HONESDALE, PA — After more than eight decades of family tradition and generations of service to the Honesdale community, the Arthur A. Bryant Funeral Home, located at 1228 North Main Street in Honesdale Borough, officially closed its doors on Friday, November 6.

For Arthur A. Bryant, the decision marks the conclusion of a lifetime devoted to funeral service and the closing of a family business established by his father, Arthur E. Bryant, in the 1940s.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Art became a Licensed Funeral Director in 1979. Alongside his father, he was one of the original founders of the Honesdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Both graduated from the first EMT training course offered at Wayne Memorial Hospital.

With recent health challenges and a cancer diagnosis, the decision to close his practice has not come easily. Rather than simply selling the business to another Funeral Director, Bryant has chosen to personally recommend that the families who have entrusted him with their care turn to Edward R. Howell, owner and operator of Howell Family Funeral Home, Inc., located at 269 Belmont Street in Waymart.

“Edward is no stranger to the families I have served. He knows nearly all of them personally. He is a well-known, respected, and trusted Funeral Director who has deep roots in this community. I know his character, his commitment to this profession, and I have complete confidence in the way he cares for people,” Bryant explained.

Throughout his decades in the profession, Bryant has witnessed significant changes in the way families choose funeral services. He believes people today are increasingly choosing a Funeral Director rather than simply choosing a funeral home.

“People want someone they know and trust,” he said. “They want a Funeral Director who will take the time to know their family and genuinely care about them. At the end of the day, it isn’t about the building. It’s about the person guiding them on the journey.”

A Relationship That

Began More Than

20 Years Ago

For Edward R. Howell, receiving this recommendation is particularly meaningful because his relationship with Arthur Bryant extends far beyond their professional association.

Their friendship began in August 2003, following the death of Howell’s mother. Howell was just 14 years old. During that difficult time, Bryant became much more than the Funeral Director who served his family. He became a friend, mentor, and important influence in Howell’s life.

Bryant’s compassion and professionalism witnessed by Howell helped inspire him to pursue funeral service as his life’s work.

Both men are graduates of Simmons Institute of Funeral Service and Mortuary Science in Syracuse, New York. After graduating in 2010, Howell completed his one-year apprenticeship at the Arthur A. Bryant Funeral Home, with Bryant serving as his preceptor. Howell was the only intern Bryant ever took on throughout his career.

In 2014, Howell purchased the former Jenkins Funeral Home in Waymart and established Howell Family Funeral Home, Inc., which he has owned and operated ever since.

“Art has been an important part of my life since I was a young teenager. He was there for my family during one of the most difficult experiences of my childhood. He welcomed me into his funeral home, taught me, and helped prepare me for the very profession I am privileged to serve in today. To now have him entrust me with the families he has cared for throughout his lifetime is something I consider an extraordinary honor and responsibility,” Howell said.

Continuity of Care and Preservation of Records

As part of the transition, the historical records of the Arthur A. Bryant Funeral Home, along with existing prearranged funeral files, have been entrusted to Howell Family Funeral Home to ensure continued access and assistance for families.

Although families remain entirely free to select the funeral home and Funeral Director of their choosing, Bryant encourages those who have relied upon him throughout the years to consider his personal recommendation and contact Edward Howell for future funeral needs, existing prearrangements, or access to historical records.