(From left) M. Carey Bliley and Eric Bliley of Bliley’s Funeral Home (Photo by Jay Paul)
Richmond is a city of institutions. Places including Cowardin’s Jewelers, Sally Bell’s Kitchen, Agee’s Bicycles and The Byrd Theatre have been operating for more than a century, seemingly forever. Bliley’s Funeral Home, which marked its 150th anniversary earlier this year, is one of the city’s oldest businesses and remains a family affair.
Opened in 1874 by Joseph W. Bliley, the funeral home’s original location at Third and Marshall streets was a downtown landmark for about 120 years. M. Carey Bliley, current president and CEO, and his cousin Eric Bliley, executive manager of family experience, are part of the fourth generation of family members to helm the business. They operate locations on Augusta Avenue, Staples Mill Road and Hull Street Road; lead a team of 120 associates; and serve approximately 1,800 families each year.
Forming connections with members of the community is what Carey Bliley cherishes most. “At Bliley’s, we, in that time, really value creating relationships and taking the time to get to know all of our families as well as get to know the person who has died,” he says. “One thing we want our families to do is make the service as unique as the person being remembered.”
That level of care and inclusion has always been the bedrock of Bliley’s service, Carey says. The most important part of planning a funeral is “for families to customize the services they choose so they really reflect, celebrate and honor their loved one’s life,” he says. “We help them with the planning process, coordinating all the details and making sure any special considerations are taken care of.”
Carey notes that Bliley’s staff is diligent in working with families to incorporate their religious or cultural customs. In a Jewish service, for example, “family and friends come and shovel dirt on top of the casket,” a symbolic act Carey describes as “one of the most powerful and healing experiences one can go through.” A burial service is “our final chance to say goodbye to someone in a formal, physical way,” he adds.
Given that tradition, perhaps the biggest change Bliley’s has seen over the past century and a half is the increasing popularity of cremation. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the cremation rate in the United States is expected to top 80% by 2045. Carey says families who don’t have a tradition of burial or who haven’t purchased plots in advance are more likely to choose cremation.
Bliley’s opened its Cremation Center in 2012 to meet that growing need. The first of its kind in the region, the location was designed to help families grieve and experience closure with a service similar to a traditional graveside ceremony. The Cremation Center also lets families come together for reflection or hold a memorial service as the cremation occurs in an adjacent room.
As the executive manager of family experience, Eric Bliley is proud of the facility. “Our Cremation Center is unlike any in the area and was designed to create a calming and centering space for the family,” he explains. Eric notes the location’s unique design, saying, “[The center] is filled with natural light and incorporates earth elements to create a purpose-driven space that supports the important ritual of being present for a loved one’s cremation.”
Bliley’s status as a beloved Richmond institution was made clear in 2013 when Nick Bliley, who had been CEO since 2006, died after a 48-year career in the industry. Spiritual leaders from all over Richmond shared their appreciation for Nick and for Bliley’s in his obituary, attesting that both went above and beyond to ensure that people felt comforted during their most difficult times, no matter their religion or beliefs.
As Bliley’s enters its next 150 years, whatever changes may come, its team remains committed to serving the community with care and compassion.
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