CHAMBERS, WILLIAM F. (January 21, 1932 - May 31, 2004) was a community leader and operator of the family-owned Chambers Funeral Homes, Inc for almost 50 years. He was the oldest of four born to William F. Chambers, Sr (an Irish immigrant and founder of the Chambers Funeral Home in West Park) and Agnes (Chambers) Chambers.
As a boy, Chambers attended St. Patrick School in the WEST PARK neighborhood of Cleveland before going to HOLY NAME HIGH SCHOOL. In 1950, his father passed away unexpectedly, leaving his mother alone to raise a family and operate the funeral home. To help his mother run the home, he attended night classes at JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY - which allowed him to work at the same time at obtaining a funeral director’s license in 1955.
After getting his license, Chambers expanded the single family-owned funeral home into Chambers Funeral Homes, Inc., with locations in BEREA (1974) and NORTH OLMSTED (2003), in addition to the original West Park site. He became very active with the local funeral home network, serving as the president of the Cuyahoga and State of Ohio Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association. He helped to found the Callistian Guild of the Catholic Cemeteries Association of the Diocese of Cleveland.
Proud of his Irish heritage, Chambers was also involved in Cleveland’s IRISH community. His abiding love for Cleveland’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade began when he marched in the Parade as a small boy. He co-founded the United Irish Societies, the group that took over the planning of his beloved Parade in 1958; he served as its Executive Director from 1968-1971. Chambers was a lifelong member of the WEST SIDE IRISH AMERICAN CLUB, a charter member of the EAST SIDE IRISH AMERICAN CLUB, and a member of the Irish Heritage Club. In 2000 he was named Grand Marshal of the Parade. In February 2004, a few months before he passed away, Chambers received the WALKS OF LIFE AWARD from the Irish American Archives Society.
“Billy” Chambers was married to Shirley (Frindt) Chambers and was the father of Therese Chambers Arth. He died in 2004 at the age of 72 and is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in BROOK PARK, OH.
Daniel Brennan and David Patrick Ryan