Debra Marcus Watton — attorney, manager, president of her own business, accountant for her husband’s business and mother of three — barely has enough fingers to put in all her pots.
Yet she recently added still another pot to her stove. On Oct. 1, she became president of Milwaukee Funeral Services, which now owns Goodman-Bensman Whitefish Bay Funeral Home and the Jewish Community Funeral Home.
Though it may sound like a strange occupation for a nice Jewish girl, she is not new to the business. She has had a finger in the Jewish Community Funeral Home pot since it opened in 1994. It was established through an effort spearheaded by her dad, Jack Marcus.
“In making funeral arrangements for my grandmother, my dad became aware that Goodman-Bensman had been sold and was being governed by a non-Jewish entity located in another state,” Watton explained in a recent interview. “He felt, though Jews were still running it, it wasn’t operating Jewishly. Goodman-Bensman hadn’t actually owned the business for nine years.”
Marcus, a local businessman, told the Chronicle at that time that he was displeased with the service provided by Goodman-Bensman when he made arrangements for his mother-in-law. He complained about the basic funeral cost and called the simple caskets “shoddy.”
“I wanted to provide an alternative burial option that was more appropriate,” Marcus recalled in a recent interview.
Marcus assembled a group of investors that bought the former Congregation Agudas Achim building on Burleigh St., coincidentally located across the street from Goodman-Bensman’s west side location.
Watton, a graduate of Duke University’s Law School, did the legal work to establish the new corporation and assisted with its operation and administration.
That was in addition to being a part of the management team and controller at her dad’s business, Jack L. Marcus Company; president of Watton Bill Management, a debt adjustment service; and the accountant for Lawyer Temps, a placement service run by her husband, Michael Watton.
No longer non-profit
Of her newest undertaking she said, “When Goodman-Bensman became available for sale, I slid into this new position as president of the Milwaukee Funeral Services LLC. It bought Goodman-Bensman in Whitefish Bay and subsequently purchased JCFH on Burleigh St. We have since closed Goodman-Bensman’s west side operation.”
“The funeral homes operate separately under common ownership and share administrative staff,” Watton said.
The idea of one corporation selling to the other was not new. “Hamilton Corp., which owned Goodman-Bensman, had asked to buy us. We weren’t willing to sell, and Hamilton realized there wasn’t enough room here for both of us, so they sold to us,” Watton explained.
Further, she confirmed that while JCFH was initially formed as a non-profit corporation, that is no longer the case. “It had operated close to its expenses, but that couldn’t continue,” she said. “We looked to shuls and other Jewish institutions to take it over, but that wasn’t feasible. So when Goodman-Bensman became available, we formed a group of investors to buy it, some of whom were involved with the initial project.”
The original non-profit corporation has been dissolved, and the remaining funds were contributed to a variety of Jewish charities. The JCFH building was sold to Milwaukee Funeral Services, and Goodman-Bensman’s west side building was sold outright.
Proud of its 100 percent local Jewish ownership, Watton said, “Our goal is to show the utmost respect for the deceased and the family, and not lose sight of simplicity and dignity.”
Though Watton said that both operations, ultimately, want families of all denominations to be comfortable with their service, she conceded that the services differ between the sites.
“I think the JCFH attempts to be more traditional. We only offer four caskets there compared to more than 20 at the Whitefish Bay site. And that’s been pared down from more than 50 at one time,” she said.
Further, Watton said MFS has made some policy changes. “We no longer do any embalming at either site. If a family wants it, or it’s required [by state law] for above-ground burial, we contract for the service. Also we don’t ask for any payment when the arrangements are being made.”
“I think we’ve heightened the level of sensitivity. While we want things to go well, we’re not throwing a party. We are providing an important service for the Jewish community,” she said.
While she is not a licensed funeral director, Watton is on call “24 hours a day, seven days a week” just like the rest of the staff.
The Whitefish Bay site is being refurbished, including new chairs, fresh paint and better lighting. However, the name is not going to change.
“People in Milwaukee are funny about names,” said Watton. “They have a long history with Goodman-Bensman and want to bury other relatives in the same place. Keeping the name seems to add a comfort level of continuity.”
When asked why she’s involved in so many things, in addition to raising her children — Melissa, 9, Jake, 6 and Erin, 3 — she said, “I ask myself that question every morning. It just sort of happened.” She admitted her biggest challenge is “time management.”
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