert advice on topics, such as estate planning, trusts, assisted living and more.”

 

What’s more, the newest generation to take charge also shares the Toale Brothers’ longstanding commitment to giving back to the community. While one is a mother of three and the other is a mother of a newly turned one year old, Tiffany and Stephanie have made time to join local charity groups and regularly contribute to non-profits benefitting children and other worthwhile causes.

 

“We have a unique job, many people find it scary or depressing, but to us it is neither of those,” said Stephanie. “We get to help people during difficult times, and we get to learn about some amazing lives that people have lived, and we get to see the love people share with one another.”

 

 

40 N Orange Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236

(941) 955-4171