John J.P. Whelan founded the Whelan Funeral Home in 1925. A Licensed Funeral Director since 1900, he saw the value of offering funeral services in a home. This provided bereaved families a chance to gather in a comfortable and familiar environment.

His son, John P. "Jack" Whelan followed in his father's footsteps and continued to create traditions that concentrated on individual families rather than the volume of services performed. With the welcome addition of his son Patrick J. Whelan in the early 60's, Whelan & Son began serving local families from generation to generation.

Four generations later, J.P Whelan's great-grandson, Sean Copeland, continues these traditions. "I joined the firm in 1990, and the partnership was a special one as three generations of Whelan's were working side by side," says Sean Copeland.

Unique to most large cities, Whelan Funeral Home is proud to be able to stay under the radar of some of the large funeral conglomerates that are a fact in urban areas. "We serve one family at a time, and provide the individual attention those generations have come to rely on," says Sean Copeland. "I have a number of people attending visitations that ask if this is a 'private funeral home,' or if we have just opened as they have never noticed our funeral home before."

The intimate and recently updated facilities, which are located in a lovely downtown Ottawa Victorian home, encourage families to truly feel a comfort and trust in remembering a loved one. "I am honoured to maintain the traditions established by my great-grandfather Whelan, my Grampa "Jack" and my uncle Patrick; our family calling has been and will continue to be about serving people in need with personal care and attention," says Sean Copeland.

Whatever your needs, from a simple service in the funeral home or at a local church, full visitation or memorial services, or direct cremation and burial services, the Whelan Funeral Home's staff will take the time to explore the options that are right for each individual family.