MILWAUKEE — For more than two decades, Blane Goodman Funeral Service has served the Milwaukee area Jewish community, seeking to offer not just professional expertise but also a personal touch.
“When you’re gone what kind of feeling do you leave behind for people?” Charlie Goodman asked rhetorically, thinking about his own life. “How did you make them feel?”
At the heart of the local funeral service are Blane Goodman and his son, Charlie Goodman, both licensed funeral directors, who report a commitment to tradition and compassion that has shaped their family-run enterprise since its founding in 2002.
“We wanted to provide things that you really couldn’t find in the community. Far as I know, we’re the only establishment in the state that has Jewish funeral directors,” he said. “We can really perform all the duties that are outlined, as a funeral director.”
Both Blane and Charlie have each often served as the tenth person for a minyan, ensuring families can recite Kaddish. “Not only being licensed to handle the professional end, we are also there for the religious part,” Blane said.
“Now we’re getting to the point where we’ve served the same family for a couple of generations, and making those connections over the course of 20-some years… that’s something we take a lot of pride in,” Charlie said.
Lessons from the work are both practical and spiritual. Charlie reflected on the Jewish value of “welcoming the stranger,” noting, “It’s not nine to five. It’s people texting, emailing after hours and staying in touch after the funeral is over.” Blane added, “We’re also embedded in the community. We live here. We take care of our own family, friends, neighbors.” Seeing people you know in the grocery store – that’s just a natural part of it.
The family dynamic is central to the business. Charlie, inspired from a young age, joined after earning his degree from the University of Minnesota. The business has also benefited from the skills of other family members, including Blane’s wife Judi Goodman, who brings a psychology background, Charlie’s wife, Rachel Margolis-Goodman who helps with community outreach, and Blane’s other children, who contribute legal and marketing expertise.
Adapting to change, they have embraced technology, from early adoption of a website to using Zoom for remote services, they said. Yet, they said they remain committed to old-fashioned service.
“We answer our phones. A real person answers the phone,” Blane said. “We know it’s an important and sensitive time.”
Charlie added: “It’s a greater meaning when you look to the idea of community. It’s bigger than any of us,”
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