Brewer & Sons, a family-run funeral group of companies, celebrates milestone anniversary.
Since 1965, Brewer & Sons Funeral Homes, Cremation and Cemetery Services has taken good care of local families as they cope with the loss of loved ones. To recognize this very special milestone 60-year anniversary, the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce hosted a reception on Feb. 20 in Brooksville.
For Barry K. Brewer, Sr., president of the Brewer & Sons group of companies, it was a time to exult. The occasion marked the official 60th anniversary of the founding of Brewer Funeral Homes, and an impressive crowd had gathered to pay tribute — not only to Barry Brewer but also to his late father, Pat Brewer, the creator and godfather of the influential business.
Guided by strong family values, Pat Brewer successfully grew his business while raising a family, participating in several civic organizations, being a church trustee, and running three political campaigns.
“Pat was amazing,” said Gus Guadagnino, a local businessman and elected official. “He and his wife, Yvonne, were two lovely human beings, like Romeo and Juliet. I think his business was so successful because he had a great love and purpose in life and his son, Barry, is continuing to grow that legacy.”
Accolades are well deserved given how fast the business world moves today with constant innovation and reform being the accepted norm. For Brewer & Sons to complete sixty years in business is a great accomplishment and under the leadership of Barry Brewer, the company is proving itself to be adaptable and quick to respond to new trends in order to stay competitive and successful.
“Markets and industry landscapes change so rapidly nowadays,” said Brewer. “If I don’t move quickly enough, then I risk falling behind. To build a positive brand reputation, there has to be a cycle of continuous refinement and growth to cater to our customers’ needs,” he explained.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Barry Brewer is a funeral director who exudes quiet charisma and dignity. Seated in one of the reception rooms at his Seven Hills branch, Brewer is very comfortable talking about death. After all, death has been in his family for more than half a century and he grew up watching his father deal with countless friends, neighbors and local families in their time of grief.
He joined the family firm in 1984 and by 1987, he had taken over the management of the Spring Hill location on Commercial Way. Shortly after, he and his father worked together to accelerate growth in the eastern part of the county, including several acquisitions and by 1994, a new Seven Hills Chapel had been completed as well as an 11,000-sq. ft. bank building and a crematory as their fourth location.
The business merged in 1995 with publicly traded Equity Corp. International (ECI) which was later bought by publicly traded Service Corporation International. This was when Barry Brewer launched a fight to buy back the family business which was successful.
“In 2001, we purchased all three of our funeral homes and our crematory successfully ending litigation and bringing these properties back into the family of “Family Owned Service Company,” he said. “To continue the original Brewer plan, to continue to care for families, and make a true difference in the industry.”
In June 2013, Ryan Brewer — Barry’s second son — joined the business after graduating from Florida International University with a Business Finance Degree. Ryan was born in Brooksville where he too gained hands-on knowledge of the funeral industry from his father and grandfather.
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“Ryan works in our Executive Center in Brooksville as the Trust and Investment Administrator,” said Brewer. “He also helps develop our management and financial systems.”
“And, still keeping it in the family, Dylan, my youngest son is working to be the newest addition in the Brewer legacy,” said Brewer proudly “He’s part of our burials and pre-arrangements team presently and is attending the University of Alabama to earn a degree in Business Management.”
Funeral home directors work hard and are an integral part of the community. For most families, a funeral will be one of the largest expenses they will ever incur and they generally lean towards a funeral director for their expertise.
“In 2024, we entered the Alternative Brand Market and this allows us to provide lower-cost options to families looking for more minimum services,” said Brewer. “We’re not the least expensive,” said Brewer. “But we’re also not the most expensive.
“You can’t be everything to everybody,” but we are pretty close, the Brewer Funeral website says.
“And we also entered the pet funeral business,” Brewer added. “Losing a pet is traumatic, especially for seniors. “My Pets Funeral & Cremation” will help arrange a meaningful service to honor and treat your pet with dignity and respect that we would provide for any other member of your family.”
“Brewer Funeral Homes are true community assets,” said Duane Chichester, an area business development official and former publisher of the Hernando Today newspaper. “Supporting our community organizations, helping people, caring for families with love and understanding, the entire Brewer family and their employees had a real leader in Pat Brewer. God has blessed our entire region with Brewer Funeral.”
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Brewer & Sons (Family Owned Service Company) now has eight funeral Homes, two cemeteries, two care centers, two crematories, four alternative choice brands, one maintenance facility, one pet crematory, and two pet cemeteries. According to their website, there are twenty-two facilities in five counties: Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Lake.
Brewer & Sons Funeral Homes service areas include Brooksville, Spring Hill, Seven Hills, New Port Richey, Tampa, Clermont, Groveland, Dunedin, Clearwater, Masaryktown and surrounding cities.
“Our 60th anniversary wasn’t just a chance to celebrate our successful past, but an opportunity to look forward to a future filled with continued growth and success,” Brewer said. “Thank you everyone for celebrating with us. Heartfelt thanks to our members, partners, and the entire Hernando County community for their unwavering support throughout the years.”
