About

 History Of Dusckas Funeral Home and Cremations Services, Inc.

The founder of the Dusckas Funeral Home, Inc., Constantine "Gus" Dusckas, was born in Titusville, Pennsylvania, on July 22, 1915, the son of Greek immigrants. As a youth, Gus would help with family enterprises, one of them being candy-making. It has been noted that the Dusckas family had a close relationship with the Drake family of oil well fame. Because of the family's deep religious beliefs, young Gus got involved with many families who were in need and less fortunate. He knew that he was destined to choose a career helping people.

Moving to Erie after obtaining his Mortuary Science Degree, Gus purchased the current funeral home located at 2607 Buffalo Road in 1946. The sellers were the Kelly family, who ran it as an apartment house and had purchased it from the original owners (homestead for the McClelland Farm). The home had also served as part of the Underground Railroad during the Civil War.

In December of 1946, Gus opened the Dusckas Funeral Home. The first year saw three families trusting in Gus. He received two calls in a row and had to wait three more months before serving another family. To make ends meet, Gus dug wells and worked for the local casket company. Gus' two brothers would later go on to be prominent Erie physicians. Soon the Dusckas name was gaining recognition.

In 1978, Mr. Dusckas purchased a branch funeral home at 536 West Tenth Street from Mr. John Melzer. This building also contained much history. It was architectually designed by Buffalo Bill Cody's brother, C. Paxton Cody. The Cody Family continues to have ties to the Erie area.

In 1988, Constantine "Gus" Dusckas passed away, but the strong legacy of the Dusckas tradition was passed on to his daughter, Nancy.

In 1998, the Dusckas Funeral Home became affiliated with the Independent Care Group, Inc. This affiliation of seven leading funeral homes in Erie County strengthened Nancy's commitment to the value of family owned and operated funeral homes, as she continues to provide the highest standard of business ethics and professionalism while offering customized funeral arrangements at affordable prices.

Since the first day that Mr. Dusckas opened his doors to the Erie community, the Dusckas name has been synonymous with trust and dedication. The Dusckas Funeral Home now serves over 500 families annually and has an extensive Pre-Arrangement and follow-up program. The Dusckas Funeral Home continues to strengthen its commitments with many families who believe in the total service the staff provides. As one family member commented recently, "The Dusckas Funeral Home and its staff treat their profession more like a ministry rather than a business."