The History of Wagg Funeral Home

Wagg Funeral Home has been around for a long time and is a part of Port Perry community history. This business has changed hands several times but remains true to the core values of good customer service and compassion. It started out as the McDermott-Panabaker Chapel back in 1849 and has grown ever since. Here’s a brief look at Wagg Funeral Home’s history:

The McDermott-Panabaker Chapel

This company was first a furniture store. Mr. John W. Davis purchased a piece of land in a corner of Queen and Perry Street for his store in 1849 and sold his wares out of that establishment. He was also the town undertaker during this time.

The business thrived under the Davis family until 1901 until William Henry Letcher bought it. It was passed on to this son Merle, who sold it to Archie McDermott in 1934. McDermott maintained it for 12 years before Art Panabaker joined him as an employee.

In 1951, they added a chapel and a casket room to the property. By 1955, they were partners and running the venture successfully. Their partnership continued until 1960 after which McDermott’s son Grant purchased his father’s share of the business.

Wagg Ownership

Harold Wagg purchased the chapel from Art Panabaker and Grant McDermott in 1981. He ran it until 1990 and re-branded it to reflect the change in ownership. Wagg retired by selling the funeral home to Myles O’Riordan, who is the current owner of this establishment. Myles was raised in Ontario, worked in Toronto, before settling down at Port Perry to run his new business.

Wagg Funeral Home has a long and rich history in Ontario. It is an institution people trust and rely on in the most trying times.

If you want to know more about us or our funeral services, contact us at Wagg Funeral Home today and we’ll be happy to help.