Longtime Pitcairn funeral home merges with nearby family-owned business

In Pitcairn, the funeral home founded by Thomas Pearce had been a community fixture since 1929.

For the majority of that time, Chuck Bruna was a fixture at the business.

“I started here when I was a senior in high school, in 1962,” he said, his voice resonating with the pride of spending six decades on the job.

He did earn his associate degree from Point Park College and attended embalming school before returning as an apprentice. Eventually, he became the owner of William O. Pearce Funeral Home Inc. at 318 Wall Ave.

Now 77, Bruna has merged his business with Jobe Funeral Home and Crematory Inc., which has locations in Turtle Creek, Monroeville and Westmoreland County.

“Chuck’s joining our staff and will continue to serve the Pearce families through our locations in the surrounding areas,” James Jobe, his company’s owner and president, said. “We were very happy that Chuck chose myself and my wife, Christina Jobe, to carry on the Pearce legacy. With us having locations in neighboring communities, it was really a natural fit for everyone.”

The Jobe legacy reaches back even further than Pearce’s. In 1895, Elmer Jobe founded a mortuary, ambulance service, livery, stable and morgue in Turtle Creek, and five years later, he tendered the business to his younger brother, Royal Reese Jobe, who oversaw funerals and burial arrangements for the next half-century.

At one point, his employees included Thomas Pearce’s son William, whom Bruna knew as Bill.

“He got out of the service in ’45 and went to work for the Jobe Funeral Home in Turtle Creek. Then eventually he came up here with his dad,” Bruna said. The Pitcairn business then operated as Pearce and Son, even after Thomas’ death in the early 1950s, before eventually being named for William.

When William died in 1968, his wife continued the business under a widow’s license, with Bruna serving as supervisor. He took over ownership in 1998.

This year’s merger means that families usually served by Pearce will be accommodated at Jobe’s nearby locations, 445 Beatty Road in Monroeville and 118 Shaw Ave. in Turtle Creek. Bruna reports a positive experience in making the professional transition.

“It made me feel good that I’m still involved with everything,” he said.

As far as the personal transition, that may be a matter of getting used to a new schedule.

“I have more time on my hands than I had before, and it’s an odd feeling,” Bruna said. “My wife (Judy) keeps telling me, ‘It’ll get better. You’ll relax more now.’ I’ll find that out, I guess.”