In a time when many funeral homes are corporate-owned, John M. Ireland & Son Funeral Home & Chapel in Moore stands apart—in more ways than one.
John M. Ireland represents the second of a three-generation family business started by his father, Ray, whom he considers to be one of his greatest teachers and mentors.
“My family originally comes from Oklahoma,” John explains, noting that his father entered the funeral business when he was only 16 years old.
“He had some great mentors and developed a rare talent for turning around struggling funeral homes,” John added.
A Short History on the Family Business
“Our family owned funeral homes in Miami and McAlester, Oklahoma, before moving to a small town called Nevada, Missouri, with a population of about 9,000,” John said.
“Back in those days,” he recalled, “many funeral homes also operated ambulance services because calling 911 was not an option. These were essentially station wagons outfitted with red lights and sirens mounted on the hood. We advertised our ambulance service as ‘two-way radio and oxygen equipped.’”
Early in his career, John worked at a large family-owned funeral home in Kansas City and lived in the apartment above it. When the business was sold to a large corporation, he returned to Oklahoma—what he proudly called “God’s Country”—to work for Bill Eisenhour Funeral Home in Del City.
“I learned a great deal from Bill and his brother Harold, who owned a funeral home in Blanchard,” he said.
With rumors that the funeral home might be sold, John struck out on his own, joining Central Burial Vaults—a respected manufacturer of concrete burial vaults in Oklahoma—as marketing director.
“This opportunity gave me insight into another side of funeral service and allowed me to build a strong network of professionals across the country,” John shares.
In 1995, he founded John M. Ireland & Son Funeral Home.
“I asked my mother for an inheritance to help start the business, and she told me no,” he recalled. “She said, ‘Go see our banker—if you don’t learn now, you never will.’ So, I did. The banker asked me how many funerals I planned to do in my first year. I told him 25. He said, ‘Change the plan, show me how you’ll do 50, and I’ll loan you the money.’ So I did—and the rest is history.”
The Business Today
Today, the Ireland family operates both the John M. Ireland & Son Funeral Home at 120 S. Broadway Ave. in Moore and the John M. Ireland & Son Funeral Home of Capitol Hill, located at 32nd and Western in Oklahoma City. Additionally, they own Moore Custom Monument and the Lynlee Mae Chapel & Event Center, named after John’s daughters’ middle names.
Calling the funeral profession “one of the oldest and most honorable callings,” he shares: “Families place their trust in you during one of the worst moments of their lives—when they’ve lost a loved one. As funeral directors and embalmers, we must be caring, compassionate, patient, understanding and willing to listen with empathy and respect.”
Whether families are seeking burial or cremation services, John says their team takes great pride in helping them honor and celebrate loved ones’ lives and legacies.
“Our mission is to provide compassionate, professional service at the most reasonable prices—with a personal touch.”
He adds, “Some funeral companies have tried to make this an 8-to-5 job, but it’s not. My family and our staff are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We’re always just a phone call away.”
The Importance of Giving Back
The Irelands believe strongly in the importance of giving back to the community.
“A community is only as good as what you help make it,” John states. “We support churches and their activities, sponsor Moore’s Old Town Christmas Parade and "Haunt the Old Town" for a safe Halloween and participate in National Night Out in support of first responders. We’re also big supporters of local high schools and elementary schools, as well as members of several chambers of commerce, Rotary and the Shrine.”
Family Ties
John has three children—Victoria, Johnathon and Haley; two nephews, Ben and Matthew, who he raised as if they were his own; and four grandchildren.
Victoria graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in communication and human relations and later earned a culinary degree from Platt College. Johnathon, also an OU grad, is a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. Haley earned a bachelor’s degree in mortuary science with a minor in psychology from University of Central Oklahoma.
Ben earned a degree in accounting from OU and a master’s from Oklahoma City University, while Matthew earned a degree in communications and business management from Missouri Baptist University. Matthew now serves as the funeral home’s business manager.
Daughters Victoria and Haley co-own HayVic’s Clothing, which operates in four locations; their flagship store is in Moore’s Old Town, with additional stores at Painted Tree and Showplace Market in Moore and another Painted Tree location in Edmond. They also operate Candy Castle and Popcorn Palace in Moore’s Old Town.
A licensed funeral director and embalmer, Haley is also the funeral director at John Ireland Funeral Home, where she shares her father’s vision of compassionately serving families during some of the most difficult times in their lives. Her work there has her performing in many roles, including preparing, dressing and cosmetizing the deceased and office manager.
The Ireland family may no longer drive station wagons outfitted with red lights and sirens mounted on the hood, but those who come to them for help during one of the most difficult times of their lives will surely be comforted by their compassion and commitment to one of the oldest and most honorable of professions.
Learn more at https://www.johnirelandfuneralhome.com/ or call 405.799.1200.
“Our mission is to provide compassionate, professional service at the most reasonable prices—with a personal touch.”