UPPER DARBY — Bridget Monaghan Wible, funeral director and certified preplanning consultant (CPC), has announced the acquisition of The Oliver H. Bair Company Funeral Home and the Montrose Cemetery and Memorials in Upper Darby, and the Cumberland Cemetery, 447 Middletown Road, Middletown Township.
Wible also owns and operates two other funeral homes in Pennsylvania: Monaghan Funeral Home in Red Hill and Raffeo-DiCecco Memorial Home in Norristown.
The firm will move forward as The Oliver H. Bair & Monaghan Funeral Home, reflecting its historic roots and continued family leadership.
Founded in 1878, The Oliver H. Bair Co. has long been recognized as a leader in compassionate funeral service.
Founder Oliver H. Bair established the firm on the principle that families should be served with dignity, empathy and attentive care during life’s most difficult moments. The funeral home became widely known for its longtime Philadelphia location at 1820 Chestnut St.
In 2007, the company was acquired by John J. Monaghan, Bridget’s father, who led its operations alongside Monaghan Funeral Home until his passing in 2020.
“Continuing the legacy of The Oliver H. Bair Company is both an honor and a responsibility,” said Monaghan Wible. “My father instilled in me the importance of serving families with compassion, integrity and respect. I am proud to carry that tradition forward.”
Bridget Monaghan Wible recently acquired The Oliver H. Bair Company Funeral Home and the Montrose Cemetery and Memorials in Upper Darby, and the Cumberland Cemetery in Middletown Township. (COURTESY OF CAROL BRACALENTE)
Monaghan Wible has been part of The Oliver H. Bair Co. since 2009. She earned her undergraduate degree from Penn State and her funeral service degree from the American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service in New York. She became a licensed funeral director in 2012.
While working full-time in the profession, she also earned her Juris Doctor from Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Del., and was admitted to the Pennsylvania and New Jersey bars in 2015. She also runs a small law firm, Monaghan Wible Law LLC, focusing on estate planning and administration.
Monaghan Wible becomes only the fifth owner in the company’s 148-year history, and just the second female owner. Mary Bair, daughter of founder Oliver H. Bair, was among the first female funeral directors and owners in the United States.
Monaghan Wible expressed her commitment to preserving the firm’s legacy while continuing to meet the evolving needs of the families it serves.
“We remain dedicated to providing meaningful, personalized services with the same level of care that has defined this organization for generations,” she said.
For more information about any of these funeral homes and cemeteries, go to www.philadelphiafuneralcare.com/about.