Our History
Our History
Our History
Two Proud Histories. One Shared Commitment to Families.
Every funeral home has a history, but behind every name is a story of people, communities, and the relationships that make them special. At Potti & Marc F. Burr Funeral Homes, our story brings together two longstanding traditions of funeral service in Northeast Ohio. While each has its own unique beginnings, both have helped shape the way we care for families today. Our history is something we're proud of, but we believe what matters most isn't simply how many years a name has been around. It's how we treat people, the trust we build, and the care we provide when families need us most.
The Burr Heritage: Six Generations of Funeral Service
The Burr name has been associated with funeral service since 1859, a history spanning more than 165 years and six generations. For Marc F. Burr, growing up around the funeral profession provided an early understanding of the importance of caring for others during some of life's most difficult moments. A lifelong resident of Chardon, Marc knew from a young age that he wanted to become a funeral director. After graduating from Chardon High School, he attended Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, before continuing his education at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. Marc spent more than 13 years serving families throughout Geauga County, developing his own approach to funeral service along the way. Those experiences helped shape his belief that families deserve more than professional guidance. They deserve someone who will listen, understand their wishes, and treat them with the same kindness and respect he would want for his own loved ones. While Marc is proud to be a sixth-generation funeral director, he has always believed that a family's trust must be earned through the care provided today, not simply through a name or a history. That philosophy would eventually become the foundation of a funeral business he could truly call his own.
The Potti Legacy: Serving Northeast Ohio Since 1931
The Potti family's history in funeral service began in 1931 in Ashtabula, Ohio. Over the decades, the family expanded its presence into Lake County, establishing funeral homes that would become familiar parts of the communities they served. The Potti name has particularly deep roots in Fairport Harbor, where historical records document Potti Bros. Funeral Home as early as the 1940s. In 1965, the family expanded into Madison, followed shortly thereafter by the establishment of a funeral home in Painesville. For generations, families throughout these communities turned to the Potti funeral homes to help them honor and remember the people they loved. The funeral homes became places where neighbors gathered, memories were shared, and families found comfort in being surrounded by those who cared about them. The Potti name represents an important part of Lake County's history, and preserving that heritage remains meaningful to us today.
A New Chapter Begins in 2018
In December 2018, Marc F. Burr began an exciting new chapter in his professional life when he independently purchased the three Potti Funeral Homes in Fairport Harbor, Madison, and Painesville. After years of working in funeral service, Marc welcomed the opportunity to establish a business of his own, one that reflected his personal values, his commitment to the community, and his belief in providing thoughtful, individualized care. The decision to retain the Potti name was intentional. Marc recognized the history, relationships, and trust that had been built throughout Lake County over many decades. He wanted to respect that legacy while introducing his own approach to serving families. With the establishment of Potti & Marc F. Burr Funeral Homes, two distinct histories came together under a new, independently owned business. For Marc, this was not simply a change in ownership or a new name on the sign. It was an opportunity to create something meaningful, combining years of experience with a fresh perspective on what funeral service could be. From the beginning, his goal has been simple: to provide families with compassionate, personal service in an environment where they feel comfortable, respected, and genuinely cared for.
Growing with the Communities We Serve
Since purchasing the funeral homes in 2018, Marc has continued to invest in the communities of Lake and Geauga counties. In 2020, he began expanding his funeral services into his hometown of Chardon, where his roots and personal connections run especially deep. In 2022, Marc purchased the former Knights of Columbus property adjacent to the Painesville funeral home. The building was transformed into Events on the Avenue, a welcoming gathering space where families and friends can come together for celebrations, special occasions, and meaningful moments. Today, Marc is continuing that investment with plans for a new funeral home in Chardon.
For someone who grew up in Chardon, attended its schools, and is now raising his own children there, opening a funeral home in his hometown is especially meaningful. The new facility represents another step in Marc's vision of providing families with comfortable, welcoming surroundings, modern conveniences, and the personal attention they deserve. While our facilities and services continue to evolve, our commitment remains unchanged: to make families feel supported, understood, and cared for every step of the way.
Rooted in the Communities We Call Home
For Marc, funeral service has always been about relationships. He believes that being a funeral director means more than serving a community professionally. It means being part of that community, supporting its traditions, and taking the time to know the people who call it home. Marc and his wife, Ashley, are raising their sons, Warner and Franklin, in Chardon, where they enjoy being involved in the activities and organizations that bring their community together.
Marc proudly serves as a board member and emcee of the Geauga County Maple Festival, an event that has been a cherished Chardon tradition for generations. He also enjoys coaching youth athletics. In 2026, he helped coach the Chardon Middle School seventh-grade football team, where his oldest son, Warner, played. Marc also coaches Warner and Franklin in St. Mary Chardon CYO basketball and Chardon Recreation Baseball. Whether he's coaching from the sidelines, participating in the Maple Festival, attending a community event, or helping a family through a difficult time, Marc values the friendships and relationships that come from being actively involved in the place he calls home. Those connections are a big part of what makes his approach to funeral service so personal.
The families who walk through our doors are often people we know, people we see around town, or friends of friends. We understand the importance of those relationships, and we never take the trust placed in us for granted.
Honoring the Past. Building Our Own Future.
We are proud of the history behind the Potti and Burr names. The Potti family's funeral service tradition began in 1931, while Marc's personal heritage in the profession reaches back six generations to 1859. Both histories have helped shape the business we are today. But our story is about more than the past. It is also about the relationships we are building, the communities we are investing in, and the families who continue to place their confidence in us.
Since establishing Potti & Marc F. Burr Funeral Homes in 2018, Marc has worked to create a funeral service experience that reflects his own beliefs: that every family deserves to be heard, every life deserves to be honored, and every person deserves to be treated with genuine kindness and respect. We understand that no two families are alike, and we believe funeral arrangements should reflect the individuality of the person being remembered.
Whether a family chooses a traditional funeral, a personalized celebration of life, or a simple cremation, our commitment is to provide thoughtful guidance without pressure, compassion without judgment, and care that comes from the heart. As we look toward the future, we're grateful for the families who have entrusted us with their loved ones and for the opportunity to continue serving the communities we proudly call home. Our history has helped bring us here. The trust of our families is what inspires us to keep moving forward.
Two Proud Histories. One Enduring Commitment.
Potti & Marc F. Burr Funeral Homes
Where Family Matters.
