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About

Needham Funeral Service has provided London families with care and compassion since Russell Needham purchased Harrison & Skinner Funeral Home in 1949. Our funeral home, more than 135 years old, has been modernized to suit your needs, while maintaining elegance and historical value.

We have on-site parking for approximately 100 vehicles and reception facilities for groups of up to 75 guests. We offer a broad range of services and welcome people of all faiths and cultural backgrounds.

Maybe you are seeking a basic cremation with a scattering in a meaningful place, or maybe your loved one wanted a full traditional funeral service with a cemetery burial. Or perhaps a creative outdoor celebration complete with live music, favourite foods, personal tributes and funeral favours is the order of the day. Whatever you need, we are here to help you and your family celebrate a life well-lived.

Your trusted provider

As a member of the Dignity Memorial® network, Needham Funeral Service gives you not only the warm, familiar attention you expect from a locally operated funeral home but also the value you deserve by way of the largest network of, funeral, burial, cremation and cemetery service providers in North America. Please feel free to visit and tour the funeral home, and call us if you need immediate help planning a funeral or would like more information about our services.

History

Sitting area at Needham Funeral ServiceLocated on its original acreage at 520 Dundas St. in the heart of downtown London, Needham Funeral Service is considered a local landmark. The funeral home has been updated to suit the needs of the families we serve while maintaining an air of elegance and historical value.

A welcoming private home

Designed as a private home by William Robinson circa 1870, the original builder and owner was likely James H. Fraser of the law firm Fraser & Fraser. James was a member of the Queen’s Council, a status title given by the monarchy usually to barristers and recognized by the courts. His distinctive central London home was of the Italianate architectural style, characterized by rounded window and door openings, hipped roofs, strongly accentuated corners and cornice brackets.

The location evolves

After serving as a family home for about 50 years, the building sat vacant for a couple of years in the 1920s before becoming a Masonic Temple. Mizra Grotto Temple also served as a girls' school during the day (Miss Matthews School) and a Baptist church on Sundays. Other organizations and groups also rented space in the building until 1937 or 1938, when it became the location for Harrison & Skinner Funeral Home. Russell Needham purchased Harrison & Skinner Funeral Home in 1949 and renamed it Needham Funeral Service. His son, Lloyd, took over in the 1970s. Today, we are a member of the Dignity Memorial® network, the largest group of licensed funeral service providers in North America.

Amenities

Location

Cremation

Service

Religious & Cultural

Other

A beautiful bouquet of flowers

Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

1-800-Flowers

View arrangements

Bouquet of flowers on a cemetery

Remember the one you love

Honor the memory of your loved one with cemetery flower placement. You choose the flowers. You choose the months. We do the rest.

Learn More
A beautiful bouquet of flowers

Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

1-800-Flowers

View arrangements

Bouquet of flowers on a cemetery

Remember the one you love

Honour the memory of your loved one with cemetery flower placement. You choose the flowers. You choose the months. We do the rest.

Learn more

Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

View arrangements
A beautiful bouquet of flowers

Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

1-800-Flowers

View arrangements

Vintage photos scattered

Unable to find an obituary?

Not finding what you are looking for? Search for your loved one's obituary across any of our other locations.

A beautiful bouquet of flowers

Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

1-800-Flowers

View arrangements

Ratings & Reviews

Verified Customer Reviews

Since 2005, many of our customers have taken the time to tell us how we did each year via our Voice of the Customer program. Our star ratings and comments from families come directly from these surveys.

"We have had two experiences with Needham's services once for my grandmother over 15 years ago and recently for my mother. Two very different personalities but both services reflected who they were. We were very pleased with the professionalism and attention to detail."

jd-power-verified-checkmark Verified Cremation & Memorial Service Customer

June 2021

"Rebecca was amazing to work with, as was Bill"

jd-power-verified-checkmark Verified Burial & Memorial Service Customer

June 2021

"Everything was as planned and was accommodating to my every intention on how my son would have wanted his funeral. Thank You for being understanding, sympathetic, and just listening to me talk about my son to get an understanding of who he was. There are not enough words to say how the staff at Needham helped us through our devastating time."

jd-power-verified-checkmark Verified Burial & Memorial Service Customer

May 2021

"I would like to thank rebecca personally as she went above and beyond to ensure my mother had beautiful flowers for the service as the ones I ordered were delivered unacceptable, she directed me to a lovely florets who covered the cost entirely"

jd-power-verified-checkmark Verified Cremation & Memorial Service Customer

March 2021

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