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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

Plan a Simple Cremation

Simple can still mean exceptional. Let us show you how.

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A beautiful bouquet of flowers

Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

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Bouquet of flowers on a cemetery

Remember the one you love

Honour the memory of your loved one with cemetery flower placement.

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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.

 cemetery-flowers-logo

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.

"During this most difficult time, Rebecca and her team went above and beyond to make sure things were just as we wanted them to be for my dear Mom. Would highly recommend them to anyone wanting a professional and dignified funeral for their loved one!"

Verified customer reviews Verified Cremation Customer

February 2022

"Bill was very kind and helpful. I tell all my friends that they need go go to Needhams and ask for Bill"

Verified customer reviews Verified Cremation Customer

February 2022

"Bill and staff were very responsive to all phone calls and concerns. Thanks so much. Very friendly, polite and professional, personable, and easily approachable."

Verified customer reviews Verified Cremation & Memorial Service Customer

January 2022

"Yes, the special attention to myself and my deceased wife, regarding the decor, flowers, and mostly the picture of my loved one."

Verified customer reviews Verified Burial & Memorial Service Customer

November 2021

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