Our Heritage

Our Heritage

Wm. Kipp Funeral Home Limited is the longest established family owned and operated funeral home in Paris located in a century-plus home reminiscent of an English manor on Paris’ most traveled and historic north-south street. Built in 1886, “Claremont” as named by the original owner Captain Peter Cox, became a funeral home in the early 1950’s. We are proud of our hometown participation as an integral part of the Paris and area communities since 1963. 

In the winter of 1947, Wm. L. Kipp (Bill Sr.) and his young family arrived in Paris employed by the Cummings Family to assist at their furniture store, ambulance service and funeral home operations. Bill Sr. obtained his Funeral Directors licence in 1948 from the Banting Institute and together with his wife, Elizabeth (Betty) P. Kipp, founded the Wm. Kipp Funeral Home. Operating on a shoestring budget, the Kipps and their six children moved into 11 Jury Street, Paris, which served as a family home and a funeral home commencing operations in the fall of 1963. Once the business started to increase and capital investment in the building became necessary, several additions were added. In 1967 a family room, kitchen, washroom and single-car garage were added at the rear of the building and in 1973 a new entrance including a washroom and work office were added.

Following good business growth and several additions to the century-plus old farmhouse together with the eminent arrival of son William E. Kipp (Bill Jr.) to the establishment, the existing location at 184 Grand River Street North (the former Bruce B. Smith Funeral Home, Smith-Thompson Funeral Home and later the R.A. Collins Funeral Home) was purchased in February 1979. After several modifications to the existing building, the newly relocated Wm. Kipp Funeral Home was opened in the spring of 1979 and the former Jury Street funeral home was reverted into a home for Bill Sr., Betty and twin daughters Ruthanne and Suzanne.

Bill Jr. obtained his Funeral Directors Licence With Honours in 1982 from Humber College, Etobicoke enabling Bill Jr. to provide funeral services to the community.

Shortly after Bill Jr. returned from Funeral Service education program, Bill Sr. and Bill Jr. realized the essential need for more visitation and funeral space to meet the growing demands of the community and emphasize the desired effect of providing a modern home-like environment for the families being served.

“CONSTRUCTION” was the operative word for the 80’s and early ‘90’s.

Bill Jr. called on his engineering experience earned at the University of Waterloo where he obtained his Bachelor of Applied Science in Civil Engineering in 1975 and later with the Saskatchewan Department of Highways in Saskatoon during the mid to late 1970’s. 

The Master Reconstruction Plan was envisaged to provide a comprehensive outline of future changes so that when one part was completed it didn’t have to be changed or redone again. It was anticipated to take about a decade to complete.

In the early 1980’s, the first objective of the Master Reconstruction Plan (MRP) would be the relocation of the casket selection room from the main level to the renovated lower level allowing for an additional visitation room (for a total of three) and additional seating for funeral services. However in order to do this, the antiquated preparation room would have to be moved into the old coal room that was previously utilized as a storage room since anyone over 5 feet total would have to bend over to access it. The floor through out the existing basement was lowered and a new modern preparation room was installed to provide a safe hygienic atmosphere. At this time, the ancient “knob and tube” wiring through out the building was updated to provide a safe environment and facilitate future expansion.  

Bill Jr. brought computers on stream in 1986 when the first hard-drive appeared in order to handle our accounting and record keeping requirements. Bill Jr. and his wife Christine purchased the shares of the company in 1986 and 1987 from Bill Sr. and Betty.

As the family business continued to grow, two years later in August of 1988 Ruthanne Kipp (Bill Sr.’s daughter and Bill Jr.’s sister) joined the family staff obtaining her Funeral Directors Licence in 1991.

Again in 1988, the MRP was utilized to satisfy the needs of the families we were providing services for. As always, the largest consideration during our reconstruction was not to interfere with on-going services.

The warm weather in 1988 heralded the first stage of this construction. An addition to the east end of the building that could be added with minimal disruption of services and included the following:

a 140 seat chapel (together with use of part of the original building provided additional seating for over a total of over 200 in the same room
lounge facilities for use during visitation and post-funeral receptions including a kitchen and two washrooms, this reception area was expanded in 2009. Currently we can accommodate receptions for 125 persons.
and expansion of the casket selection room to provide a large choice of caskets.
The second phase of this construction was to relocate the main entrance of the east end of the original building to the west end to facilitate access to the interior of the funeral home and also have central access from the proposed enlarged parking lot. This work meant utilizing the new addition as a temporary entrance and using the new lounge facilities and expanded casket selection room. Our work office was relocated from the back of the main level to the first room in the original basement allowing easy access to the proposed new foyer.

