Personalized funerals

Our mission at Trull Funeral Home & Cremation Centre is to create personalized funerals and memorials. This approach keeps us open to traditional religious rites as well as contemporary gatherings that deeply reflect a person's life. That means that whether you want a basic cremation with ashes scattered in a personally meaningful place, a funeral in our cozy chapel with cemetery burial nearby, or a modern celebration of life with live music, favorite foods and a send-off that expresses the passions of yourself or your loved one, we are happy to deliver.

Want an afternoon ice cream social? Or maybe an evening wine and cheese gathering is a better fit. Were you thinking about a hockey-themed funeral complete with attendees all in hockey jerseys and personalized pucks as takeaways? If you can imagine it, we can make it happen.

Cremation services

Not everyone knows that there are many cremation options. If you are interested in cremation, the funeral home team can explain the process and different options. From a direct cremation without a memorial service or a witness cremation to a full funeral service before or after the cremation and more, we help you understand this increasingly common choice—and handle all of the cremation arrangements.

Here for you

Trull Funeral Home & Cremation Centre is located at 1111 Danforth Ave., on the Bloor/Danforth Subway line, 3 minutes from the Donlands Subway station. We are 30 minutes from Toronto Pearson International Airport, 15 minutes from Union Station and 10 minutes from Danforth GO Train Station. There is plenty of parking available at the funeral home.

Please contact us if you need immediate assistance, wish to visit us or if you would like more information about our products and services.

History

Lorne Trull, founder of Trull Funeral Homes, was born in 1894 on the family farm near Bowmanville, Ontario. He travelled to Toronto at the age of 18. Arriving in the city without any money, he found employment with an automotive garage.

It wasn’t long before he was able to establish his 1st funeral home by renting a small store at 742 Broadview Ave. in the east end of Toronto, just south of Danforth Avenue. The store was about 12 feet wide by 40 feet deep, and within that compact area, he set up an office, casket display room and preparation room.

Lorne’s father, John, offered financial assistance and helped with the business, originally called Trull Burial Company. John eventually sold the family farm to keep his son in business. Later, in 1912, Lorne formed a partnership with William Booth. They purchased McLaughlin Ambulance and began to advertise their ambulance business, but the partnership dissolved a year later.

Evelyn Trull began helping at the funeral home soon after marrying Lorne in 1917. 

Trull Funeral Home expands

Lorne served in the Air Force from 1917 to 1918. Afterward, he built his 1st complete funeral home at 172 Danforth Ave., with separate rooms for an office, preparation room, casket selection room and a washroom. It also included a large room where funerals were held.

In 1925, Lorne sold the property and business to a fellow funeral director, Ralph Day, who later became mayor of Toronto. Lorne then moved to 1100 Danforth Ave., out of range of his contractual obligation to Day. He re-established the Trull Burial Company at his new location, where he operated for 6 years.

In 1931, the Trull family relocated the funeral home to an unfinished apartment building across the street, at the current Danforth location. Lorne soon completed construction, incorporating all the components he had envisioned, including a large funeral service room, 3 small slumber rooms, a side entrance to accommodate flower deliveries and a 3-bedroom upper-level apartment. He also re-established his ambulance service.

A 2nd funeral home is added

In 1938, Lorne purchased property just inside Toronto city limits to build a 2nd funeral home. The 2704 Yonge St. location was considered “way out in the country” at that time. Not long afterward, builders began to construct houses in the area, and the “north” emerged as a district of Toronto.

Lorne died of a heart attack in 1941, when his son Douglas was only 16 years old.

The funeral home passes from father to son

Douglas began his funeral service career by helping out at his family’s funeral homes after school and on weekends and holidays. He joined the Royal Canadian Navy volunteer reserve and was involved in anti-submarine detection from 1943 to 1945. Following that, he attended the University of Toronto Victoria College, graduating in 1948. In 1949, Douglas enrolled in a 12-month course at Cleveland’s College of Mortuary Science; he returned to Toronto in 1950 to serve his apprenticeship at the family’s Yonge Street location. He secured his Ontario funeral director’s license that year.

By 1952, Douglas had begun to take over the reins as general manager, deciding that renovations were necessary. Construction took place at the Danforth location in the late 1950s, with the addition of 2 large slumber rooms upstairs. Douglas also enlarged the business office and selection room, built an additional arrangement office, then enlarged the staff quarters upstairs, along with the smoking and coffee lounge. Today, the funeral home offers a 100-seat chapel, 6 visitation rooms, including 4 singles and 1 double, 2 arrangement offices, 2 lounges and a garage.

Today, Trull Funeral Homes is a member of the Dignity Memorial® network of funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers. Lorne and Douglas Trull were enterprising men who accomplished a great deal in their lifetimes. Both had dual careers: Lorne as politician and funeral director; Douglas as a chiropractor and funeral director.

With more than 100 years behind Trull Funeral Homes, the foundation of hard work and determination that these 2 men built continues to thrive today.

View Other Toronto-ON Locations