Eric L. Fithyan

Owner, Funeral Director and Remembrance Planner
Chambers & James Funeral, Pet & Cremation Services

Facebook – /chamberjamesfuneralhomes
LinkedIn – Eric Fithyan

Written by Samantha Cart

Growing up in Wellsburg, WV, Eric Fithyan always knew he wanted to be a funeral director because they were professional, well dressed and clean cut. His first job washing cars at a local funeral home developed into working with the local florist, which led to his first professional job with Heffner Funeral Homes.

“I learned so much about life and work at these jobs,” he recalls. “I embraced it—from washing cars to delivering flowers with a smile to running through the cemetery with grave blankets. I made maps of the cemetery the florist still uses today. My biggest challenge growing up was trying not to run from me and just be me. I realized I needed to use my talents for my life, and that’s when things began to fall into place.”

In 2011, at the age of 27, Fithyan purchased the Chambers Funeral Home in Wellsburg and the James Funeral Home in Follansbee. With degrees in funeral service management, business and embalming, Fithyan is anything but ordinary, which made him the perfect candidate for restoring the historic Chambers and James funeral homes. In desperate need of repair, he didn’t just renovate the physical structures but the operations and image of the businesses as well. His spirit of giving and service are personified by the role the funeral homes now play in their respective communities.

Today, the businesses host a variety of worthwhile programs, including Operation Sweaters for Veterans, Wreaths Across America, Operation Valentine, the Center for Organ Recovery and Education, an annual 9/11 memorial walk and American flag retirement services. “Many things keep me motivated, but I think the number one item would be finding new and better ways to serve the community,” he says. “I work every day on new ways to, as my friends say, give red carpet service.”

In early 2016, James Funeral Home turned 100 years old, and Fithyan used the occasion to further involve the community and honor one of his favorite causes. The funeral home held a sold-out event with food, door prizes and live entertainment, and all profits benefited the American Cancer Society’s local Relay for Life. “I give back to my community because the community has given so much to me,” he says. “It is like the circle of life. I give more and more because people have increased my business.”

Fithyan’s community service extends far beyond the funeral home doors, however. He serves as president of the Wellsburg Kiwanis Club and the West Virginia Funeral Directors Association-Ohio District and as a board member for the Follansbee Chamber of Commerce, United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley, Brooke Hancock Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission and Brooke-Hancock Episcopal Ministries. He is the chairman of the Wellsburg Christmas parade; a vestry member, senior warden and substitute organist of Christ Episcopal Church and an AmeriCorps reading partner. Fithyan is a member of the school improvement councils for Brooke High School, Follansbee Middle School, Wellsburg Primary School and Colliers Primary School, and he serves as the team organizer and public relations coordinator for Relay for Life of Brooke and Hancock Counties.

In addition, Fithyan brought Before I Die, a global art project, to Wellsburg in 2014 to create a dialogue not about death but life. He has since adapted the project for other venues, creating an “I Want to Become . . .” wall for local elementary schools and a “Cancer Won’t Stop Me From . . .” wall, which hundreds of people have signed at the community’s Relay for Life events.

Under his leadership, Chambers & James Funeral, Pet & Cremation Services was presented with the Pursuit of Excellence Award by the National Funeral Directors Association in 2015 and 2016. The only West Virginia funeral home in history to win this international award, Fithyan’s commitment to the community played a large role in landing the honor both years.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve the community that I have always called home,” he says. “In the funeral service industry, this opportunity does not come for many. It has been a hard journey, but because West Virginia is my home, that makes it a little easier.”

What is your favorite … ?

Color – Blue
Food – Pizza, chips and dip and Diet Coke
Cartoon Character – George Jetson
Ice Cream – Vanilla Dippin’ Dots
Animal – Tiger
Book – “The Celebrity Experience”
App – 7 Weeks
Midnight Snack – Brown sugar
TV Show – “Two Broke Girls,” “Law & Order” and NBC Nightly News
Smell – Strawberry
Car – Lincoln MKT
Pet – Cat
Place – Couch
Small Local Restaurant – Station Grill in Wellsburg
Season – Fall
Era – 50s
West Virginia Location – Cooper’s Rock