Included in the new large foyer were a donation reception area, a wheelchair accessible ramp, a wheelchair accessible washroom and a new private consultation room for pre-need and at-need funeral arrangements. A car-washing garage was added connecting the main building to the coach house which also allowed inside transferring.

The last phase of this construction was the redesign and enlargement of the parking lot. Allowing convenient parking during visitation and highly functional parking during funeral services for over 60 vehicles.

With a good portion of our families coming from the village of Ayr and area, the need for an up-to-date funeral home here was apparent since the former Ball Funeral Home on Swan Street closed in 1970 leaving the community without a funeral home. With Ruth and her husband Don Hillman living in Ayr and desiring to provide the village with funeral services, in June 1990 our family purchased the former Calvary Church on Northumberland Street.

As we were completing the final renovations at our Paris location, the renovations in Ayr were started. The existing chapel was enlarged to provide pews with a seating capacity of over 150 and a casket selection room, a preparation room and washrooms were relocated on the lower level. An at-grade main entrance and a large visitation room was newly constructed next to the chapel, which is also utilized for additional funeral service seating of 70. A modern lounge and kitchen were located in the lower level with a heated garage attached at the rear of the building. A paved parking lot is shared with the former Calvary Church next door.

After a year of reconstruction, the official opening was held on June 2, 1991with the first funeral service (which was a double service) later that same month for Myrtle Alice Kipp and her son Malcolm Roswell Kipp who had died the following day after his mother’s death. 

In 1998 the rooms of the original Paris building were renovated, redecorated and new broadloom throughout. A custom designed skylight was incorporated into the ceiling of the round room to enhance the interior lighting and a fireplace was added to reflect a home-like atmosphere. The air conditioning was also upgraded throughout the original building. At this time the exterior brick of the building was also cleaned for the first time in over a century, the mortar joints were repointed and the exterior trim painted.

Jason Vernooy is presently the Managing Director at the Ayr Chapel, Wm. Kipp Funeral Home.

If you have any questions please contact us.

Our Valued Staff

Jason Vernooy

Owner & Funeral Director
Jason grew up in the Drumbo/Ayr on a tobacco farm owned by his parents John and Mary Vernooy. In this area Jason played and coached baseball and hockey. He attended Humber College and graduated in 1994 with Diploma in Funeral Service Education. After working for many years in a Corporate Funeral Home in Kitchener and Toronto, he purchased the Wm. Kipp Funeral Homes in Paris and Ayr in 2005.
His hobbies include Curling, Golf and Motorcycling.

Steven Brunton

Funeral Director
Steve Brunton , Born 1962 in Paris Ontario and raised on a farm at Etonia, west of Paris. I was schooled in Burford and then Paris for Secondary education. Upon completion, I began my working career at Vincent Farm Equipment, Ayr, to which I moved to and live to this day. Upon completing my schooling and licensing as a Funeral Director from Humber College in 1985 I was employed in Waterloo and now have come home to my roots. My wife Ann, (nee Schmidt), of 33 years have 2 grown and married children and 1 grandson, with more on the way. I have committed 40 plus years to the Ayr Paris Band as well as 30 years to the Ayr Fire Department and a long time board member of Christ Anglican Church, Ayr. It will be my privilege to serve the families I have known, as well as looking forward to meeting and serving the families of Paris, Ayr and the surrounding areas.

Bill Kipp

Funeral Director
Born and raised in Paris
Attended South Ward and Central Public Schools, and Paris District High School
Obtained Bachelor of Applied Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Waterloo in 1975 
In 1980 attended the Funeral Service Program at Humber College in Etobicoke
Obtained Funeral Directors License With Honours in 1982
Member of the Paris Lions Club since 1980
Member of St. James Anglican Church, Paris
Founding member of the Paris Chamber of Commerce
Founding President of the Paris Parks Foundation
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