Detroit's long-shuttered Perry Funeral Home is getting a second life. Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors announced today that it has purchased the Trumbull Avenue building near Warren in Detroit and plans to restore the property as a neighborhood chapel. The third-generation family firm says mortuary students will move into the space this summer, to open the chapel by November. As part of the relaunch, the company has also pledged to provide services for infants and stillborn children at no cost.
According to a press release reported by ClickOnDetroit, the building will be restored and reopened as Lynch & Sons Woodbridge Chapel, with Paddy Lynch leading the project. The release notes that founder Edward Lynch Jr. began his mortuary career at Perry Funeral Home as a teenager, framing the purchase as a homecoming for the family. Referring to the past discoveries at the site, Paddy Lynch said in the statement, "We were obviously saddened deeply by those discoveries."
History of the Trumbull site
The building was previously home to Perry Funeral Home, which became the focus of a 2018 investigation after state and local officials uncovered improperly stored fetal and infant remains. State filings from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs show that Perry's mortuary license was summarily suspended and that investigators removed dozens of remains. Local coverage at FOX2 Detroit detailed the removals and the wave of public outrage that followed, while national outlets, including TIME, amplified the story beyond the city.
What the new owners say
Per the press release reported by ClickOnDetroit, Lynch & Sons plans to bring mortuary students into the chapel building this summer and to open the space to the public by November. The firm reiterates its pledge to provide free services for infants and stillborn children as part of the relaunch. Lynch & Sons, which describes itself as a third-generation, family-owned operator serving southeast Michigan on its Lynch & Sons site, is positioning the project as both a return to its roots and an investment in training the next generation of funeral professionals.
Regulatory and community implications
State records list the property's address as 5045 Trumbull and spell out the violations that triggered enforcement in 2018, including failures to file required documentation and improper storage of remains, according to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Those formal filings remain the main public record of the probe. National reporting at TIME and coverage from local outlets documented families' anger, legal claims, and the regulatory response that followed.
Lynch & Sons says the Woodbridge Chapel is intended to serve as both a training site and a place for affordable, dignified services - a practical and symbolic effort to help repair a painful chapter in the neighborhood's history. Renovation work, inspections, and any needed licensing steps will be key milestones to watch as the company pushes toward its November target. For now, the sale gives Detroit a concrete plan to reuse the Trumbull building, while inviting continued scrutiny from regulators and the community.
