Historic Portland funeral home announces new name

Jones, Rich & Hutchins Funeral Home on Jan. 17 officially unveiled a new name, Jones, Rich & Barnes Funeral Home. It recognizes the continued leadership of Vice President Robert Barnes, an industry veteran. Barnes, a licensed funeral director, has a long history with the funeral home dating back to 1975. The new website, www.JonesRichAndBarnes.com, also launched Jan. 17.

“We have a longstanding relationship with the community and are proud that since 1838 we have served the families of Portland,” said Erik Tiner, the Jones, Rich & Barnes manager. “We are honored to have Robert, well-known for his involvement in the Portland community along with his passion for serving families, on staff with a very involved role at the funeral home.”

Barnes began his career in the Army, serving in the Mortuary Affairs unit of the U.S. Army Mortuary in Seoul, Korea, during the Vietnam War. He has served at Jones, Rich & Hutchins Funeral Home since 1975. Barnes was appointed to the Maine State Board of Funeral Service by the governor 1994, and served as chairman for 17 years. He has served as past president of the Maine Funeral Directors Association and remains a member. On the national level, Barnes serves as District 1 representative for the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards Inc., representing Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Provence of Quebec and Nova Scotia.

“Our funeral home has an incredible history of serving greater Portland for many years, and I look forward to continuing to serve families with the same personalized service that I’ve been honored to provide,” Barnes said.

The funeral home was originally founded as SS Rich & Son Funeral Home in 1838 by Samual Snow Rich. The business operated at facilities on Pearl Street, Exchange Street and Mellen Street before a new facility was built for the funeral home on Woodford Street in 1959.

At the time of the move, the new funeral home became Jones & Rich Funeral Home, as Edward C. Jones became part owner of the funeral home along with his father-in-law, Irving Rich. After the death of Jones in 1974, his widow, Elizabeth “Betty” Rich Jones, and her son, David Jones, assumed responsibility of the funeral home.

In 1979, the firm purchased the Hutchins Funeral Home and became Jones, Rich and Hutchins Funeral Home. Elizabeth Jones died in 1983, after which David Jones and Robert Barnes assumed ownership. Today, Jones and Barnes both serve as vice presidents of the firm.

In 1999 the location joined the network of Dignity Memorial providers, a network of more than 2,000 funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers.

Transitions

On Jan. 1, Avesta Housing brought Seventy-Five State Street, a 163-year-old independent- and assisted-living senior community, into its family of residential properties. The two mission-driven nonprofit organizations each have over 100 employees.

Giving Back

Fisher-Gerrish Agencies in South Portland, a division of American Income Life Insurance Company, recently made a $5,000 year-end gift to Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine.

At the company’s annual holiday party, Casco Bay Wealth Advisors presented a $1,000 check to the Autism Society of Maine’s Executive Director Cathy Dionne. Guests who attended the event donated an additional $600.

Recognition

Ray Ramage, principal of Travel Concierge, Ltd. was recently named Top Producer for Silversea Cruises out of 1,200 travel agencies in the Dream Vacations network. The award is presented to the travel agency that produces the most revenue in a calendar year for the luxury line.

Hires, promotion, appointments

TrainRiders Northeast, the Portland-based, nonprofit, volunteer, rail advocacy organization founded in 1989, has hired its first-ever executive director, George O’Keefe Jr., of Winthrop. O’Keefe will work alongside TrainRiders’ longtime Chairman and co-founder Wayne E. Davis to help the organization expand its mission of bringing “modern and efficient” passenger rail service to the Northeast. “A balanced transportation system is what we need in order to provide for sustainable economic opportunities that will last for generations,” O’Keefe said.

The Bicycle Coalition of Maine has named Frank Gallagher as the organization’s new communications director. Gallagher served most recently as the communications director at ecomaine.

Benjamin Gideon of Freeport, a lawyer with Berman & Simmons, has been appointed to the Professional Ethics Commission of the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar. Gideon’s four-year term on the commission began Jan. 1. A Portland native, Gideon is a graduate of Cornell University and Yale Law School.

The Environmental & Energy Technology Council of Maine elected three new members at its Nov. 17 annual meeting in Portland: Erik Clapp, principal and senior geologist with Sevee & Maher Engineers; James E. Graves, dean of the College of Science, Technology, & Health at USM; and John Rooks, CEO of Rapport.

Portland-based Maine Center for Creativity welcomed Jessica Cook of WEX Inc. and Anthony Struzziero of Prism Medical Ltd. to its board of directors.

Barnes

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