It's a business that has been a part of his life since birth, where he had his first job as a young boy washing the funeral home's cars. Now, Edward Burke of Macomb is a full-time employee – and on Oct. 1, after his dad, Pat Burke, retires, will be a partner – of Dodsworth Funeral Home (DFH) in Macomb.
Burke, a 2019 Macomb High and 2023 Western Illinois University graduate, recently completed his year-long apprenticeship at DFH after graduating in January 2025 with his degree in mortuary science from Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Chicago. He is now a licensed funeral home director and embalmer, joining his dad, Eric Jameson and Ryan Thorman, also a 2019 MHS alumnus, in the family business, in which Pat and Eric's father, the late Larry Jameson, bought in 1983 from the Dodsworth/Wallen family. The funeral home, what was known for many years as Dodsworth-Piper-Wallen, was established in 1927.
'I started working funerals my senior year in high school, and I knew about that time that's what I wanted to do,' the younger Burke said. 'I didn't always really know, but I figured there was a good chance I'd go into the business.'
While he somewhat knew what career path he would probably take, he still wanted to follow a traditional college route first, along with continuing his love of golf. He earned a golf scholarship at WIU, where he also majored in law enforcement. It was that degree program that will come in handy now that he's also serving as Jameson's deputy coroner for the county. After his graduation from Western, Burke went onto Worsham, where his dad, both Larry and Eric, attended.
'I really do like helping people at what might be one of the hardest times of their lives,' he shared. 'They know they can lean on us to help them.' Burke already had a pretty good sense for the business as he had learned by watching for several years, and it was something he had just grown up around. But it's the younger generation know-how that Edward and Thorman bring to the business, which helps level it up, both Pat and Jameson shared. The two newest funeral directors bring a wealth of technology-related knowledge with them, which helps make everything from writing obituaries to invoicing more efficient and proficient, Pat and Jameson added.
'Plus, when we went to the recent Performing Arts Society Gala at Western, he (Edward) knew more people than I did,' Pat said. 'He and Ryan know a lot of the younger residents, and they understand that funerals are much different than what they used to be and can work with them to give them the less-than-traditional experience.'
According to Edward, being open to changes in the industry is essential for continued success. Back in the day, Dodsworth might have had a traditional visitation every night, with a burial several times a week. Today, people may want to have a cremation for their loved one and a celebration of life at a park or a place their family member loved. The up-and-coming funeral directors have learned that and can roll with it, Edward explained.
'We're bringing more options to the table and giving families what they want,' he noted.
As Eric and Patrick added, and Edward agreed, they're not in the business of saying 'no,' rather 'What do you want to do to honor your loved one?' And they make it happen.
How does one enter into the funeral home business, and learn to, quite frankly, work with the deceased? Edward quickly pointed out that the first time was a little 'weird,' but Eric made it easier as he explained everything step-by-step.
'It's completely normal to be a little uncomfortable in this line of work,' Eric stated. 'Either you can do it or you can't, and it takes time to learn.'
The trio also were quick to point out that the scope of what they do isn't just about 'working with the dead.' It's more about working with the living, and fulfilling their wishes. Helping them with paperwork, obituaries, answering questions related to benefits or what they need to do, just being there in their time of need, they added.
In addition to working at Dodsworth, as a rite of passage, Edward also lives on-site (as does Thorman at Martin-Hollis in Bushnell), but his apartment in the funeral home is a far cry better than the one his dad, and later, Eric, lived in during their younger days, which they called 'the dungeon.' And his home feels like his home, Edward said, with his friends even saying when they're over, they don't feel like they're in a funeral home.
While Edward is now on the job, his learning and education – which includes on-the-job training – isn't over, and won't be for many, many years. Illinois funeral home directors are required by the state to earn 24 hours of continuing education credits every two years to maintain their license. For the younger Burke, he intends to make Macomb his home, much like his father did when he moved here to attend college at Western before joining the business, and continue the Dodsworth tradition.
'My goal is to keep the legacy of my dad and Eric going, and to keep trying to make it better and to keep serving our communities the best that we can,' he said.
And as for Pat, seeing his son step into the role he stepped into 47 years ago, it's 'awesome.'
'To have my son follow in my footsteps is something I saw Eric do that with Larry and build on what his dad and I had created to make it even better,' Pat said. 'It's pretty cool that we have three generations here: I'm the old one, Eric is the middle one and Ryan and Eddie are the youngsters. I couldn't ask for a better success plan.'
