The firm of Thomas McKellar and Sons was established in Ayrshire in 1870, when the present owner’s great-grandfather migrated from the crofting community of Bunessan on the Isle of Mull. Duncan McKellar set up his carpentry and undertakers business in the small Ayrshire village of Moscow for a few years before moving to the historic Covenanting village of Fenwick. He married a farmer’s daughter from Galston called Catherine Parker and one of their sons became a blacksmith in Kirkoswald. Another son, Thomas, joined his father in the business and married Annie Watt Cameron of Langside Farm, Fenwick. They had one daughter, Agnes, and three sons, Duncan, William and Thomas, who expanded the trade of joiners, building contractors, motor body builders and funeral undertakers in the areas of Fenwick, Stewarton, Dunlop, Kilmaurs and Kilmarnock. In 1993 the company changed to Funeral Directors only and now has offices in Stewarton, Kilmarnock, Galston and Darvel.
The aim of this independent family funeral directors is to give people a service they require at a difficult and vulnerable time in their lives, offered with professionalism, compassion and dignity.
Susan Russell joined the company in 2019 as a Funeral Arranger/Administrator. Susan is originally from Darvel and her local knowledge has been of great comfort to customers from the Valley. Susan arranges and conducts funerals, as well as handling telephone enquiries and office duties in our branch offices. Susan is a valued member of the team with a history of customer service in banking and retail and most recently as a branch manager with Ayrshire Cancer Support.
Michael Hainey has worked as a Funeral Operative for several years and joined the company full-time in 2021. Michael carries out driving and bearing duties on all funerals and is responsible for vehicle maintenance and assisting with the care of the deceased. In his spare time, Michael enjoys watching and playing football and spending time with his family.