Lakeside Memorial Funeral Home - Our Heritage

Lakeside Memorial Funeral Home first opened its doors in 1970 thanks to a windfall for owner Anthony Castiglia.

The licensed funeral director was running Surfside Pizzeria on Route 5 in Hamburg when he won $25,000 in a lottery.  Realizing the winnings were an opportunity of a lifetime to finally enter his field, Anthony found the perfect location down the road.  He bought the former home of Clara Milas, who had owned and operated popular bridal boutiques in and around Buffalo, and opened his own funeral home.

Anthony went on to become one of Hamburg's most prominent businessmen, active in many community organizations.  He served as a volunteer on the Board of Directors for Erie Community College, Columbus Hospital and the Erie County Medical Center.  He also served on the Horizons Waterfront Commission, as President of the Federation of Italian American Societies and was involved with the Conservative Party. 

Although it was Anthony's dream to expand the funeral home so he could further serve the families of the community - he died in January 1994 at the age of 58.

Anthony's son Charles then became President of Lakeside Memorial Funeral Home, Inc. and decided to fulfill his father's dream by honoring his vision.  The funeral home underwent a massive renovation that was completed in 2000.

Lakeside Memorial Funeral Home doubled in size to 7-thousand square feet.  It features a 1,500 square foot chapel, a lighted skylight, several unique hand painted murals on the walls and a quiet room for children - equipped with a t.v., video games and a fireplace.

In 2001, Lakeside Memorial Funeral Home received the prestigious honor of membership in the International Order of the Golden Rule (OGR).  It was only one of two funeral homes in all of western New York to receive such an honor. Also in 2007, OGR awarded the Golden Exemplary Service Award to Lakeside Memorial Funeral Home for providing the best service in the country to the families it serves.

The International Order of the Golden Rule is an international association of independently owned and operated funeral homes located in the U.S. and Canada.  To achieve membership, funeral homes must adhere to the association’s highest level of conduct that guides their business practices as well as adhering to a set of standards that requires its members to provide dignified, caring services at fair and reasonable prices.

On October 9, 2012, Lakeside Memorial Funeral Home, Inc., of Hamubrg, was honored by the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) with the 2012 Pursuit of Excellence Award during its International Convention & Expo in Charlotte, NC. Only 164 firms, nationwide and abroad, received this prestigious recognition for adhering to strict ethical and professional standards and for providing unsurpassed service to families and communities, placing Lakeside Memorial Funeral Home among an elite group of funeral service professionals. Lakeside was the only firm in Western New York to receive this incredible honor this year.

"Our commitment is to the families we serve," says Charles Castiglia, "and we are dedicated to providing quality and caring service for residents in our area who need us at a very difficult time in their lives."

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.