DC STILKEY & SON, INC
Family Owned and Operated
Cemetery Maintenance, Management & Memorial Sales
Since 1965
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207-865-3940
Our Family Story...
In 1996, Donald and Evelyn Stilkey incorporated DC Stilkey & Son, but the origins of DC Stilkey, began much earlier than that....
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Ralph Prout, father of Evelyn Stilkey, began as superintendent of Grove Cemetery in Freeport, in the year 1965. He maintained the grounds and dug the graves, until about 1975. That same year, Ralph turned the cemetery over to his son in-law, Donald Stilkey. Evelyn helped out in the business, by taking care of the finances and running the office.
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Shortly after becoming the superintendent of Grove Cemetery, Don was asked to manage another cemetery across town, and that was Burr Cemetery. Don dug the graves and maintained the two until 1990, when he was asked to manage some more cemeteries, Riverside Cemetery in Yarmouth and all the Town of Yarmouth Cemeteries. In 1995, Don brought on his son Chris, to help in the growing business and together, they would add on more - Varney and Riverside Cemeteries in Brunswick and then, all of the Cumberland Cemeteries.
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By 1996, and with the business continuing to grow, they hired on two more employees and in 1998, Don hired his daughter in-law Lori, to help out Evelyn in the office, and to start computerizing the business.
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On February 21, 2001, at the age 68, Don passed away from brain cancer. Don left his business, to his son Chris and to this day, Chris and his family, continue on with pride, on what his father and grandfather had started.
DC Stilkey & Son has continued to grow, adding on the following cemeteries - Gray Village, South Freeport and just recently, Falmouth Foreside and it now manages a total of 18.
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In 2009, the business added Memorial Sales, to service their customers better and in 2010, DC Stilkey started construction, on a new office building, located at the back of Burr Cemetery and began managing Lighthouse Crematory and Remembrance, Inc. (www.cremation-maine.com).
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The family business has continued to grow over the years, with new family members joining Chris and Lori, to continue the family’s tradition of the death care business.
NEW Beginning 2018 - We have recently offered landscaping services for residential and commercial (dcstilkeylandscaping.com).
Our Family Staff...
Christopher C. Stilkey
Husband, Father of 7 and Owner/President
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Chris was born and raised in Freeport and is the youngest of the 6 Stilkey children. He graduated from Freeport High School in 1987 and owned his own business, Chris' Comics. In 1989, he met Lori and they married in 1991. They have 7 children (6 sons and 1 daughter).
In 1995, Chris was asked by his dad to come work for the family cemetery business and that's when Chris became 3rd generation of a business that was all started in 1965, by his grandfather, Ralph Prout.
Chris was no stranger to the business, for he worked off and on, from when he was just a young boy and into his teen years, helping his parents out. Together, with his father and mother Evelyn, they became a business dedicated solely to the care and maintenance of cemeteries. Their family business quickly grew into managing and maintaining several cemeteries, ranging from Brunswick to Gray and in-between, totaling 21 in all.
In 2001, Chris lost his dad to cancer at the age of 68. He continued in his father's footsteps and became Owner/President of DC Stilkey & Son and continued to grow the business. He added on employees and started selling Monuments to help service their customers better.
During that time, an opportunity arose in 2007, to add a crematory to Burr Cemetery, where his father is buried and in 2010, after much effort and training, Chris opened Lighthouse Crematory and Remembrance, Inc.
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Chris has been a member of the Maine Cemetery Association since 1995 and is a former President.
With his wife Lori and his trained staff, he is dedicated to continuing his family's tradition of the death care business.
Jarod S. Stilkey
4th Generation Cemeterian/Equipment Operator
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Jarod is the 4th son born to Chris and Lori.
He grew up in Freeport and graduated from Freeport High School in 2017.
Jarod also grew up being with his grandfather in the cemeteries and had a passion for tractors. From a very young age, he loved tractors and by the age 8 could run a tractor and backhoe - which since 2017, he came on as our equipment operator. He is also our vehicle and equipment mechanic. He is working alongside his dad, learning the cemetery business and helps out with the digging and maintaining the cemeteries. He also does the office computer repairs.
Jarod resides in Maine.
Lana B. Stilkey
Lana is the 5th and only daughter born to Chris and Lori. She helps her mom out in the office, when needed.
She is also a certified crematory operator.
Lana grew up in Freeport and graduated from Freeport High School - Class of "2020".
She attended Southern Maine Community College's Spring Ahead Program and majored in Psychology and Art.
Lana has an amazing talent for drawing and has recently opened her own art business online.
Lana resides in Maine.
Office Administrative Assistant
Alex D. Stilkey
Alex is Chris and Lori's 6th child, that is no stranger to the family business. He grew up in Freeport and graduated from FHS 2021. He has a passion for writing, telling stories and a great sense of humor. He is looking forward to traveling overseas.
Alex resides in Freeport, Maine.
4th Generation Cemeterian
Lori A. Stilkey
Wife, Mother of 7 and Vice President/Administration
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Lori was born in Damariscotta and grew up in the town of Woolwich. She graduated from Morse High School in 1987. She married Chris in 1991 and was a stay at home mom, raising their 7 children.
In 1998, her father in-law Don, hired her to help out her mother in-law, Evelyn in the office, with bookkeeping and then computer entry.
By the year 2000, she became the Office Administrator of D.C. Stilkey & Son and later, the Office Administrator of Lighthouse Crematory and Remembrance, in 2011. Also, that same year, Lori became a licensed crematory operator, to help Chris out with the growing family business. She also handles our landscaping and Memorial Day plantings for various cemeteries.
In the past few years, Lori has become part of our Memorial Sales Division and she can help you design a monument.
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Lori has been a member of the Maine Cemetery Association since 2000. In 2014, she became the Secretary and Clerk of the Burr Cemetery Association and she also serves on Burr Cemeteries Financial Board, as Secretary, since 2015.
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Apart from helping her husband Chris with the family business, Lori enjoys planning family events, holidays and helping take care of their 2 granddaughters, Kairi and Liara.
Chandler F. Stilkey
Husband, Father of 1, 4th Generation Cemeterian/Foreman
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Chandler is the third son born to Chris and Lori.
He grew up in Freeport and graduated in 2014, from Freeport High School.
He attended college at Southern Maine Community College.
In 2015 he married his high school girlfriend, Brittany Cogswell. Together they have a daughter, Kairi.
Chandler, just like his father and grandfather, is no stranger to the cemetery business. Growing up, you would find him either on his grandfather's lap, riding the tractor or helping his father out, digging graves....or bringing his dad lunch with his mom and siblings.
Chandler is 4th generation of DC Stilkey & Son and has been working with the family since 2013, as our ground maintenance foreman.
He resides in Freeport with his wife Brittany and daughter Kairi.
Brittany A. Cogswell
Wife, Mother of 1 and Cemeterian
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Brittany was born in Bath and grew up in the Brunswick-Freeport area.
She graduated from Freeport High School in 2014 and then shortly thereafter, attended college at Southern Maine Community College.
In 2015, she married her high school boyfriend, Chandler Stilkey and together they have a daughter Kairi.
Brittany has been working for us since 2016 and she helps us with the maintenance of all the cemeteries.
She resides with her husband Chandler and daughter Kairi in Freeport.
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Joshua G. Stilkey
4th Generation Cemeterian
Joshua is Chris and Lori's 7th and last child. He was born at home and even made the front page news. He grew up in Freeport and graduated early from FHS, Class of 2024. He has a passion for music, song and story writing and loves to tell a good joke.
Joshua resides in Freeport, Maine.