Servant’s Hearts and Dedication to Community Inspire 60 Year Milestone for Caniff Funeral Home

Gary Newman The Ashland Beacon Caniff’s Funeral Home in Westwood is marking a special milestone of 60 years of service to families and the community. One of the reasons for the enduring success of this business, has little to do with numbers and dollars, and much more to do with a spirit of family. The families served are in their most challenging circumstances and each family and every person is met with dignity, honor and respect. Caniff Funeral Home becomes a part of their family and walks with them. That was the Pat Caniff way. A big part of long-term success is built on the heart and character of the foundation on which it has been constructed, and for 60 years Pat instilled in everybody he worked with how important it is to strive for excellence and to serve each person with dignity, honor, and respect. That’s who he was. He demanded excellence. He had a benevolent heart. He just wanted to help others. “This was his life. The community. He had a servant’s heart,” his daughter, Marcia Caniff Davis explained, “For years, he was on the Fire Department, He dedicated a lot of time to the Lions Club, to the Shriner’s Hospital, he was on the board of directors for 50-60 years” He also worked actively with the Boys Club. In the early 60’s, Pat Caniff saw a need in the Westwood community and partnered with Eddie Riggs for a few years. Caniff would later buy Eddie’s portion out and rename the business. Caniff Funeral Home has been a Westwood staple from that day forward. In the early days, funeral homes also ran ambulance service. “We’ve had many people come through here that said he brought them into the world and he took them out,” Funeral Director Matt Green remarked. That same spirit of family that everyone experienced with Pat, is now being felt with Marcia Caniff Davis. Marcia has been running the day-to-day business for 10-12 years and is now the sole proprietor. She’s continuing her dad’s legacy. He trained her from the ground up and instilled in her the values that he used to build Caniff Funeral Home, and her vision is planning the next 60 years of service. “It's not a job, it’s who we are. It’s a ministry, we feel that it is a type of ministry. My dad told me that years ago. He told me to give 110% to everybody,” explained Caniff Davis, who compassion toward those in the community she serves in is clear. Now, she demands excellence. She has a benevolent heart. She just wants to help others. For 60 years, it’s been the Caniff way, and it looks like it will be the way for a long time to come. “If I can be a fraction of the person he was,” Marcia Caniff Davis concluded, “then I think I’m doing pretty good. I try to do everything the way he would.’