Personalized memorials and celebrations of life

At MacKinnon Family Funeral Home, we believe that every service should be as unique as the life lived. We capture the essence of your loved one to create an event that honours your special person and gives friends and family a chance to come together and remember.

Whether you want to arrange a traditional funeral service or modern celebration of life, large gathering or more intimate service, we will work with you one-on-one to ensure your needs and budget are met. From casket selection, to floral arrangements to music selections, decor, mementos and more, we guide you through your choices with care.

Cremation in Acton

We specialize in cremation services that honour loved ones in personalized ways, and families love our transparent pricing. With expertise in scattering ashes and a friendly team who pays attention to every detail, we provide service that is second to none.

More and more people are choosing cremation over traditional burial, but most aren’t familiar with all the choices:

• a cremation without a funeral or memorial service of any kind.
• a funeral with your loved one present, followed by cremation.
• a cremation followed by a scattering, cemetery memorialization or celebration of life—or all three.

There are many cremation providers from which to choose. Here's what you can expect when you choose us for your loved one's cremation:

• Custody of care guaranteed. Our custody-of-care program helps safeguard the identification of your loved one from the time we bring them into our care until the time we return them to your family. We check, cross-check and check again, every step of the way.
• Exclusive custody of your loved one. We use only crematories owned and operated by Dignity Memorial® providers or trusted partners. Once your loved one is in our custody or that of a trusted partner, they’re in our care until they’re returned to your family.
• Licensed, certified, conscientious staff. All Dignity Memorial crematory operators in Ontario are licensed and certified by the Cremation Association of North America, or CANA. Only one person at a time is cremated, and the cremation chamber is thoroughly cleaned before the next person is cremated.

Veterans funerals

We deeply appreciate those who have sacrificed for our freedoms and feel privileged to honour veterans and their families in need of funeral and cremation services. We also offer special pricing on veterans services. Your funeral director can tell you everything you need to know.

Funeral planning in advance

In addition to assisting with an immediate need, MacKinnon Family Funeral Home specializes in working with families to make final arrangements in advance. When you plan ahead, you relieve your family from financial and emotional burdens while ensuring your wishes are fulfilled. We offer in-person and virtual consultations, as well as a free Personal Planning Guide.

Grief support

The loss of a loved one can be devastating, and many people don't know where to turn or how to cope. We're here to help you during difficult times—you aren't alone. Though the experience of grief can be very isolating, the articles in our grief library can make a difference in your day-to-day life and families who plan services with us get access to our 24-hour Compassion Helpline (services provided by Charles Nechtem Associates).

Lean on us

The caring and dedicated team at MacKinnon Family Funeral Home provides exceptional, compassionate service at one of life's most difficult times. We're available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please reach out, day or night, if we may assist with funeral or cremation arrangements in Acton or if you would simply like a tour of the funeral home. Contact us.

History

Both the MacKinnon Family Funeral Home business and our beautiful Victorian building date back to the late 1800s. With deep roots in Acton, we continue to serve with compassion and grace.

A 19th-century undertaking business

In about 1860, John Speight opened the first undertaking business in Acton. J.A. Speight & Company was located on Willow Street, in the store that later became Hotchen’s Bakery.

John ran a furniture store and undertaking business from this location—a common combination at the time. As was the custom, visitations and funerals were usually conducted from the homes of the deceased. The furniture maker would construct coffins, while the undertaking side of things handled embalmings before burial.

In January 1881, John Speight’s eldest son, Joseph, became a partner in the firm. When John died later that year, on July 7, Joseph became the owner.

Johnstone & Company is founded

In 1885, William Johnstone and his wife, Mabel, founded a funeral home called Johnstone & Company. In 1903, Joseph sold his business to William and Mabel.

At that time, the business operated from the building on the corner of Mill and John streets, as both a furniture store and an undertaking business.

The Johnstones’ daughter, May, married Victor Rumley; in 1923, Vic became a partner in the business and the name of the company was changed to Johnstone & Rumley Funeral Home. William died in 1930.

In 1937, Vic bought the Storey House, which was just across the street, at 55 Mill St., and moved the undertaking business to its present location. The name of the company was changed to Rumley Funeral Home. Vic sold the furniture store in 1948 to Elma Braida and Ray West.

Funeral practices evolve

In the early 1940s, families began to hold visitations and funerals at the funeral home. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, the Rumley family lived in half of the first floor of the mortuary. They operated the funeral home out of what we now call Shoemaker Chapel.

As more families began to request these services for their loved ones, the Rumley family moved to the second and third floors of the funeral home.

The business changes hands again

In October 1954, Bruce Shoemaker and his father, Amos Shoemaker, bought the funeral home from Vic Rumley and changed the name to Rumley-Shoemaker Funeral Home. Bruce and his wife, Rhoda, were newlyweds at the time.

In 1976, the Shoemakers added on to the house and changed the name of their business to Shoemaker Funeral Home. They sold the firm in 1994 to the Arbor Corporation.

The MacKinnon family steps in

Arbor operated the business for five years, until Bob MacKinnon and his wife, Margaret, purchased it in October 1999. They changed the name to MacKinnon Family Funeral Home – Shoemaker Chapel.

Bob and Margaret moved to Acton from Toronto and very quickly became essential members of the community. Friends of many, they proudly served families from our beautiful location, where they also lived, until Bob's retirement in January 2015.

At that time the MacIntyre family from Guelph purchased the funeral home. They continue to uphold a very long legacy of compassion and service excellence.

Our historically significant building

The MacKinnon Family Funeral Home building has a notable history all its own.

William H. Storey built the house in 1879. He'd come to Canada as a child in 1845, moving to Acton in 1856 to work as a saddle apprentice. He worked hard and eventually became the owner of Storey Glove Factory, located on Bower Avenue (where the post office is today).

He built the landmark Victorian home at 55 Mill St. E. for his family. He called it The Sunderland Villa. His carriage house was located at 7 John St. Both the carriage house and his family's home were heated via underground steam pipes from the glove factory.

William H. Storey died in 1898.

After World War I, the Storey family home was used to house soldiers. After the war ended, it sat derelict for years. Vic Rumley purchased it in 1937 and gave it new life.

Renovations through the years have been respectful of the building's architecture, so the funeral home at John and Mill streets functions for today's families while reflecting the cherished backstory of days gone by.