From left, brothers George, Charles and Rosario Passantino founded Passantino Bros. Funeral Home 80 years ago. This photo was taken in 1932. Submitted photo

By Emily Randall
Northeast News
Nov. 3, 2010

From a start-up family business serving largely the Italian community to one of the last independent funeral homes in the city serving a diverse clientele, Passantino Bros. Funeral Home is looking back on 80 years of tradition in 2010.

Brothers Charles, Rosario and George Passantino founded the funeral home at 2117 Independence Blvd. in 1930. They set up in a large house, which, built in 1880 by Parks Commissioner James Burnham, is now 130 years old.

All three brothers’ families lived in the second and third floor of the house above the family business. Each had his own apartment with living room, kitchen, dining room and bedrooms. At one time, 14 members of the Passantino family lived in that home.

The second generation of Passantinos to run the funeral home consisted of cousins Leonard and Buddy Passantino. Leonard was involved in the business for 50 years and perhaps did the most to grow and develop it. His son, Charlie, is now the third generation of Passantinos in the business.

Charlie was also the last one to live in the funeral home. He literally grew up in the funeral home business and carries the torch of two generations before him today.

His own daughter, at age 7, still has years ahead of her before deciding whether to carry on the family tradition. However, Charlie’s wife, Michelle, and nephew, John, work at the funeral home today. Co-director Gary Bertoncin said he is practically the only one involved who isn’t a blood relative.

“Eighty years as a single-family operation is pretty amazing,” Bertoncin said.

Over 80 years, while the funeral home business around them has greatly changed, the Passantinos have been proud to remain independent. Once one of six funeral homes in the Historic Northeast, now Passantino Bros. is one of two. Throughout Kansas City, many of the old family-owned funeral homes have been sold to national corporations, as well. Bertoncin said, however, being independent allows Passantino Bros. to be more flexible with people’s financial, ethnic and religious situations.

“A lot of people think of us as an Italian funeral home,” Bertoncin said, “but we take care of probably 75 percent of the Vietnamese community in Kansas City, which we’ve done since the mid-1970s.”

Additionally, Passantino Bros. does funerals for many other ethnicities, including Latinos, Sudanese and various Asian cultures. From Buddhist to Catholic, Bertoncin said it is a interesting to learn about different religious funeral traditions.

“Everyone seems to have the same reference,” he said. “We’re still mourning our losses. As different as services can be, it shows you we’re all human. We all cry.”

Although the funeral home now serves families all over the Kansas City metropolitan area, Bertoncin said Northeast is still special to the business. Although many people have moved out of the neighborhood over the years, families are often drawn back to Passantino Bros. and Northeast for funeral services.

“Northeast is one of those places where, you talk to just about anyone and somewhere in the family, there are roots in Northeast,” Bertoncin said. “We’re very grateful that people that’ve been gone from the neighborhood years and years…come back here.”

Reflecting on 80 years, Bertoncin estimated the funeral home has served more than 10,000 people. Looking to the future, he said Passantino Bros. has every intention of remaining independent and based in Northeast.

“We’re not going anywhere,” he said.