The mansion set on the banks of the Delaware River in Bristol Borough was built in 1875, but today itssignature yellow stucco exterior wraps within its walls the Wade Funeral Home, the Wade family’s residence, and carefully preserved evidence of its history.
Mark and Michele wasted no time when they bought the property in 1992 and founded the funeral home. Their immediate plans to best serve families in mourning took shape with a new larger viewing room and in back of that a balcony that looks out onto the river.
Practicality called for moving the first-floor kitchen up to the upstairs living quarters.
“In the new living quartersthe front parlors were designed to resemble a living room to give some comfort to families and visitors,” Mark said.
Over time, various occupants contributed to furnishings that the Wade family carefully preserves. Changes and repairs always require the approval of the borough’s Historical and Architectural Review Board (HARB).
Preserving the delicate glass sconces and the lighting fixtures hung on 13-foot ceilings on both floors (once gas, now electric) and the nine stained glass windows requires special skills. Even the outside requires expertise in maintenance and repairs, Mark said.
“Most of the slates are the originals, but a few had to be replaced. We call on local experts like Dave Girard, Bill Kline, and Carl Nelson to do necessary jobs,” he said.
Some stained glass windows need special attention.Currently, three of them have been sent out to be refurbished and stabilized. The restorer told the family that they were probably originals, and of high quality, with the multi-colored glass panes reflecting like jewels.
The property went for sheriff’s sale in 1888, bought for $8,000by William Howell, who never realized his plans to develop a bath resort. Clifford Anderson, the number three occupant, was newly sent from England to found a leather plant in Bristol. He eventually made his mark by becoming the town’s burgess (mayor, from 1917 to 1943).
Not long after his arrival in America, his success enabled him to go out on his own, founding the Bristol Patent Leather Company. Many of the rich furnishings in the home reflect the beauty and dedication his wealth could provide. He hired craftsmen from Germany to install the paneling and the mahogany fireplace mantel in the front first-floor parlor. He also had the wainscoting in the first and second floor hallways installed, and it is believed that the material came from his own plant.
Since the time the Wades embraced their commitment to people in mourning, they’ve been vigilant in caring for the treasures, and fielding those unexpected calls that come with their work. They still manage to participate in civic and social events in town.
Michele remembers being a lunch mother when the couple’s son, Luke, was a student at St. Mark School, the Wade property’s next-door neighbor.
She stands in the hallway as people file in to the funeral home to comfort to those close to a lost loved one.She’s been seen standing in the middle of Radcliffe St. to halt traffic as a funeral procession crosses over to nearby St. Mark Church.
She stood in the auditorium and cheered with fellow parishioners when St. Mark School was not included among the 49 parochial schools the Archdiocese of Philadelphia closed several years ago. Michele is also modest when speaking about her presence at viewings and funerals, saying she hopes that she offers a feeling of being with family, not like a business.
“I’m the support person. People are uncertain and I try to help them,” she said, adding that within her family, she also supportive.
“In the family, I also am the support person. I keep everybody calm. The family is the priority,” Michele said.
The Wades’ son Luke, is learning the business and hopes to keep it family operated.
Luke Wade graduated from Drexel University in 2021 with degrees in graphic design and interior design, and set out on the career for which his education prepared him. Yet today, he can be found at his father’s side preparing a deceased person for burial or consoling mourning family and friends.
It is a major step in an unexpected direction, and at the age of 25 his plans revolve around the future of the Wade Funeral Home, founded by his parents, Mark and Michele.
Luke grew up around funerals, lived in the family’s home on the second floor of the landmark yellow mansion on the banks of the Delaware River, played in the back yard with the river as a backdrop, and went to recess at St. Mark Parochial School, the Wade’s next door neighbor.As he matured, he prepared for a career in indoor design. degree
Then came an epiphany and Luke turned the corner that led to enrollment in Mercer County Community College’s Funeral Services program. His subjects were a far cry from his Drexel experience.
“We were taught about how funeral practices are changing. There are still traditional funerals, but the number of cremations are increasing. There is also a practice that is mostly on the West Coast, for now. It’s called a “green” funeral. The deceased is placed directly into the ground, or buried in a plain wooden casket,” he said.
During training, students are reminded that all of their procedures are done for the benefit of the survivors of the deceased. Great emphasis is placed on the families and the importance of getting to know them.It’s personal, Luke said, and while grief can’t e taken away, it can be eased by the attention.
Luke credits his parents for his change of heart and career choice.
“I grew up around this, but I began to see the value of what my parents were doing, but I was never involved any way. Over time, I came to see and appreciate what my parents are doing. It’s a new experiencefor me altogether,” Lukesaid.
And now that he’s part of the experience, he’s staying with it. His new goal, he said, is to make sure that Wade Funeral Home remains a family firm.
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