Paul Daigle, left, and Bill Sampson move a spray of flowers after a funeral service at Belvedere Funeral Home on March 1. The pair took over the business at the request of former owner Faye Doucette in October 2022. Alison Jenkins • The GuardianCHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — When Faye Doucette began considering retirement, she knew who to ask about taking over the Belvedere Funeral Home.
“Faye wanted to put a succession plan together, and she didn’t want the funeral home to go to the syndicate groups, the conglomerates that are buying up funeral homes,” said Sampson as he sat down beside Daigle to discuss how they got here. Bill Sampson and Paul Daigle take a seat in the reception centre at Belvedere Funeral Home March 1. - Alison Jenkins/SaltWire Network
• For Sampson, he remembers the time he was approached by a family at the local coffee shop. They remembered him from many years prior when he worked with them after a tragic death. The memories had faded for him, but were brought back by the family’s vivid recollections of his professionalism and compassion.