Business Details
50+ Years
experience
Emergency
services
Open 24/7
always available
Trusted Funeral & Cremation Services in Maryland
Myers-Durboraw Funeral Home has served families in Maryland since 1936, rooted in a legacy of compassion and professionalism. Founded by John Myers, Jr., the business established a reputation for creating warm, homelike environments to support grieving families. Over decades, through ownership transitions to Robert Myers, Justin Durboraw, and now James Schwartz, the company has expanded to three locations while maintaining its core philosophy of dignified, personalized care. The team specializes in traditional funerals, cremation services, and veteran honors, emphasizing transparency in pricing and options for pre-planning.With expertise in grief counseling and memorialization, the staff prioritizes individualized tributes, including tribute videos and live-streaming. Accredited professionals handle all logistics, from permits to military honors, ensuring families receive comprehensive support during difficult times. The business remains committed to community service, offering grief resources and a year-long support program. Its facilities blend historic charm with modern accessibility, reflecting a dedication to honoring lives with respect and care.
Services
Traditional Services
Cremation Services
Veteran Services
Personalization Options
Pre-Planning Services
Details
- Year established: 1936
Highlights and features
- We offer personalized memorial services tailored to individual life stories.
- Our team provides specialized veteran funeral honors and documentation assistance.
- 24/7 availability for immediate need services during unexpected losses.
- Experienced staff with multi-generational expertise in funeral care.
- Transparent pricing with no pressure to purchase additional merchandise.
What people say
Compassionate care
Personalized service
Supportive staff
Transparent pricing
Memorial customization
Services
Traditional Services
Myers-Durboraw Funeral Home provides traditional funeral services with customizable visitations, chapel or off-site ceremonies, and graveside options. Families receive guidance on selecting caskets, coordinating clergy, and arranging military honors. The team ensures all legal documentation and permits are properly filed while offering grief support resources. Services emphasize personalized tributes through music, scripture, and life celebrants trained to facilitate healing experiences.
Cremation Services
The company offers cremation services with flexible memorialization choices, including traditional funerals followed by cremation or private urn scattering. Families may select permanent placement in columbarium niches or burial plots. The staff coordinates tribute videos, keepsakes, and live-streaming for remote attendees. Comprehensive packages include cremation fees, memorial services, and urn selection assistance while maintaining transparent pricing structures.
Veteran Services
Specialized veteran services include assistance with VA benefit applications, flag presentations, and military funeral honors. The team coordinates Taps performances, rifle details, and color guard ceremonies. Staff members help families obtain government-provided headstones and burial allowances. Documentation support covers discharge papers and eligibility verification for national cemetery interment, ensuring veterans receive full recognition for their service.
Personalization Options
Funeral directors create personalized memorials using tribute videos, photo displays, and customized keepsakes. The staff facilitates unique service elements reflecting the deceased's hobbies, career, or cultural background. Options include live-streaming for distant family members and customized obituary publications. Personalization extends to urn selection and memorial merchandise that captures individual life stories.
Pre-Planning Services
Pre-planning counselors help individuals document funeral wishes through written directives and prefunding options. The process reduces family decision-making burdens during emotional times. Services include reviewing cemetery property ownership and completing advance directives. Counselors meet clients at home or office locations to ensure convenient access to pre-need planning resources.
People
James T. Schwartz
President / Owner / Licensed Mortician
James Schwartz leads Myers-Durboraw Funeral Home with over 20 years of funeral service experience. A Stevenson University graduate, he joined the company in 2021 and actively participates in local Lions Club and funeral directors associations. He resides in Sykesville with his family.
Christopher M. Boggs
Chief Operating Officer / Licensed Mortician
Christopher Boggs oversees operations as a licensed mortician in Maryland and Pennsylvania. A 2019 graduate of John A. Gupton College, he serves as a Brownie Leader volunteer and participates in Masonic organizations. He resides in York County, PA with his family.
Rev. Dave Meador
Licensed Supervising Mortician
Rev. Dave Meador brings 40+ years of pastoral experience to funeral services. A graduate of Millikin University and Winebrenner Theological Seminary, he has served Carrollton Church of God since 1999. He earned mortuary science training from CCBC in 2010.
Jill Trail
Licensed Mortician
Jill Trail, a first-generation funeral director, teaches mortuary restorative art at CCBC. She joined Myers-Durboraw in 2021 after 10 years at a family firm. An active dog rescue volunteer, she authored a children's book featuring her disabled rescue dog.
Justin Durboraw
Licensed Mortician
Justin Durboraw co-founded Myers-Durboraw Funeral Home in 2003 after graduating from Catonsville Community College. Holding licenses in three states, he previously served on local nonprofit boards and church committees before relocating to Nebraska in 2021.
Questions
What services do funeral directors perform?
Funeral directors handle body transfer, embalming, arrangement consultations, document filing, clergy coordination, and service management while providing grief support resources.
Can I plan funeral services in advance?
Yes, pre-planning services allow documenting wishes through written directives and optional prefunding, reducing family decision-making burdens during emotional times.
What veteran funeral benefits are available?
Veterans may receive burial flags, national cemetery interment, headstones, and financial allowances through VA programs, with staff assistance in application processes.
Do you offer cremation services?
Yes, cremation options include traditional funerals followed by cremation, memorial services, and private urn scattering with personalized tribute options.
How can I personalize a funeral service?
Personalization options include tribute videos, photo displays, customized keepsakes, live-streaming, and memorial merchandise reflecting the deceased's life story.
What information should I bring to arrangement conferences?
Bring advance directives, military discharge papers, cemetery documents, deceased's personal details, and recent photographs for efficient service planning.
