A new chapter for Traver & McCurry Funeral Home

CATSKILL―A new chapter began this year for Traver & McCurry Funeral Home with a new owner and licensed manager at the helm. What has not changed is the name and decades-long commitment to caring for the departed and their loved ones with dignity and compassion.

Breanna Lennon DelVecchio assumed ownership and management of the Jefferson Heights funeral home on January 1, bringing on Robert J. Gaus as the new licensed manager.

A native Catskill resident, Lennon DelVecchio also serves as Greene County’s first female coroner, appointed in March of 2023 and elected that November.

“As a first-generation funeral director, I’ve built my success through dedication, professionalism, and a competitive edge, proving that women belong at the forefront of this profession, too,” said Lennon DelVecchio.

“Funeral service has historically been male driven, but our industry has taken meaningful steps forward,” she added.

A 2010 graduate of Catskill High School, Lennon DelVecchio attended Memorial College of Nursing in Albany and holds an associate’s degree in mortuary science from Hudson Valley Community College.

A resident of Coxsackie, Gaus has been in the funeral profession since 1978. He owned and operated Simpson-Gaus Funeral Home in Kingston for 30 years and has worked in Catskill for the past 13 years.

“For over fifty years, I have been honored to walk alongside families during one of life’s most painful moments―the loss of someone they love,” said Gaus, who in that time has laid to rest more than five thousand souls.

“I consider it a privilege to stand beside families in their grief, listening with care, and offering comfort and steady guidance to find meaningful ways to honor their loved ones and to lay them to rest,” he added.

Lennon DelVecchio purchased the funeral home from Michael McCurry, whose father, John J. McCurry, founded the business more than six decades ago and later partnered with Clinton H. Traver.

And while Michael McCurry has passed the torch, he remains actively involved and available to families who have called him “friend” over the years.

“I’m incredibly honored for the opportunity Michael McCurry has given me,” said Lennon DelVecchio, adding that “none of this would be possible without my husband, JR DelVecchio, and my parents Kevin and Jennifer (Rouse) Lennon.”

Gaus added that, “working alongside dedicated, like-minded people like Breanna allows me to pass on the lessons I have learned over a lifetime in this noble profession―sharing not just knowledge and skills, but the care, compassion, and presence that give this work its deepest meaning.”

“In this work, I am reminded that it is more than a profession―it is calling. Each day is an opportunity to leave a gentle mark on the lives of others,” he said. “I hope to continue this work for many years to come.”

When not at the funeral home, Lennon DelVecchio and Gaus both volunteer in the community. He sits on the advisory board of the Greene County YMCA, is a member and past president of the Catskill Rotary Club and serves as long-time choir director at St. Joseph’s Church in Kingston, while she is an active member of the Palenville Fire Department and serves as president of the auxiliary.

“I want to continue to show that every woman deserves, not only a seat at the table, but a chance to be heard, a chance to make a difference in her community, and a chance to watch her dreams come true,” said Lennon DelVecchio.

She thanked Gaus for always “believing in me, supporting me, and, most importantly, giving me a seat at his table from day one.”

“The support we’ve received over the past few weeks has meant more to me than I can put into words,” said Lennon DelVecchio. “I look forward to many years of service to the community I’ve always called home.”

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