Sarasota funeral home undertakes expansion

SARASOTA — Toale Brothers Funeral Homes & Crematory, one of the oldest continuously running business in Sarasota, has expanded into Venice with a new acquisition.

The company, according to a release, purchased Ewing Funeral Home in Venice. Terms of the deal weren't released.

Toale Brothers now has four locations in the Sarasota-Bradenton market, the release states. “We couldn't be more excited about the acquisition,” Toale Brothers President and CEO Jason Toale says in the statement. “Venice is a wonderful community and we appreciate the opportunity to serve families in pre-planning and at their time of loss.”

George Kalbfleisch, who owned Ewing Funeral Home, will stay on with the company. The business was founded in 1969 by Tom Ewing, and Kalbfleisch's relationship with the Toale family goes back to 1964, the release states.

“Of all the offers I have received from other funeral homes to buy my business, this is the first time it has felt right,” Kalbfleisch says in the statement. “We share the same values and commitment to customer service and community. Toale Brothers is big enough that it can take over the business seamlessly and continue our tradition of good service.”

Sarasota resident George Thacker founded Toale Brothers in 1912, and the Toale family bought the business in 1948. The business is now in its third generation of leaders, with Jason Toale and his brother, Jeff Toale, who is vice president.